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Am i eleigible for socail welfare if I temporarily move back to ireland?

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  • 07-07-2015 11:59am
    #1
    coldpaw
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭


    I know this is not correct place for this thread but i cant find anywhere else - Mods please feel free to move.

    So i'm living in Oz for close on 4 years and i've just been told that me mammy only has a few months left to live. I want to go home and care for her during her last few months. Work in Sydney is giving me a unpaid leave of absence.

    My question is - am i entitled to the dole/carers allowance when i'm back? I wont have any income over there as it stands.

    I've seen in other places on the net that if you leave Ireland you no longer qualify after being two years out of the country - i was working right up until i left Ireland in May 2011.

    Any ideas, pointers in the right direction greatly appreciated.

    Cheers


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    #2
    Irishguy16
    Registered Users Posts: 76 ✭✭Irishguy16


    I'm not 100% sure about your entitlements, but I can tell you my story when I returned from living overseas.....

    I recently returned home after picking up a pretty nasty injury overseas. I was hospitalized and needed an operation.When I went to the social welfare office to sign on and to explain my situation,I was told that they checked my taxes from 2 years ago, so in my case they were checking 2013, a time that I was also living overseas, meaning I didn't have the tax credits to apply for illness benefit.

    I went down to another office, the supplementary social welfare offices, explained my situation to the welfare officer, he gave me assistance, but I was only entitled to 5 weeks assistance, unless I could prove from my doctor that I was still recovering.

    You certainly will be entitled to social welfare assistance, but only short term I would strongly assume, that is unless they changed the system!


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    #3
    catbear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,092 ✭✭✭catbear


    Firstly I'm sorry to hear your mums health is failing, I've been through it with my own parents already.

    We recently returned after three years in OZ and we registered with SW straight away. However we both got work within a month but we did eventually get payments from social welfare but because we had a good lump of savings what we were eligible for wasn't much.

    I don't know what the scenario is for a carers allowance as I presume you'll not be looking for work.
    Do you have australian residency?


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    #4
    baby and crumble
    Registered Users Posts: 8,512 ✭✭✭baby and crumble


    coldpaw wrote: »
    I know this is not correct place for this thread but i cant find anywhere else - Mods please feel free to move.

    So i'm living in Oz for close on 4 years and i've just been told that me mammy only has a few months left to live. I want to go home and care for her during her last few months. Work in Sydney is giving me a unpaid leave of absence.

    My question is - am i entitled to the dole/carers allowance when i'm back? I wont have any income over there as it stands.

    I've seen in other places on the net that if you leave Ireland you no longer qualify after being two years out of the country - i was working right up until i left Ireland in May 2011.

    Any ideas, pointers in the right direction greatly appreciated.

    Cheers

    There's a habitual residency clause for JobSeekers/ Carers Allowance. As you technically are not resident ordinarily in the State (and have a job to go back to in a non-EU country) I don't think you'll qualify.


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    #5
    Wanderer78
    Registered Users Posts: 28,876 ✭✭✭✭Wanderer78


    very sorry to hear your story op. ive no info for you but i wish you and your family the best. is it worth contacting your local irish health board to explain your situation?


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    #6
    coldpaw
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭coldpaw


    Thanks for all the responses. I'm a resident here (actually in the process of citizenship but that's another hassle for me....)

    I'm not really looking for work as I'm heading back there to spend the time with her - I do have some savings built up but i know they'll get eaten up very quickly.

    That's a good idea on the supplementary social welfare assistance - I suppose the best thing to do is to go into SW on my first day back there.

    Love Australia, just wish it wasn't the other side of the world...


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    #7
    ArseBurger
    Registered Users Posts: 647 ✭✭✭ArseBurger


    coldpaw wrote: »
    I suppose the best thing to do is to go into SW on my first day back there.

    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/social_assistance_payments/residency_requirements_for_social_assistance_in_ireland.html

    You're not entitled to social welfare in Ireland as you are not moving back permanently and therefore won't be habitually resident.

    If you do decide to try and prove habitual residence you may then be liable for tax on any income or assets that you have received outside of Ireland within the prior two years.


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