Maternity Benefit

benefits wrote: »

Hi,

I applied and was approved for maternity benefit starting in a few weeks time.

My partner is thinking of moving in with me and he is claiming job seekers allowance. I was wondering how would this affect our payments?

Without sounding like a complete sponger, I am currently struggling with the amounts we're on at the moment and rent,etc. I was wondering is there any other claims we can make?

Currently I'm working and starting maternity benefit in a few weeks and he is in receipt of job seekers allowance.

Thanks

Your partner's Jobseekers will be reduced by you moving in together, you can either claim for him on your Maternity Benefit, or he can continue to get a reduced Jobseekers payment which will equate to the same amount. If you have any children at the minute, you can apply for FIS (Family Income Supplement) while on Maternity Benefit, provided that your job involved working at least 19 hours/week. If you don't have any children, then you can apply for FIS once your baby is born.

The FIS will only last until your Materntity leave runs out, but if your family income remains below the relevant limits after you return to work, you can apply again for FIS at that stage.

See here for the Family Income Supplement rates: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/BirthChildrenAndFamilies/ChildRelatedPayments/Pages/fis.aspx

From [url]www.welfare.ie:[/url]

Rates of payment from January 2011:

Maternity Benefit Weekly rate
Maximum payment €262
Minimum payment €217.80
Payments for dependants
If you have dependants your rate of Maternity Benefit (excluding increases for dependants) is compared to the rate of Illness Benefit (including increases for dependants) that would be paid to you if you were absent from work through illness. The higher of the two rates is paid to you.

Example (2011 rates): Mary is entitled to the maximum rate of Maternity Benefit of €262. Her partner is unemployed and signing on for unemployment credits. They have two children. If she got Illness Benefit she would get €372.40 (this is the personal rate of Illness Benefit an Increase for a Qualified Adult an Increase for Qualified Children). She cannot get less Maternity Benefit than she would get if ill and getting Illness Benefit. For this reason, she will get Maternity Benefit of €372.40.

If your adult dependent is getting a social welfare payment you will not get an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) but you may get a half-rate Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC).

You will qualify for a full-rate IQA and a full-rate IQC, if your adult dependent is unemployed and signing on for credits or is earning under €100.01 per week.

If your adult dependent is earning between €100.01 and €310 per week you will get a tapered rate of IQA and a full-rate IQC. If your adult dependent is earning between €310.01 and €400 per week you will not get an IQA but you will get half rate IQC. If your adult dependent earns over €400 per week you will not get an IQA or IQC.


With maternity benefit, your partner will not receive a reduced rate of Jobseeker's allowance. As long as there are no means from your employment, he will get 188 per week and you will receive your full entitlement to maternity benefit.

benefits wrote: »

I presume we'll have to wait another 3 months before applying for rent allowance too?

Its not a matter of waiting 3 months. If you can't afford the rent now, then being in the property 6 months will not help you qualify for rent supplement. If you haven't been in rented accommodation for 6 months and can show that you could afford it at the start of the tenancy, then you need to be assessed by your local authority before you can receive rent allowance.