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Social Welfare??

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  • 14-06-2011 2:34pm
    #1
    7Sins
    Closed Accounts Posts: 526 ✭✭✭


    What options are there for a 24 year old student?
    I can't apply for JSA because I'm returning to college in September.
    I'm living at home this summer for the first time because I've nothing for rent.

    My next source of income is the grant in 5 months time when I return to college.

    I've 0 euros income per week now and 0 euros in savings, do I move out and get rent allowance? will I get rent allowance? still no income then for 5 months, or leave and try in England for work but I know I won't return for college if I go to England. Like I get fed from the Mammy here :o but still I've nothing for clothes, socialising, or anything...

    I know little to nothing about social welfare except for my experience in their offices a few weeks ago, where a rather low life looking character spent 2 mins talking with the lady behind the desk before egressing the building with his arms up in the air in triumph at whatever he got, and then me being told, no go away and live on air for 5 months :)


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    #2
    Elmidena
    Registered Users Posts: 2,570 ✭✭✭Elmidena


    Call into your Community Welfare Officer and they should be able to advise you. Can ring Citizens Advice beforehand either if you think going down'll just be a waste of time. For rent allowance, you need an income and you pay a certain amount of your overall rent a week. Also, where's your deposit coming into play :p

    Can always apply for JSA and then come off it again, no?


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    #3
    7Sins
    Closed Accounts Posts: 526 ✭✭✭7Sins


    Sunshine! wrote: »
    Call into your Community Welfare Officer and they should be able to advise you. Can ring Citizens Advice beforehand either if you think going down'll just be a waste of time. For rent allowance, you need an income and you pay a certain amount of your overall rent a week. Also, where's your deposit coming into play :p

    Can always apply for JSA and then come off it again, no?

    Nope oddly, this is what the welfare crowd want me to do. Drop out of college then claim the dole for a year and maybe return then as opposed to the logical step of allowing me claim 144 a week for the summer so I can afford to go back which at the moment I can't as you said with the deposit? I can't afford that in September, nor the first two months rent.

    I went to the Communtiy Welfare office and was told to lie to the Social Welfare and say I wasn't going back to college but in order to do this I need to produce evidence from the college which I wouldn't do anyway because it sounds like fraud to me :confused:


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    #4
    eastbono
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭eastbono


    7Sins wrote: »
    What options are there for a 24 year old student?
    I can't apply for JSA because I'm returning to college in September.
    I'm living at home this summer for the first time because I've nothing for rent.

    My next source of income is the grant in 5 months time when I return to college.

    I've 0 euros income per week now and 0 euros in savings, do I move out and get rent allowance? will I get rent allowance? still no income then for 5 months, or leave and try in England for work but I know I won't return for college if I go to England. Like I get fed from the Mammy here :o but still I've nothing for clothes, socialising, or anything...

    I know little to nothing about social welfare except for my experience in their offices a few weeks ago, where a rather low life looking character spent 2 mins talking with the lady behind the desk before egressing the building with his arms up in the air in triumph at whatever he got, and then me being told, no go away and live on air for 5 months :)

    If you were 23 on 1st January prior to starting your college course then you are entitled to claim Jobseekers Allowance for the summer. If you have an entitlement to Jobseekers Benefit then you can claim during the summer no matter what your age is.


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    #5
    7Sins
    Closed Accounts Posts: 526 ✭✭✭7Sins


    eastbono wrote: »
    If you were 23 on 1st January prior to starting your college course then you are entitled to claim Jobseekers Allowance for the summer. If you have an entitlement to Jobseekers Benefit then you can claim during the summer no matter what your age is.

    Nope, I started college before the 23 yr old thing.


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    #6
    eastbono
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭eastbono


    Unfortunately therefore you are not entitled to any jobseekers payment.


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    #7
    7Sins
    Closed Accounts Posts: 526 ✭✭✭7Sins


    eastbono wrote: »
    Unfortunately therefore you are not entitled to any jobseekers payment.

    Drop out of college with a view to leaving ireland then I guess


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    #8
    eddiehen
    Registered Users Posts: 155 ✭✭eddiehen


    7Sins wrote: »
    Drop out of college with a view to leaving ireland then I guess

    Or don't work cash-in-hand and qualify for JB. :rolleyes:


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    #9
    Lugh Ildanach
    Registered Users Posts: 522 ✭✭✭Lugh Ildanach


    Well, the most basic route, even though it won't be much fun, is to just sit tight for the 5 months until your grant comes in. As you say, you are getting fed, that's something at least. You never know what part-time or casual work might come up in the meantime.

    If you cannot financially make it, then you can of course drop out of college and should in those circumstances be eligible for a Jobseekers payment (although as you're under 25 the lower rates may apply and your parent's income will be taken into account in the means test). Its the unfortunate reality that the State does not provide social welfare to full time students first time round. However, there are supports to get people back into college. If for example you were to drop out this summer, and spend at least 9 months on a Jobseekers payment (if you're not lucky enough to find a job), then you could apply for Back to Education Allowance to re-start your course the following September. You didn't used to be able to do this, but they relaxed the rules. See here for details http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx#1.12
    1.12.8 Relaxation of the first year of an approved course of study:

    The condition that applicants must be commencing the first year of an approved full-time course to access the BTEA is being relaxed, subject to fulfilling the other scheme conditions, to allow access after the first year of a course to:

    * Applicants who have been granted an exemption by the college/course provider based on a previous course or on life experience.
    * Applicants who had completed the earlier year(s) of the course on a part-time basis and are now unemployed.
    * Applicants who are permitted by the college/course provider to proceed to the second or subsequent year of a course after having previously dropped out.

    In order to qualify for participation in the BTEA scheme an applicant must be commencing the first year of an approved course of study. Each case should be considered on its merits. The condition may be waived where there are mitigating circumstances that would make it unreasonable to expect a person to have continued the course.

    Of course, a lot can happen in a year and you may end up not going back, and even if you do it can be a lot harder to motivate yourself as time goes on. Take it from someone who done it the hard way, the best way to get through college is to do it as quickly as possible and first time round, it doesn't get any easier!!!!

    Or the "easy" way out is of course to emigrate and leave your education behind.

    Even though you're in a difficult position, there are options! It depends on how much you value your education and how determined you are to see your course through.


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    #10
    Advance99
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭Advance99


    Whats the limit on Medical card - does anyone know ? :mad:


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    #11
    mp22
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 6,854 Mod ✭✭✭✭mp22


    Advance99 wrote: »
    Whats the limit on Medical card - does anyone know ? :mad:
    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/entitlement_to_health_services/medical_card.html


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    #12
    cee_jay
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 7,920 Mod ✭✭✭✭cee_jay


    If you do leave your college course, you cannot claim anything until the start of the next academic year anyway:
    (See FAQ Thread)
    Third level students between academic years, who sit summer examinations, but state that they do not intend to return to college in the autumn, are disqualified from claiming JA up to the commencement of the next academic year (Sep/Oct as appropriate). These students are considered to be following a course of study up to that date.


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