Should I apply for the dole? (Or CAN I?)

silverwex

Hey all,

Ill be honest here, Ive been working for my family over the past 4 years and been getting paid cash in hand (which officially makes me unemployed!) for the whole period.

I have decided to get away from working/living with family and to make a fresh start.

Ive applied for about 5 jobs in the past few months and havent really gotten anywhere or anything (planning on sending off another 5 CVs tomorrow).

Anyway, Im not getting paid much and could really do with some extra cash.

Do I qualify for the dole? I heard somewhere that you have to be living out of home to receive it.

I also heard that you have to be applying regularly for jobs (and have proof of this) whch I HAVE been doing.

Thanks for the help all.


N

raananhax

You will be means tested if you are living at home.
You will also have to provide bank statements.
I don't think it will matter that you have been working "cash in hand".
Since you have not been paying prsi, they will have no record of your income.
Just say you have been supported by your parents, assuming you have been living with them.
If you decide to lie and say that you were out of the country, make sure that you do not say you were in the UK as they have access to social welfare records over there. I'm not sure about other EU countries.
The cool thing about going on the dole is that once you are long term unemployed(which I think is 6 months or more, you can do any course (apart from medicine or MBA or something like that, Social Welfare will pay for your degree and will allow you to keep your full dole!!! not bad if you ask me.

silverwex

Thanks for the reply raananhax

I feel so bad about having to go to apply for the dole, and not having pulled up my socks a long time agao - gues I just got too comfortable!

And how bad will it be telling the people in the the dole office that my parents 'were supporting me' - what if they ask what have I been doing for the past 4 years? Dossing? lol (PS - I dont think Ill say I was out of the country).

Also, one more thing, how do they means test you?

IT Loser

silverwex wrote: »

Thanks for the reply raananhax

I feel so bad about having to go to apply for the dole, and not having pulled up my socks a long time agao - gues I just got too comfortable!

And how bad will it be telling the people in the the dole office that my parents 'were supporting me' - what if they ask what have I been doing for the past 4 years? Dossing? lol (PS - I dont think Ill say I was out of the country).

Also, one more thing, how do they means test you?

Don't feel bad. It is your just and lawful entitlement, once you meet certain requirements.

silverwex

Thanks ITLoser -- what are the requirements you speak of?

Royale with Cheese

If you've worked over 40 weeks in 2005 (even 1 hour per week would count) you would be entitled to benefit. Since you haven't (officially) and you're living at home it would be means tested against what your parents earn... unless you're over 25 I think, then you'd definitely get it without any means testing.

If your parents earn anything decent between them (I'm really not sure what the exact figures are, I didn't qualify and my figure was around €80k) then don't bother as they'll send a social worker round to your house and they'll want to look at pay slips and the like.

silverwex

Thanks!

Two things:

1) I am over 25 (sucks!)

2) My parents are well off, although i AM NOT.

Royale with Cheese

You'll be grand once you're over 25. You won't get full benefit but you'll be entitled to jobseekers allowance.

IT Loser

silverwex wrote: »

Thanks ITLoser -- what are the requirements you speak of?

Well,

you have to be looking for work and prepared to work, basically, and, you must not be working at the time you receive the dole. Plus you sign on when and where they say and you must also present yourself at their invitation for an interview.

silverwex

Thanks for the replies all.

So how do i go about applying for this? Where do I go and what do i bring with me?

Also, how long will it take for me to begin receiving payments?

Thanks!

silverwex

IT Loser -- weird, we posted at the exact same time!

Im dying for a job! Found anothe rone to apply to today so will get onto that this evening! This is just for back up while Im waiting around for the companies to get back to me.

IT Loser

silverwex wrote: »

Thanks for the replies all.

So how do i go about applying for this? Where do I go and what do i bring with me?

Also, how long will it take for me to begin receiving payments?

Thanks!

go down to your local Soc Welfare office, bring:

Your P45 {if you have one}
Your Birth Cert/Passport/Drivers Licence
Your RSI/PPS # and card
History of recent attempts to find work.

Take a ticket for a fresh claim and wait to be called.......:D

silverwex

Cheers mate!

Dont have P45 though!

One more thing, should I mention I have been working for cash in hand? As itd seem unusual if I tell them Ive been doing nothing for 4 years!

IT Loser

silverwex wrote: »

IT Loser -- weird, we posted at the exact same time!

Im dying for a job! Found anothe rone to apply to today so will get onto that this evening! This is just for back up while Im waiting around for the companies to get back to me.

Yeah I noticed that as my reply got posted that you had nipped in ahead of me.!!!

IT Loser

silverwex wrote: »

Cheers mate!

Dont have P45 though!

One more thing, should I mention I have been working for cash in hand? As itd seem unusual if I tell them Ive been doing nothing for 4 years!

Why would it???

A kid who comes out of school and onto the scratcher is entitled to apply, and he'll have no P45.

Get a letter from your last employer stating nothing more than the following: that you used to work for him/her/them, and, that as of whatever date, you no longer work for them. Get them to sign it, and have it look semi-official!!. Make sure there is a contact detail and name on it. The first time I went on, around 2004, they sent a letter to my old employer and got them to fill it in and send it back to the dole. Basically, I don't know if they'll do that with you but you would do well to get a written dec from your old boss that you no longer work for him. As far as tax, PRSI, legal stuff, thats none of the Soc.Welfares bizz. All they need to know is that, as far as is obvious, you aren't on the job and on the dole

silverwex

Ok, but the last semi-proper employer I had was actually FAS. I did a FAS course for 9 months in 2001, would they be classifield as an employer?

EDIT: I actually just found a P45 from 2000 -- didnt seem to get one from FAS so I guess this will do?

One more thing: What exactly is 'proof' that I have applied for jobs? Would just a list of companies I applied to, written out on paper, do? (The Social Welfare can work from there?)

Thanks for all your help IT Loser!

PS - I think Ill use this to apply rather than call in as I wont be free til Monday now: https://www.welfare.ie/secure/ub.html That ok?

Mrs. MacGyver

Silverwex, if you have any rejection letters/emails from companies or prospective employers bring them in or if you have registered with any Job Search sites. If you were on a Fas course all you will need from them is a letter stating the date you started the course and the date it finished. The P45 from 2000 would be irrelevant.

IT Loser

Mrs. MacGyver wrote: »

Silverwex, if you have any rejection letters/emails from companies or prospective employers bring them in or if you have registered with any Job Search sites. If you were on a Fas course all you will need from them is a letter stating the date you started the course and the date it finished. The P45 from 2000 would be irrelevant.

To mention nothing of the fact that completing a FAS course would butter the Soc. Welfare office up nicely. In fact, a FAS course is to the Welfare bureaucrats what a Crucifix is to Dracula. They have no defence against it.!!

silverwex

IT LOSER, you mean I should mention it? or shouldnt?

IT Loser

silverwex wrote: »

IT LOSER, you mean I should mention it? or shouldnt?

You should mention it. One of the things I was made do before I got my claim processed was go up to the local FAS office and register. In fact, if you have proof of FAS registration, bring it with you. The fact that you have a FAS course is beneficial because it means you have already completed some of the tasks which they ask/advise people who are already on the dole to do.

silverwex

Aha! Nice one! Have my FAS payslip here right in front of me actually! Cheers!

IT Loser

silverwex wrote: »

Aha! Nice one! Have my FAS payslip here right in front of me actually! Cheers!

Payslip????

silverwex

yea payslip for the course (u get paid for doing it).

IT Loser

silverwex wrote: »

yea payslip for the course (u get paid for doing it).

Did you get a cert??? Show them that too!:cool:

silverwex

Well i got a City & Guilds and ECDL Cert. That do?