I've never received benefits before. How many "stamps" do I need for social welfare?

Cellar_Door

My job is temporary, while someone else is away, and I am there 4 months now, working 5 days a week.

I only recently heard of these "stamps". What are they and how many do I need before being entitled to social welfare?

I'll soon be going back to further education, but in the meantime it would be nice to be entitled to a few bob.

Hopefully someone here can help me out.

Nolanger

Those stamps are useless until 2010 and you will need 104 of these to claim Jobseekers Benefit which you won't have if you go back to education. Doesn't matter how many days a week you work because you only get one stamp per week.

Cellar_Door

Nolanger wrote: »

Those stamps are useless until 2010 and you will need 104 of these to claim Jobseekers Benefit which you won't have if you go back to education. Doesn't matter how many days a week you work because you only get one stamp per week.

2010?
But, before starting my job I was in the social welfare office and they said I was just a few stamps short (from the last time I worked).

Nolanger

You should have said that in your original post.

Cellar_Door

Nolanger wrote: »

You should have said that in your original post.

My mistake. Sorry.

So, what are my options - how many stamps do I need?

I have no idea about how any of this works.

Cellar_Door

Bump

crazzzzy

stamps are the PRSI contribution you pay every week. if you have enough stamps paid then you will be entitled to jobseekers benefit if you lose your job. Im not sure how many you need to have but when they assess you, i think its the previous year they take into account.

you may be entitled to dentist/optical benefit aswell. check the revenue & welfare sites as i dont have much info. www.revenue.ie or www.welfare.ie

if you don't have enough stamps, then you may be entitled to jobseekers allowance (dole) if you lose your job.

Cellar_Door

crazzzzy wrote: »

stamps are the PRSI contribution you pay every week. if you have enough stamps paid then you will be entitled to jobseekers benefit if you lose your job. Im not sure how many you need to have but when they assess you, i think its the previous year they take into account.

you may be entitled to dentist/optical benefit aswell. check the revenue & welfare sites as i dont have much info. www.revenue.ie or www.welfare.ie

if you don't have enough stamps, then you may be entitled to jobseekers allowance (dole) if you lose your job.

Thank you.

So would the year be January to December, or what?

I have a feeling I will be let go in about 3 months maximum - but I can't wait that long, I actively want to quit to focus on other things before I go back to further education.

King for a day

How much more does a person get on Jobseekers benefit as opposed to Jobseekers allowance.

snubbleste

King for a day wrote: »

How much more does a person get on Jobseekers benefit as opposed to Jobseekers allowance.

Do a search on www.welfare.ie

crazzzzy

its the same amount for both. the difference in name is because some people have enough PRSI stamps paid to cover them while some people don't.

the only difference in money would be:

• if you have kids/spouse
• you owe welfare money (they deduct €5/10 per week)
• you work 3 or less days a week (called x's & o's)

I think benefit is the one for the PRSI stamps & allowance is the dole (i put it the other way around in previous post by accident)

jobucks

Cellar_Door wrote: »

Thank you.

So would the year be January to December, or what?

I have a feeling I will be let go in about 3 months maximum - but I can't wait that long, I actively want to quit to focus on other things before I go back to further education.

As far as I know if you "actively quit" your job, you will not be entitled to any benefits for at least 12 weeks.

Cellar_Door

jobucks wrote: »

As far as I know if you "actively quit" your job, you will not be entitled to any benefits for at least 12 weeks.

I see.

Would it be possible, I wonder, for my employer to agree to say he "let me go", even though I am quitting?

They're going to be letting me go soon - perhaps in about two or three months maximum; so it's only a matter or time.

jobucks

I'm sure if he would agree to do that then you should have no problems