25yrs old-why was i asked for parents income when applying for JA

LaLucy

On the website it says if you are applying for JA and are over 24 you will not be asked to show parents income if living with them... So why did the lady at the dole office request my fathers earning and lots of info about him? How do they expect me to get out of this hole without assistance, it's stressful. My fathers earnings was 18000 / annum does this mean I might not get as much? He also rents out houses but that rent pays the mortgage of the houses so he is not earning from that, he also owns the house we live in...

I need the dole so I can move to a bigger town with more ooportunitites because right now I am in the middle of nowhere with no car and no way to climb any ladders.

Any info or help? Thanks

bushykangaroo

Interested in this too, i thought once over 24 you're means tested independently to your parents? Has this changed?

The_Conductor

The answer to the 'why'- there is an assumption that if you are still living with your parents that they are supporting you at least in part.

Re: your fathers income- all rental income is counted- it may not attract a tax liability (depending on outgoings), but technically it is considered gross income, and treated as such.

Re moving out from home for better opportunities elsewhere- the grass may not necessarily be greener on the other side...... opportunities are atrocious everywhere- as evidenced by architects, and a number of solicitors seeking employment in McDonalds. Do not assume that if you move that your prospects will be any better- its bad everywhere......

bushykangaroo

What happens in this scenario, parents recently made unemployed but have too much savings to be considered for social welfare , they'd be outside the scale and get basicly nothing. Parents know they wont be entitled to anything and therefore dont want to even go through a means test with some nosey inspector.

25 year old daughter lives at home with parents and receives 205euros JSB from Prsi but that is comming to an end and is about to me means tested? Will the daughter have to declare the parents details even though she's over 24?

What would be the best way for the daughter to go about this without having to involve the parents details, and how much rent should the daughter say they'r epaying the parents?

LaLucy

I told the lady I was not contributing to household costs or rent (because I am absolutely penniless) this does not mean I won't have to when I get the dole but how could I contribute to the house without an income? It makes no sense. At 25 years old moving back home is not good for the confidence levels plus signing on then being told basically I am not treated as an adult but a child living with my parents. It's really wrecking my head.

Cliona99

LaLucy, I was in the exact same situation as you. I'm 25, living at home. I wasn't paying anything to my parents because I couldn't afford it. I was only living at home because I couldn't afford to live anywhere else. They didn't ask me any questions about my parents income/means/savings at all. Just my own. I had to give them bank statements, and the usual P45's P60's etc. but that was it. No interviews, (except in the Social Welfare office when I went to apply), and no home visit. Granted it took them eight or nine weeks before I got any money, (and I ran up some debts while I was waiting), but all in all it was pretty painless.

Sorry I can't help you, I have no idea why they asked you so many questions, you are definitely supposed to be assessed individually once you're 25. The only thing I can think of is that they are getting more strict recently because there are more people signing on? Or they're trying to change the rules to save money? Or the lady didn't realise your age? I don't know but it seems crazy that they expect your parents to support you. It's really hypocritical of them too because child benefit stops when the child is eighteen (I think), why doesn't an eighteen year old count as an adult for everything?

IT Loser

Cliona99 wrote: »

LaLucy, I was in the exact same situation as you. I'm 25, living at home. I wasn't paying anything to my parents because I couldn't afford it. I was only living at home because I couldn't afford to live anywhere else. They didn't ask me any questions about my parents income/means/savings at all. Just my own. I had to give them bank statements, and the usual P45's P60's etc. but that was it. No interviews, (except in the Social Welfare office when I went to apply), and no home visit. Granted it took them eight or nine weeks before I got any money, (and I ran up some debts while I was waiting), but all in all it was pretty painless.

Sorry I can't help you, I have no idea why they asked you so many questions, you are definitely supposed to be assessed individually once you're 25. The only thing I can think of is that they are getting more strict recently because there are more people signing on? Or they're trying to change the rules to save money? Or the lady didn't realise your age? I don't know but it seems crazy that they expect your parents to support you. It's really hypocritical of them too because child benefit stops when the child is eighteen (I think), why doesn't an eighteen year old count as an adult for everything?

The best explanation I can offer for this is as follows: when I went in to sign on for allowance, they gave me the wrong form. The girl who was catering to me noticed this and then gave me the correct form. I proceeded to fill the whole thing in, including some parts which had to do with how much my parents earned etc.

Because the girl was staring at a computer screen, I just kept writing.

Eventually I asked her about some of the sections which referred to "earnings" of other family members and she just drew a line across it and wrote "over 25" on it.

She said a lot of it wouldnt matter becuase I was over 25.

The reason I refer to the fact that they gave me the wrong forms is because they dont always pay attention and can get things wrong. The reason the OP was grilled on income etc was because, perhaps, the person at the desk just didnt cotton on to the fact that the OP was over 25, and asked some questions or insisted on information which was not correctly required.

IT Loser

Cliona99 wrote: »

LaLucy, I was in the exact same situation as you. I'm 25, living at home. I wasn't paying anything to my parents because I couldn't afford it. I was only living at home because I couldn't afford to live anywhere else. They didn't ask me any questions about my parents income/means/savings at all. Just my own. I had to give them bank statements, and the usual P45's P60's etc. but that was it. No interviews, (except in the Social Welfare office when I went to apply), and no home visit. Granted it took them eight or nine weeks before I got any money, (and I ran up some debts while I was waiting), but all in all it was pretty painless.

Sorry I can't help you, I have no idea why they asked you so many questions, you are definitely supposed to be assessed individually once you're 25. The only thing I can think of is that they are getting more strict recently because there are more people signing on? Or they're trying to change the rules to save money? Or the lady didn't realise your age? I don't know but it seems crazy that they expect your parents to support you. It's really hypocritical of them too because child benefit stops when the child is eighteen (I think), why doesn't an eighteen year old count as an adult for everything?

Sounds like you were applying for BENEFIT as opposed to ALLOWANCE.