Jobseeker's Allowance/Dole Inspector Visit?

raveni

Hey, I applied for the Jobseeker's Allowance/Dole in mid-feb so I've been waiting about 12 weeks. I'm not exactly complaining about the wait, though that is annoying.

The thing is I know an inspector's meant to visit to ask questions and that, but I don't know how he goes about it, does he visit completely randomly? Does he call ahead to let you know when he's coming? What if you're not there when he visits? Will it be ages before he visits again?

I wouldn't be too bothered over it but my ma is driving me mad, she's convinced he'll come real early and I'm no morning person. And she's convinced he'll come if I so much as go to visit friends or shopping and think I'm working, which is kinda stupid cos they can't possibly expect us to sit at home all day every day!

So does anyone know anything about this? Help appreciated.

RayM

From personal experience... he might phone you a few hours before calling. And if he visits and you aren't there, he'll put a note through the letterbox letting you know he called. They're quite reasonable and understand that it's not practical to stay at home for 12 weeks, waiting for them to call. Unless it happens several times, it's unlikely that he'll think you're working.

IT Loser

raveni wrote: »

Hey, I applied for the Jobseeker's Allowance/Dole in mid-feb so I've been waiting about 12 weeks. I'm not exactly complaining about the wait, though that is annoying.

The thing is I know an inspector's meant to visit to ask questions and that, but I don't know how he goes about it, does he visit completely randomly? Does he call ahead to let you know when he's coming? What if you're not there when he visits? Will it be ages before he visits again?

I wouldn't be too bothered over it but my ma is driving me mad, she's convinced he'll come real early and I'm no morning person. And she's convinced he'll come if I so much as go to visit friends or shopping and think I'm working, which is kinda stupid cos they can't possibly expect us to sit at home all day every day!

So does anyone know anything about this? Help appreciated.

12 weeks. Thats shocking. You might be advised to get onto them ask them what the blue blazes is the delay. Thats 3 months you are waiting! Not on!

raveni

Hey thanks!!:) Thats cool, hopefully he'll call ahead.

Yeah its a ridiculous wait and I just found out that the average wait is now actually 15 weeks!! I signed on at pretty much the worst time when everyone else was signing on too:(

IT Loser

raveni wrote: »

Hey thanks!!:) Thats cool, hopefully he'll call ahead.

Yeah its a ridiculous wait and I just found out that the average wait is now actually 15 weeks!! I signed on at pretty much the worst time when everyone else was signing on too:(

The average current wait or the average wait from March?

The girl in the dole in Bray told me 4 weeks average wait.

It all has to be backdated so it behoves them to get their groove on.

raveni

Well I think the current wait but when I signed on in Edenderry it was supposedly 10 weeks which is the national average.

4 weeks?? Seriously? I guess it depends on the part of the country...

IT Loser

raveni wrote: »

Well I think the current wait but when I signed on in Edenderry it was supposedly 10 weeks which is the national average.

4 weeks?? Seriously? I guess it depends on the part of the country...

Edenderry, my father was born there. Ironically, his mother moved the whole lot of them up to Dublin to avail of the better schools {in 1948, that is} I guess it really does depend on where you live.

Now, these young ladies in the welfare, maybe they just trot out some auld line to get you out of the office. I think 4-6 weeks is an average for my part of the island.

Anyways, every week is another weeks money- you just have to wait longer for it.

Best of luck anyhoo- keep us posted. Its local election time- get your wannabe local councillor on the case!

swapple

wow i'm in pretty much the same situation, i think i had my means test in march, but still, it's a very long wait...
i'm getting really sick of mooching off my parents, i know i'm lucky they loan me money, but they've had huge pay cuts

i rang my local office today and they said there was an update, it was kinda vague but fingers crossed i hear something soon

Rics

There was a period towards the end of last year of about 2/3 months when I'd finished my Degree and wasn't either a student or working. wonder if I would be entitled to any backdates payment under the social welfare scheme for this? Could seriously do with it now I was entitled to it!

IT Loser

Rics wrote: »

There was a period towards the end of last year of about 2/3 months when I'd finished my Degree and wasn't either a student or working. wonder if I would be entitled to any backdates payment under the social welfare scheme for this? Could seriously do with it now I was entitled to it!

Sorry, there is a sort of a "cooling off" period when you have to be unemployed for up to 6 months after you leave school for you to get anything out of them. So, really, you weren't entitled to it.

raveni

IT Loser wrote: »

Edenderry, my father was born there. Ironically, his mother moved the whole lot of them up to Dublin to avail of the better schools {in 1948, that is} I guess it really does depend on where you live.

Now, these young ladies in the welfare, maybe they just trot out some auld line to get you out of the office. I think 4-6 weeks is an average for my part of the island.

Anyways, every week is another weeks money- you just have to wait longer for it.

Best of luck anyhoo- keep us posted. Its local election time- get your wannabe local councillor on the case!

Yeah I asked the last time I went in to sign on and she just said I had to wait til the inspector visits or go to my community health thingy if I really needed money. Would that be deducted from my dole payments when they eventually do start? I make some money from babysitting (course I won't mention that to the inspector) so I'm not too bad off at the moment but still...

lol Funnily enough I have got a wannabe local councillor on the case! My parents told him and he said he'd look into it. But whether he'll really do anything, I dunno..

Thanks, I'll post when theres any progress:)

IT Loser

raveni wrote: »

Yeah I asked the last time I went in to sign on and she just said I had to wait til the inspector visits or go to my community health thingy if I really needed money. Would that be deducted from my dole payments when they eventually do start? I make some money from babysitting (course I won't mention that to the inspector) so I'm not too bad off at the moment but still...

lol Funnily enough I have got a wannabe local councillor on the case! My parents told him and he said he'd look into it. But whether he'll really do anything, I dunno..

Thanks, I'll post when theres any progress:)

Yeah thanks for keeping us updated. I dont know if the money the CWO gives you comes out of your eventual dole payments, sorry.

I was reading some of the newspaper reports on the delays between application and payment and they specifically mentioned Edenderry as one of the delay blackspots. Also mentioned was Clonakilty and other, perhaps, more rural parts of the country.

My own local office is a brand new facility in the brand new Mermaid Centre in Bray, which is a fairly high centre of population. Its all very modern. That said, today is 2 weeks from when I went and first visited them, so there you have it.

I personally dont mind too much the delay for the means tester to call out, its the delay afterwards which gets me. Of course, every week which passes is another payment saved, I guess.

Mully

raveni wrote: »

Hey, I applied for the Jobseeker's Allowance/Dole in mid-feb so I've been waiting about 12 weeks. I'm not exactly complaining about the wait, though that is annoying.

The thing is I know an inspector's meant to visit to ask questions and that, but I don't know how he goes about it, does he visit completely randomly? Does he call ahead to let you know when he's coming? What if you're not there when he visits? Will it be ages before he visits again?

I wouldn't be too bothered over it but my ma is driving me mad, she's convinced he'll come real early and I'm no morning person. And she's convinced he'll come if I so much as go to visit friends or shopping and think I'm working, which is kinda stupid cos they can't possibly expect us to sit at home all day every day!

So does anyone know anything about this? Help appreciated.

I'm in dublin & had a 14+ wk wait to be sorted earlier in the year.

Anyway, I was interviewed twice (as I'd changed locality), both times the Inspector didn't call to mine, I was called to the Welfare Office for interview.

Rowley Birkin QC

Whats all this about a cooling off period after finishing college?!

How in the hell are graduates expected to get jobs quicker than those already looking?!!

Xiney

bigkev49 wrote: »

Whats all this about a cooling off period after finishing college?!

How in the hell are graduates expected to get jobs quicker than those already looking?!!

There's no cooling off period if you've graduated. You just need to bring in a letter from the college saying you're finished with school. It would also be advisable to bring in evidence that you've been looking for work, just in case they ask for it.

Rowley Birkin QC

Xiney wrote: »

There's no cooling off period if you've graduated. You just need to bring in a letter from the college saying you're finished with school. It would also be advisable to bring in evidence that you've been looking for work, just in case they ask for it.

Cheers. I have plenty of evidence anyway, at least 15 PFO's in my inbox.

When someone is assessed for JA and living with their partner is there a minimum amount the partner has to be earning for it to be considered relevant?

Xiney

In a way, yes since they disregard some income, but the formula is a bit complicated. It can be found here.

If you don't have any children, you can use this spreadsheet that I made using the above website - I can't guarantee it's accurate but I used the information available to me, so what else ya gonna do? :P Putting in your partner's earnings and so on into the black fields and leaving the rest alone will tell you how much you'll be getting per week, and putting in the date you signed on will tell you how much backdated pay is owed to you as of today's date.

raveni

Finally got my means test done:rolleyes: When I went into sign on last time I asked the what was going on, said I'd been waiting over 20 weeks (5 months), expecting to be told that something had gone wrong with my application but she told me 6 months was the norm! So she gave me the number for the inspectors office and I called them up and he did the means test over the phone! Said it'd still take a few weeks for me to get anything...that was a few weeks ago...I've been waiting 6 months now...

IT Loser

raveni wrote: »

Finally got my means test done:rolleyes: When I went into sign on last time I asked the what was going on, said I'd been waiting over 20 weeks (5 months), expecting to be told that something had gone wrong with my application but she told me 6 months was the norm! So she gave me the number for the inspectors office and I called them up and he did the means test over the phone! Said it'd still take a few weeks for me to get anything...that was a few weeks ago...I've been waiting 6 months now...

What? 6 months? I am pushing 3 now myself and I consider that the very most anyone should be expected to wait. I am 10 days removed from a means test and not a shagging word out of the lot of them. I was told 2 weeks from the means test. They have 3 days then to make good.

malene

My claim went in Sept 08, .......still waiting!

IT Loser

malene wrote: »

My claim went in Sept 08, .......still waiting!

:eek:

What?

malene

Yep, Meath area.

Really bad.

IT Loser

malene wrote: »

Yep, Meath area.

Really bad.

No, thats not really bad, thats a total falilure and a defeat of your rights.

If I was you I would consult a solicitor.

Thats foul.

em0

Anyone know if youre entitled to part jobseekers allowance/benefit if your only workin 4 out of 7 days a week?

raveni

malene wrote: »

My claim went in Sept 08, .......still waiting!

Damn!! Thats awful!! Did you get your means test yet?? You should ring them up they must've done something wrong the waiting time wasn't that long back in 08!!

And I haven't even heard anything from them since..he said after the means test it'd be a few weeks..its been over a month..I haven't even got anything in the post to say their processing my claim or whatever and I'll be starting college in sept so I'll have to sign off..does anyone know if I'll still get back payments and how??

tommy21

raveni wrote: »

Damn!! Thats awful!! Did you get your means test yet?? You should ring them up they must've done something wrong the waiting time wasn't that long back in 08!!

And I haven't even heard anything from them since..he said after the means test it'd be a few weeks..its been over a month..I haven't even got anything in the post to say their processing my claim or whatever and I'll be starting college in sept so I'll have to sign off..does anyone know if I'll still get back payments and how??

Hey Ravvi - if you are going back to college, are you in the middle of a degree or starting afresh? Either way best to reveiw the material posted in the sticky charter (posted below):

THIRD LEVEL STUDENTS

Third level students who have not completed their final year at college are disqualified for receipt of JA during the academic term and for the duration of the summer vacation periods. This disqualification also applies to:

* Students pursuing Post Leaving Certificate courses of more than one year's duration;
* Irish/ EEA students returning from courses abroad; and
* Non- EEA third level students applying for JA in Ireland.


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.

A student who leaves college mid-year, and state that they do not intend to continue with their studies (and do not sit summer exams), are regarded as no longer attending a course of study, so are therefore not subject to the disqualification.


Legislation provides for disqualification while attending a full time day course of study. Third level students who have completed final examinations but are completing theses or projects cannot be regarded as still attending a full-time day course of study and, therefore, cannot be disqualified under this provision. Entitlement may, however, be considered under the availability condition, depending on the degree of commitment to the project/thesis.

Students pursuing a course at Postgraduate level by research only, who do not have fixed lectures or holidays but who work "at their own pace" until the thesis is submitted, will be examined on an individual basis to ensure that the general availability/ seeking work conditions are satisfied.

Third level examination only students (registered in an University/college to sit exams only, don't attend, e.g. repeat years/night study/Open University) are not disqualified for receipt of JA, but need to satisfy the availability/seeking work conditions.

There are two exceptions to this disqualification

1. persons aged 21 years or over who have been in receipt of JA/ JB for at least 6 months and who are participating in approved courses of education, training or development
and
2. mature students, i.e. persons over 23 years of age on or before 1st January in the year in which the course of study commences.

are not subject to this disqualification.

raveni

Hey tommy21 thanks but I'm only starting college in sept, have been outta school for a year so I'm pretty sure I qualify for the dole, it'll be bloody annying after waiting this long if I don't!

jnolan

Hi all,

Just wondering does anybody know about the Jobseeker's Allowance Inspector's visit?
I first made a claim in October, and have been signing once a month ever since! However I've yet to receive any money, and haven't heard anything until this morning. The inspector phoned me and asked me where I will be this week. I told her I am away to Dublin tomorrow (which is true) and apart from that I should be around.

Anyways, what I want to know is what does that visit consist of? Does she stay long, what sort of questions does she ask? She asked me for directions to the house on the phone today, so will she just turn up unannounced some day now? You see I am staying with my boyfriends sister and her husband and kids, I am not staying in my home place, nobody is as my mother is in full term care now. So because I am not in my home place will she wants to see where I sleep etc to make sure its legit??!

If anyone has any idea, please let me know! Thanks

twincamman

im on the dole about 6 or 7 months now i got a letter with an appointment with sw inspector for means test.they are looking for, statementsfrom banks,credit unions etc,p60 which i dont have,recent pay slip,never got a pay slip when i was working,redundancy details,ive none,compensation claims detail?,up16?trading accounts,none basicly im going in with just my credit union book thats all i have,im worried ill be cut from the dole

aine89

hey guys just wondering if any of ye can help me.. i was working part time for the summer and applied in the middle/end of may for the yellow slip things which i was told i was entitled to do. I got laid of the 1st of aug and have been signing on ever since.The problem is I still havent received anything and whenever I ask they just tell me that im in line to see an inspector.Is there anything I can do to speed it up? And what sort of things is the inspector going to be asking or looking for?