Jobseekers allowance

miss.piggy

Hi there, just looking for some advice. I am 26 and just got married at the end of last year. My husband is the same age. He lost his job last April (he was a carpenter) and starting getting jobseekers benefit then. Based on his PRSI contributions to date he was entitled to 312 days on JB. This ran out at the beginning of April this year (he manged to get a couple of weeks work here and there during which he came off the JB). Prior to April he filled in a form for jobseekers allowance and was only called for a meeting with the social welfare officer this morning (i.e. he received nothing for 2 months). The social welfare officer told him this morning that he will get nothing because I am working and have a net income of €600 a week. We find this very hard to take. I think it is so unfair. If he wasn't married or living with a partner he would get this money but because he has settled down he is punished. I just don't see the logic in this. My job is in no way secure, I already have had a pay cut and am facing a further cut and possible lay-off in the next 6 months. I can't afford to pay his and my rent, his and my car insurance, tax, fuel, maintenance costs, his loan repayments, his and my bills etc. etc. I have already been doing this for the past 2 months while he received no payments but always believed it would only be temporary as he would soon get jobseekers allowance. Has anyone any advice/thoughts on this? Is there any way around it?
Thanks

snubbleste

Them's the breaks unfortunately.
He should have seen this coming when JB was due to run out
He could appeal the officer's assessment but I can't see it being any different.
You'll have to live within your means - do you need two cars, negotiate the rent?

miss.piggy

We didn't realise they would assess it as if my wages are his!! I don't see how that is fair. I know we are married but we have always been financially independent of eachother and to be honest I don't see why I should have to pay all of his outgoings when the state supports others who are not married/do not have a partner.
We would have been better off if he hadn't told them we got married, it would have been easy to say he didn't have a partner then!!
Well I use my car for work and if he didn't have one he would basically be stuck all day every day. We have already negotiated the rent and don't see it going down any further.

Xiney

if he drives you to work he can drive home then and have the car. you can suspend the insurance on the other car, that will save you a bit.

The other thing to do would be to visit MABs, they will be able to look into where you are spending your money and where you can save some. Food expenditure is a big thing where a lot of money can be saved, I've got our weekly shopping down to 40 euro / week.

Also, look into getting a GP Visit Card or Medical Card. We didn't think we'd be eligible for the full MC but we ended up being, so that was a nice surprise.

miss.piggy

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunatey I use my car for work (as in during the day) so your suggestion wouldn't be a runner for us.
I suppose we're just so annoyed at the unfairness of the whole system. It just doesn't seem right that my husband is missing out on JA which he is entitle to because he is married. And he has been honest from the start, coming off the dole every time he got a week's work etc. and telling them he's married. We should have just fecking lied!! It's just so frustrating. We're trying to save for a deposit for a mortage but don't see that happening now. We'll be forced to waste more money on rent.

Xiney

First of all, lying to social welfare is fraud.

Second of all, he's not entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance - it's means tested and your means are over the threshold for your situation.


As a married couple, you are considered a family unit. Your money is his money and all that. You won't be living like kings on 600/wk but you can make it stretch a fair bit with a few tricks and some planning. The two of us have been living on less than that and have still managed to save a few hundred a month - so it can be done

miss.piggy

That comment I made that we would have been better off lying was in exasperation at the system! I don't approve of lying to the social welfare and we certainly haven't done that.
I just don't think that the system is fair as it effectively discriminates against married people/people living together and I wanted to see if anyone shared my views.
Thanks for you replies. I acknowledge that there are certainly people in worse situations than we are.

Xiney

If he wasn't with you, he'd be entitled to 204 euro per week.

He's still better off with half of your 600 per week.

miss.piggy

That's not the way I look at it. The jobseekers benefit/allowance etc. is effectively the governments way of giving people who the state cannot provide a job for enough to survive. This should apply to the person concerned alone. Basically the state uses the means test to transfer their financial responsibility for people who they cannot provide jobs for to the person's spouse/partner. Therefore the partner's and spouses of people who the government has failed due to their mismanagement (putting it mildly!!) of the economy end up paying for the government's incompetence. How is this fair when these people are already paying tax, prsi, government levys etc etc on their wages!!!

Xiney

jobseeker's allowance is a survival rate - but he's already surviving because his wife is working.

There's no reason for the government to subsidise his life further.



Marriage is a partnership, you agreed to support each other emotionally and financially when you entered into it. There are plenty of people in your position that find it unfair, but the government's policies don't reflect that. If you have an issue with it though, I suggest you take it to your TD. With social welfare spending at an all time high, I don't see you getting very far, but you can always try.

IT Loser

Out of empathy with the OP, I would like to add that the system is ridiculously skewed in favour of the unmarried. It appears that the Constitutional obligation of the State to protect the FAMILY has been tossed to one side in favour of the unmarried and the single moms. Unfortunately, OP, your husband is entitled to nothing as your income exceeds those figures set out in the relevant legislation. I am sorry, but thems the breaks kid.

peterpan73

hi there,i know things are hard at the moment but all you can do is cut back, my wife and i and 3 kids from 6 down live on 486 euro a week have 2 cars and a mortage also, it is hard but we get by, my wife lost her sick money 2 weeks ago now we are living on 243 euro, we hopeful she will get dole, so what im saying is must do is a good master:(

Stuxnet

well count yourself very lucky you have 600 net, no kids yada yada
some of us (laid off carpenter also) still waiting to hear on my JSA after nearly 3 months, trying to survive on gf's 350 a week, we have big rent car and van to keep on the road, and a 16 month old, ppl in much worse situation then yourself, and we get on with it
i'd nearly kill for 600 a week between us

Thoie

Make sure you're claiming his tax credits as well as your own, if you're not already doing that it could approx another €50 a week. Check you're claiming all other tax credits you may be eligible for.

If you're worried about losing your job as well, your combined income would be less than €600 a week, so as suggested by Xiney, talk to MABs as well to see where/how you can bring your spendng (ex rent) down to about €350 a week for the pair of you.

Both of you should start keeping a money diary if you don't already have one, and note all your outgoings, including incidental daily expenditures such as a sandwich here, a pint of milk there.

LauraLoo

We are not married and are living together. He cannot avail of my tax credits as we are not married, yet when it comes to being means tested i am not a single person. It is a backward system that could do with a good reformation.

Nabber

The system is not backwards, it's just exploited.

OP, you can't expect the state to pay for your husbands car and insurance? If they did then people would say that's unfair. Too right it would be. Your husband is not stuck at home. he can use the bus or cycle, walking is free.

I earn 1800 a month, have a son and my wife can't find work. Her JSA is finshed. We are entitled too nothing. the yearly supliment for under 7's is finished.

I'm all for single moms getting support. The problem is that some mothers abuse this. I know a few familes, where the mother claims single parent allowance on 2 kids and rent allowance. Her parthner is practically her husban. These are the people who make it harder for everyone else.

Anyways OP, basically you have to survive on €600, personally I think it's enough, you have too lower your living standards. Sell the other car.

Xiney

nabber, if you are earning 1800 per month, your wife may be entitled to a small Jobseeker's Allowance payment. It's only when you get above 600/week that JSA for a couple is down to nothing.

It wouldn't be much, but it'd be something.

Kotek Besar

OP, has your husband considered enrolling on a FÁS Training Course? That's €204/week, same as the dole. Might even get a new qualification too.

miss.piggy

Didn't realise that Benifa, will get him to check it out. Thanks