Possible Job Offer - Jobseekers Allowance

finito

I have been provisionally offered a job which I will know for definite next Monday or Tuesday if I've got it. I applied for Jobseekers Allowance a couple of weeks ago, and have my interview with my Social WElfare office next month. I haven't received any payment yet since I haven't done the interview. I'm just wondering should I be offered the job, would I be entitled to any benefit while I wasn't working ie. last few weeks. I would have rang my local office but I just got the call a few minutes ago.

Any advice appreciated.

Xiney

you will get the backpay if your claim is approved. The whole point of jobseeker's allowance is as an interim payment while you look for work.

Congrats (provisionally!) on the job

finito

Well I got the job so I decided to ring SW to let them know.

My interview with my local officer was scheduled for next month.
I told the girl on the phone I wouldn't be able to make that date as I had now secured employment and didn't want to be looking for days off straight away. My job is 30 mins away which I get to by bus, so taking a couple of hours off wasn't an option. I don't start until Thursday so asked her could I possibly call in today or tommorrow. She said they were fully booked up and unless I made the date in question my case would be closed.
So then I tried to do the maths on how much I would be missing out on, made claim on May 22. Claim would run up until yesterday with first 3 days not counted. I live at home with both parents working and am over 25 so I don't think their income is assesed. I'm thinking that I would have recieved around 600 in backpay. Maybe it's less if my parents income was to be assesed but I still would have gotten a couple of hundred euro I feel. That money would have been very important to me.
I hope I don't look like I'm being greedy since I am lucky enough to have gotten a job, but still feel hard done by that because I can't make the date in question (due to work), my claim gets closed.

Does any anyone have a similar experience and advice on what to do? Maybe I should I just let it go. I'm not one to rant and rave down the phone roaring for my JA. The girl on phone seemed pretty indifferent, which I totally understand as I'm sure she's under a lot of pressure. I even said to her I would ring to tell them to close the claim if I knew for certain I couldn't make the interview.
If anyone has any advice on what to do, I'd really appreciate it.

Xiney

Send them a letter - explain that while you are delighted that you have secured employment, missing out on any money that you would have been entitled to in the interim is not an option and not something you are willing to consider.

Also I would mention that the person you spoke to was not helpful.

finito

Thanks Xiney. I will try a letter but somehow I feel it'll be thrown in the bin. I don't like getting anyone in trouble, she was just doing her job, but her attitude was you've got a job, you can't make the interview, tough. Seems a bit harsh. I've checked things such as age, parents income not assesed, so think I would have gotten full amount. (I could be wrong but that's what I understand from what I've both heard and read.) I think it's a significant amount of money to anybody in any situation. Unless someone says I'm entitled to nada, I'll hold out some hope of getting my backpay.

Xiney

The way I see it is it's not your fault they are too busy to see you before you start work.

Therefore, it's up to them to accommodate you.