Leaving the country while signing for JSB

Intervention

Hi, I am currently receiving JSB and am planning on visiting friends in England for about 2 weeks. Does this mean I have to sign off before I go, or can I still collect payments? I heard some where before that you can get a consent form to give to a family member to collect payment for you. Not really sure though if this was just in relation to illness.
Can somebody please advise,
Thanks!

Xiney

you can take up to two weeks' holiday per year as long as you inform the social welfare prior to leaving.

You'll just collect the payment when you return afaik

Bluetonic

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/absfrmstate.aspx

A person in receipt of Jobseeker's Benefit ( JB) may go on holiday (up to two weeks in any calendar year).

You'll get the form in you local office, drop it in before going. Your payments will be suspended until you get back upon which you must sign on the returning day and you'll get your payments due.

edit...crossed with above

Intervention

Thanks for the replies. This sounds great as I thought I might miss 2 payments. One more thing though, I may end up staying in London if I get offered a job. It's not certain but a possibility. If this happens, do I just contact the SW office and tell them that I am not coming home? Also, does this mean that I would lose the 2 payments allowed for holidays?
Thanks

Xiney

not entirely sure you'd lose the holiday payments.

You might, best to ask when you go down to let them know that you're going away.

crazzzzy

I could be wrong but I think I seen a form that lets you nominate someone else to pick up your payment for upto 2 weeks. Maybe if you ask the social welfare about it. You could say they gonna pay your rent or something while you away.

Does anyone know if the social still transfer your money to another country for a few weeks if you move there looking for work? I think it was difficult enough to set up though.

Intervention

crazzzzy wrote: »

I could be wrong but I think I seen a form that lets you nominate someone else to pick up your payment for upto 2 weeks. Maybe if you ask the social welfare about it. You could say they gonna pay your rent or something while you away.

Does anyone know if the social still transfer your money to another country for a few weeks if you move there looking for work? I think it was difficult enough to set up though.

Yeah I heard about this from somebody else. I think it is if you are not able to make it in to the post office to collect such as if you are ill or something. To be honest it would be a nice help settling in London if I get a job. 2 weeks dole could be a deposit on a place. It would be great if I could consent somebody to pick it up for me while I am away incase I end up staying and lose the two weeks payments.

Xiney

as far as I am aware, you can not nominate someone to pick up a JB or JA payment.

This is because you must be genuinely available for work - so if you were sick and unable to collect your payment (and therefore unable to work) you would be expected to sign off, those on JB would be expected to apply for illness benefit I expect.

crazzzzy

as far as i can remember you could only get it picked up for you for 2 weeks - you are allowed 2 weeks hols a year so i guess it has something to do with this.

best to ask citizen information or your cwo though. Must ask the girl who told me bout it again cause she was supposed to be going on hols and said she had a form so that someone else could pick up her dole for her for 2 weeks.

Intervention

crazzzzy wrote: »

as far as i can remember you could only get it picked up for you for 2 weeks - you are allowed 2 weeks hols a year so i guess it has something to do with this.

best to ask citizen information or your cwo though. Must ask the girl who told me bout it again cause she was supposed to be going on hols and said she had a form so that someone else could pick up her dole for her for 2 weeks.

Yes, this is what I am curious about. I am wondering to they allow you to receive your payment even if you decide not to return. Technically it sounds like your are entitled to your 2 weeks holiday payments regardless of what your actions are directly afterwards. For example, if you went on holidays and then got offered a job back home when you returned, I am assuming you would still be able to collect your 2 payments before you signed off to start work.

I rang citizens information but they could not really tell me much. As far as I can remember the consent form that is used to nominate somebody to collect payment was actually available from the post office. This may however have changed as it was about a year ago but I think I will try to contact my local post office first to enquire.

jeckle

Basically only people who can get someone else to pick up their payments now are those claiming State Pensions or Disability Payments. The holiday payment is only made after you return & sign on. I don't know what the situation would be if you got a job offer within the two weeks you were in UK.

I know you say you are only going for two weeks, but as Craaazy has mentioned once you have been unemployed & have been signing on for more than four weeks that you can actually continue to claim Jobseekers Benefit from Ireland for up to three months in any EU country without having to return to sign for it.

If I want to transfer my jobseeker's benefit to another country, what must I do?

• Go into your Social Welfare Local Office or Branch Office and ask to have your payment transferred
• A person in receipt of Irish JB for at least 4 weeks may transfer the JB claim to a country covered by EC Regulations for up to 13 weeks (78 days) if they register their intention to look for work abroad before they leave the State
• Payment will not be transferred if a person leaves without getting approval in advance from the social welfare office where they sign-on.

So if you think you have a better chance of getting a job in England & especially if your friends might put you up for a bit longer you could think about doing that for a month or two some time in the future. It’s probably a bit late to organise this for your upcoming trip, but it’s good to know that this option is available.

seahorses

would this also apply to jobseekers allowence? I just finished uni recently and im in the uk looking for work.i didnt sign on at home because i heard you had to sign on once a week and get the money from the post office which was impossible for me as i wanted to come here to look for work in my field. its proving difficult. i wonder is it worth my while to go home and sign on if i can transfer the payment to the uk ?

cee_jay

crazzzzy wrote: »

best to ask citizen information or your cwo though.

It would probably be best to ask the local social welfare office and not the above, it is the SW that is issuing your payment.
You cannot have someone else collect your payment while you are on holidays. Maybe years ago this could have been the case, but definitely not anymore. You now have to show your Social Services Card and a proof of ID to collect your payment so this doesn't happen.
You go into your local office before you go away to tell them you are off, they suspend your payment, then when you get back you go back in and sign back on, and the suspension is lifted and the 2 weeks will then issue to you.

And Seahorses, you can only transfer Jobseeker's Benefit, not Allowance.

lasno

seahorses wrote: »

would this also apply to jobseekers allowence?

No, it only applies to jobseekers benefit.