My experience

djk1000

Hey,

Thought I'd post about my experience, might be useful for the recently unemployed. I don't qualify for Jobseekers benefit, but I do for allowance

I finished work in January and got straight down to the FAS office and organised a course. This was 5 months long and paid me €204 per week, plus travel allowance. When I applied for this course, I was told that there was a big waiting list, if you're told this, don't worry. You'd be amazed at how many people don't take their place. I got a call from FAS the day after the course started to say there was a place there.

After the course, I started applying for jobs, no luck yet! But the first day after the FAS course, I went down to the welfare office. I went down with all the necessary documents and forms (info from welfare.ie) had to wait for a while, but it wasn't too bad.

Two weeks later I had my means test. That was fine too, again, I made sure that I had everything necessary with me and I brought lots of proof that I was looking for work. The guy in the office told me that the "current wait for allowance applications is 4 months).

So, I'm still waiting for that to come through, looks like it will be January before I get it. I'll get all the backpay since I first went to the welfare office, which is great!

While waiting for the allowance, I've been to see the community welfare officer in my local health centre. I phoned to make an appointment and was told that no appointments are taken, just come down. I went down the next morning, again with a form filled in and all the means test documents, I had to wait about half an hour then spoke to the CWO for about 10 minutes. She said that she would have a decision quickly. I got a phone call about 2 hours later saying I was approved for supplimentary welfare allowance, this will be paid into my bank every week (€204) until my allowance decision is made, starting from next Monday/Tuesday.

This is a load off my mind, anyone that has been given a rediculous wait time for a jobseekers allowance, head down to see the CWO. Even in the bureaucratic nightmare that is the welfare system, you can still find a person with a name, in an office willing to listen and process everything quickly and efficiently.

lotsofthegreen

Hi
if a person is waiting on their jobseekers allowance and they get payments of the CWO, is this taken from what they'll get off the social welfare or is it "extra"??!!

dlambirl

OP, Your getting the supplementary allowence from your CWO which means that you wont be getting backdated pay when your claim is eventually processed.

dlambirl

lotsofthegreen wrote: »

Hi
if a person is waiting on their jobseekers allowance and they get payments of the CWO, is this taken from what they'll get off the social welfare or is it "extra"??!!

No - if you get payments from your CWO this is taken from your backdated pay, certaintely not "extra"

lotsofthegreen

thanks for the clarity there dlambirl,

i was thinking ift couldnt be, as it would make no sense

because that would mean an unemployed person could get up to 400€ for a week (eventually) if their waiting for jobseekers allowance

djk1000

Just to clarify, the backpay is for the period of time between going to the social welfare office and getting supplementary allowance approved (just over 2 months). Once the supplimentary kicks in, then unfortunately you don't get double!