When to inform Social Welfare of changes in circumstance?

katetehblue

I am planning on moving in with my boyfriend in about a month or so. I am 23 and currently recieve the max JSA payment. Currently I live at home and my payment is made directly into my dad's bank account (I don't have one).

I know my payment will be reduced as my boyfriend is earning just a little bit over €400 a week. And as its highly unlikely we will be entitled to anything like rent allowance, we'll need my JSA payment to make ends meet.

I was wondering when you had to inform the social welfare office of changes in circumstances like moving out from your parents home and into a home as part of a cohabiting couple?

Do you have to do it right away or do you wait until they send you a reassessment slip? And if you declare it to them straight away is you payment reduced straight away or from the next date for reassessment? Do they stop your payment until the date for reassessment?

Also once I set up a bank account for myself, will i be able to have my payment transfered to that instead of my dad's account or will i have to collect it from a post office?

mp22

You must notify the dept as soon as your circumstances change.With you OH on 400 a week you are likely too lose all of your JSA payment.See if you can make ends meet without your payment,you might be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

katetehblue

mp22 wrote: »

You must notify the dept as soon as your circumstances change.With you OH on 400 a week you are likely too lose all of your JSA payment.See if you can make ends meet without your payment,you might be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

Really? :eek:

We couldn't live on that after rent and bills with no help from Social welfare.

We went to the citizen's advice and the guy there was 100% that i could keep my payment but at a reduced rate. Was he wrong? :(:(

redzerdrog

what if you dont say its your boyfriend but your renting a roon fromm a friend? would that change things? would you get rent allowence then?

tudlytops

katetehblue wrote: »

Really? :eek:

We couldn't live on that after rent and bills with no help from Social welfare.

We went to the citizen's advice and the guy there was 100% that i could keep my payment but at a reduced rate. Was he wrong? :(:(

No you won't lose the lot, your rent will also be taken into account when calculating your new benefit.

You can actually go to the social welfare and have a chat,tell them you have not made and decisions yet, but you need to clarify your financial situation.

billy the squid

redzerdrog wrote: »

what if you dont say its your boyfriend but your renting a roon fromm a friend? would that change things? would you get rent allowence then?

That would be social welfare fraud.

katetehblue

billy the squid wrote: »

That would be social welfare fraud.

exactly.

mp22

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW19_08/Pages/sw19_sect6.aspx
have a look at the bottom of the page