Help Needed - Query on Work Hours

CoalBucket

Last September I was reduced to 3 days a week in work and I was entitled to sign on for the remaining work days of the week. That situation lasted until christmas and then I was made redundant. I have been unemployed now for 4 months and actively seeking work. I got a call regarding a job today, the thing is it is only 3-4 hours a day but there would be work for 5 days a week.
If i get the job am I entitled to claim any allowance for working just part time hours on full time days ?

tatli_lokma

you might get more info in the state benefits forum, but from my own limited knowledge, no you cannot claim any dole.

The reason is that the dole works on a day to day basis over 6 days. In order to qualify you must be available to work 5 of these 6 days. If you are working p/t on each day then you are not available to take a full time job if it were offered (I know, nonsense as if you got a better offer you can always leave where you are!).

So basically you can work as many hours as you like as long as they are full days - then you will get something on the other days. but if you work every day part time you get nothing.

You can work 30 hours over 3 days and claim the other 3 as dole, but if you work 20 hours over 5 days you cannot get anything on the dole. Its totally backwards and bizzare, as by taking something, anything, even p/t you may be able to get something permanent and full time, but they are just discouraging people from actually working when they can. Total nonsense, but unfortunately that is the way it is.

Like I said, someone on state benefits might have another solution though, so maybe post over there.

good luck!

mood

Maybe you could ask the company if the work could be done over two day instead.

CoalBucket

mood wrote: »

Maybe you could ask the company if the work could be done over two day instead.

Thanks for the suggestion, but it is work so they need done everyday

donkey balls

CoalBucket wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion, but it is work so they need done everyday

is there not a scheme were you can work up 20hrs a week and retain some of your benefits? im in a situation like your self if i work one day i get stopped 70e for the day worked.
the funny thing is i might only do 4hrs and if i managed to get a full days work i pay tax prsi pension levy etc even the local officer has said that its crazy.

tatli_lokma

donkey balls wrote: »

is there not a scheme were you can work up 20hrs a week and retain some of your benefits? im in a situation like your self if i work one day i get stopped 70e for the day worked.
the funny thing is i might only do 4hrs and if i managed to get a full days work i pay tax prsi pension levy etc even the local officer has said that its crazy.

I think they are the back to work or community employment schemes, and afaik you have to be on the dole for x amount of time before you can apply. and it is restrictive in that it has to be 20 hours exactly, no more no less. These are different to being on 'casual' hours on the dole. You have to apply specifically for certain jobs to qualify for these schemes. Again the state benefits forum is the best place to ask.

But in general, unless you are on one of these schemes, once you work even 1 hour in any given day this excludes you from benefit for that day.

CoalBucket

Cincikchick wrote: »

But in general, unless you are on one of these schemes, once you work even 1 hour in any given day this excludes you from benefit for that day.

It's crazy stuff. It is a complete disensentive (sp) to go back to work.

I've been employed full time for the last 12 years and before that I was working part-time while in school and in college since i've been 16. I'm not the type of person to want to stay on the dole. I have a family to take care of and the unflexibility of the social welfare rules are preventing me from making it easier for both me and the state. If I could work for the 20 hours a week and claim for the remaining hours rather than days I would be claiming less from the social welfare and earning a better living for me and my family.

In addition it's not as if working for a few hours a day would be preventing me from taking on full-time work. If I could take on the few hours a day I would also continue to search for full time employment, relentlessly.

Rant over !! Thanks for the info posters

mood

CoalBucket wrote: »

It's crazy stuff. It is a complete disensentive (sp) to go back to work.

I've been employed full time for the last 12 years and before that I was working part-time while in school and in college since i've been 16. I'm not the type of person to want to stay on the dole. I have a family to take care of and the unflexibility of the social welfare rules are preventing me from making it easier for both me and the state. If I could work for the 20 hours a week and claim for the remaining hours rather than days I would be claiming less from the social welfare and earning a better living for me and my family.

In addition it's not as if working for a few hours a day would be preventing me from taking on full-time work. If I could take on the few hours a day I would also continue to search for full time employment, relentlessly.

Rant over !! Thanks for the info posters

I agree. The whole system needs to be revised.

tatli_lokma

as I thought, in order to qualify for any sort of allowance to work part-time you have to be in receipt of JSA for 15 mths
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/JobseekerSupports/Pages/ptji.aspx