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Special Rate Grant?

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  • 05-08-2010 12:57am
    #1
    Tragedy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,057 ✭✭✭


    Girlfriend's currently receiving the full non-adjacent maintenance grant.
    Dad was made redundant 16months ago and has been signing on firstly JB and then JA ever since.

    Is there any way she can be eligible for the special rate, based on change of circumstances(high paying job > dole)?

    Hearing conflicting things from the local VEC, and the rules on various websites/forms aren't particularly clear re: change of circumstances.


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    #2
    Crunchy Friends
    Registered Users Posts: 233 ✭✭Crunchy Friends


    Well if it was 16 months ago it should have been assessed in her grant already this year.. as they take 2009's information

    Or have I picked it up wrong?

    If i'm right then she would have already been assessed for the special rate. it is awarded automatically, you don't apply for it. So thus she is probably still not eligible.

    For example, I live with just my mother, brother and sister, and my mother earns a pittance! So when I was applying for my grant I got a letter back saying I was awarded the full amount of the grant and awarded the special rate

    Hope that helps


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    #3
    Tragedy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,057 ✭✭✭Tragedy


    Income for 2009 would be over the limit because the redundancy only happened in March or April, but the various VEC's guidelines all state change in circumstances MAY be taken into consideration.

    May isn't very helpful or definitive, and knowing the civil service will mean something to different to everyone you talk to on the phone.


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    #4
    JenniFurr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 232 ✭✭JenniFurr


    I got a full non-adjacent rant with a top up last year (I think it's a little over €7,000 in total)

    My dad got laid off from his job january 2009 (just after the tax year ended that your grant is based on i.e mine was supposed to be based on January-December 2008)

    I applied under the "adverse change in circumstances" part of the form and they estimated what our income would be for the year 2009 and determined it was in or around €20,000 from certain documents that I had to hand in. This was low enough to get the top up.

    What you have to do is let the grant office know there was a change in circumstances and have the income levels re-assessed by handing in social welfare documents stating what her dad is earning plus if there is another parent working or claiming you have to hand in similar details to what they are earning. You also need to have the usual P21s, P60s and/or P45s etc.

    If they have all this anyway and they determined that the family was earning too much to get the the top up then I think there's nothing you can do about it. They don't often change their mind about you grant once they've finished it.


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