Job Seekers Allowance Means Test

mama79

Hi

My husband has been called for a JSA means test and despite trawling through the welfare.ie site I can't work out what he'll end up getting. So i'm hoping that someone here if I give the figures can tell me roughly how much he'll lose.

I work full time and my income is €442 per week (after deductions).
We have one child aged 17 months and my husband currently receives €184 per week Jobseekers Benefit.
Our mortgage is €1150 per month. We also have a credit union loan €130 per month (interest only)

I hate being in this situation. Today my husband was on the phone to his local SW office as he was told by a guy in Fas that there is money there for non- Fas training courses but you have to ask for it at the local social welfare office. When he did enquire about it he was told there's no such thing but when he gave the FAS guys name as his source of info the woman he was talking to said " Oh ya well it is there but its a very messy thing for us to administer and it doesn't look good for our efficiency levels" I mean WTF???? Then she went on to say (about the means test) "Oh your wife's working? Oooh that doesn't bode well for you at all...but then again sure I haven't done means tests for years so it might have changed"....Seriously he came off the phone with his head wrecked!...

Anyways rant over...would really appreciate any advice as we're trying to brace ourselves for the worst.

thanks

eastbono

mama79 wrote: »

Hi

My husband has been called for a JSA means test and despite trawling through the welfare.ie site I can't work out what he'll end up getting. So i'm hoping that someone here if I give the figures can tell me roughly how much he'll lose.

I work full time and my income is €442 per week (after deductions).
We have one child aged 17 months and my husband currently receives €184 per week Jobseekers Benefit.
Our mortgage is €1150 per month. We also have a credit union loan €130 per month (interest only)

I hate being in this situation. Today my husband was on the phone to his local SW office as he was told by a guy in Fas that there is money there for non- Fas training courses but you have to ask for it at the local social welfare office. When he did enquire about it he was told there's no such thing but when he gave the FAS guys name as his source of info the woman he was talking to said " Oh ya well it is there but its a very messy thing for us to administer and it doesn't look good for our efficiency levels" I mean WTF???? Then she went on to say (about the means test) "Oh your wife's working? Oooh that doesn't bode well for you at all...but then again sure I haven't done means tests for years so it might have changed"....Seriously he came off the phone with his head wrecked!...

Anyways rant over...would really appreciate any advice as we're trying to brace ourselves for the worst.

thanks

its your gross wages... minus prsi... but not usc.. plus some other calcualtions. mortgage is no exempted nor is cu loan I have never heard of this money for non fas training courses but if its there please make use of it. tell him to go ahead will JSA application but tbh looking at the figures it does not look well for you.... sorry.

wellieboot

The only deductions allowable are PRSI, union dues, Pension (incl PRSA and AVCs and pension levy, if applicable.

Deduct €20 per day for each day you work (up to a maximum of €60) and 60% of the remaining figure is assessable as means.

This figure is deducted from the maximum rate that a family such as yours could receive (couple and 1 child) i.e. €342.60 and if there is any balance that's what he receives.

Alternatively, you could apply for FIS presuming you work more than 19 hours per week.

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

eastbono

family income supplement

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW22/Pages/1WhatisFamilyIncomeSupplement.aspx

Balagan

Regarding possible funding for courses, your husband should ask to see the Facilitator (possibly known as the Jobs Facilitator) at the SW office. It may be necessary to make an appointment to see him/her.

Lugh Ildanach

eastbono wrote: »

family income supplement

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW22/Pages/1WhatisFamilyIncomeSupplement.aspx

FIS is not available to anyone is on JA or JB, or who is a qualified adult on either. So your husband will have to come off your claim if you want to get FIS, but it could still be worth it.

Jellybaby1

I was also told in FAS that there is a fund for non-FAS courses. I also know someone who was funded this way so I know it exists. It may or may not pay the full amount, depends on the cost of the course.

Loadie

There may indeed be some funding avaliable,.. but i reckon with a general election looming, no state agency knows what changes are afoot & for that reason are being cagey & slow at providing funding. Thats only my humble opinion.:(

Have you looked at the fas training courses themselves or even some of the further education centres, not as costly as many training providers, but mad popular....

AnneClare1

Hi there - I went around in circles last May trying to find out the answer to your question - so I hope I can be of help. I contacted my local VEC Careers Advisor through my local Adult Education Service. It was he that informed me that funding is available through Social Welfare to assist with courses that will help getting us back to employment. As it turned out (when I eventually got through to my local SW office) there is part funding for courses upto a maximum level of FETAC Level 6. I wanted to go on and do a Diploma which on then NFQ was a Level 7. I saw a FL6 Train the Trainer course and the local employment facilitator whom I could not get to speak to (but managed to get her email address from someone who eventually answered the phone at the local SWO) emailed me back and advised me that they would pay half. As it turned out the VEC had funding available under the SPIDAS progamme and agreed to pay the other half and the course provider agreed to discount the remainder owed as i was unemployed. I Ended up getting 350 from the SWO and 350 from the VEC - Hope this helps. The best of luck

Jellybaby1

Loadie wrote: »

There may indeed be some funding avaliable,.. but i reckon with a general election looming, no state agency knows what changes are afoot & for that reason are being cagey & slow at providing funding. Thats only my humble opinion.:(

Have you looked at the fas training courses themselves or even some of the further education centres, not as costly as many training providers, but mad popular....

My own experience of a further education college was that the course was spread over too long a period of time and included other subjects in which I had no interest but they were compulsory. It was really aimed at very young students and didn't take older folk like me into consideration. They never bothered to re-design courses for us. I notice that the private courses could be run over a matter of weeks or months. Although I enjoyed my course I felt I could have got my qualification faster on a private course had I got the readies, just doing the subject I was interested in. So too much time was, perhaps 'wasted' is the wrong word, but 'used up' and hence I'm two years older now with less chance of getting back to work. If you go down the further education college route, check exactly what subject/s are included with the course you want.