Need to be unemployed?

LegacyUser

Hi all,

Some advice would be very much appreciated.

I graduated 18 months ago with my masters but have been unable to get a sniff of related employment. I am still employed in part time work that I used to pay for college. I work Fridays, Saturdays and some Sundays. All in all I get about €200 a week. I don't earn enough to pay PRSI but I assume my employer has been paying it on my behalf.

I'm stuck in a rut tho and need to get out of this situation. Since the only thing going really is the Work Placement Program, I want to quit my job and go on one of these programs.

- If I quit a job rather than being let go I think that I disqualify myself from benefits?

- There seems to be a link between a WWP and unemployment in that you must be unemployed to get on one of these programs?

Where does this leave me? Has anyone else been in a similar situation?

Thanks.

eastbono

Are you in receipt of JSA? Why not try IBEC for a grad link programme.

LegacyUser

No, I'm not in receipt of any sw whatsoever and never have been. The IBEC gradlink hasn't really been a success. There's never any great amount of the listed. The WPP has a few very relevant placements for me every couple of weeks but I need to be unemployed to apply for them. Therein lies the problem.

I just realised a few weeks ago that it has been 18 months since i finished college and i am still working in the shop that I worked in for all of college. Obviously my employer isnt in a position to offer me extra hours as its a small shop. I cant emigrate because I have a parent sick with cancer.

Just feel trapped and was hoping someone might have been in the same position and be able to offer some advice.

Recon

I finished college last June, was unemployed for a few months and now I've been working on a WPP job for 2 months that is exactly in the area I was studying in college. Should be offered a full time position over the next few months hopefully.

To be entitled to a WPP job you need to be signing on for at least 3 months. If you quiet your part time job you won't be entitled to any dole payment for 9 weeks. However since you are only working on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays you may be entitled to sign on as a casual worker on social welfare.

In that case you'd be entitled to ~€32 (€188 / 6) every day you don't work. So around €125 for Monday to Thursday and then you do your part time job on the weekend. If you work more than 3 days a week (Sunday doesn't count) you won't be entitled to any dole payment for that week.

If you sign on to it ask them if that time would count towards the time to go for a WPP job.

LegacyUser

Recon wrote: »

If you sign on to it ask them if that time would count towards the time to go for a WPP job.

Thanks for your reply. It was exactly the info I needed I think. My thinking was to get on a relevant WWP and hopefully get a full time position out of it rather that rotting away two days a week in a small shop. What is my next step so? I never claimed for anything so don't know how this whole thing works.

Recon

Just go into your local social welfare office as soon as you can and join the queue. It's a humbling experience but just suck it up for the while you'll be there and it'll be grand.

Check what time your local one opens and be there first thing in the morning. Even if there is a big queue I'd be surprised if you were waiting for more than an hour.