Jobseekers Allowance- turning 25 and moving out of home

RebelScorned

I'm hoping a really clever person out there can help me because the social welfare system in Ireland has me kerfuffled.

Firstly- where I am at- i'm 24, turning 25 next month, still living at home, graduated from university two years ago and i have been on means tested jobseekers allowance since last December, I currently am entitled to 57euro per week. I have a graduate job lined up and I am due to start in May 2012 so from May onwards I am guaranteed full time employment so being on Jobseekers is definitely only a temporary measure for me. I have been searching high and low for a job for the last year but because I have a law degree I deemed overqualified for shop/ bar work and underqualified to do anything even remotely related to my chosen career path, well not in Cork where I live.

I am turning 25 next month and hitting the big 2-5 makes me 1000 times more determined to get back to work, as anyone will tell you it is soul destroying being at home every day and handing out CVs and filling in forms and getting PFOs from all corners. I just have a few qs/ scenarios, weighing up my options.

Will my JA rate increase when i turn 25?
I am currently on means tested JA and I get 57 euros per week. I am living at home and this is my only source of income. I just wonder, if I was to continue living at home, would my rate go up in October when i turn 25, and if so, will i still be means tested or will i be entitled to the standard adult rate which is €188 i think? If so, is it an automatic system or do I have to contact my local office, i haven't a clue what to do.

Would relocating to Dublin affect my JA substantially?
I think i have pretty much exhausted all opportunities for employment in my locality and unfortunately i can't make €57 a week stretch too far with regards petrol and expenses in my job hunt etc in my job hunt. I am about 90% decided that I will move up to Dublin as soon as I turn 25 and try to get a job up there because I have heard of a few openings. I will be moving up next May anyway to start my full time graduate job (i am not earning a dime at the moment from that company), but i really am desperate to get back to work as soon as possible and i reckon relocating to Dublin is my best chance. I was just wondering is it easy to transfer your social welfare office and will there be any substantial time lapse or delay in payments that i have to account for? It's just important because i need to know if i will be able to survive up in Dublin whilst I get a job sorted and i know now for a fact i could not do so on 57 euro a week, and i exhausted all my savings putting myself through university for a degree and masters. I am flat broke apart from the 57 quid i get on a weekly basis, i have no other income.

Entitlement to medical card?
Also, i am not entitled to a medical card because i am under 25 and they are means tested and my parents earnings are deemed to be above the minimum threshold, despite the fact that there are six of us at home- so I cannot ask them for money, they have taken substantial pay cuts over last few years and neither of their jobs look particularly safe. I am hardly ever sick thank god but i actually fret so much about falling ill and having to ask my parents to sub me so I can go to the doctor. Obviously I hope to never have to use but whilst i am unemployed it would give me such peace of mind. Will I automatically be entitled to one when i am 25? I am so unable to find any information about what will happen when i turn 25?

It's just really tough and soul destroying at the moment and I need to get a plan together stat because every single PFO i get and every day i am not working is soul destroying, i worked so hard in university and i know i am very lucky to have a graduate job lined up for next year, but the thought of another few months of scrimping and trying to get by is desperately upsetting, all i want is the opportunity to move and get work, get out of the house every day, meet new people etc. Has anybody else experienced anything similar or would anybody have an inspirational story or advice for me moving forwards. I'd very much appreciate it. Thanks.

Balagan

You will continue to be means tested when you turn 25 but only against your own earnings so your parents incomes will not be taken into account. You should automatically go up to the full amount, presently Euro 188 when you turn 25 next month but no harm in mentioning its coming when you are next near the Social Welfare office.

It would be very difficult to get by in Dublin even on the Euro 188 while looking for a job to tide you over till May when you start work anyway. Maybe you should just line up some interviews and just go to Dublin for those? Have you looked into volunteering at all to fill the time till your job in May? Some unemployed people, while still continuing to look for work, have found that volunteering saves their sanity and not only that but they are sometimes able to get volunteer posts which link in with their education/experience. Volunteering outside their fields has given younger people the all important work experience to land a job. Social Welfare put restrictions on the kind of charities, circumstances etc., and you could check this out here
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/voluntary_work_and_social_welfare_payments.html

When your payment goes up to the full Euro 188 when you turn 25 you should then apply for the Medical Card. There have been postings on threads here about how those on reduced JA payments are not eligible but my understanding is that when you are on full payment, you have a chance. Of course your earnings from May may well put you over the income threshold.

You have the job to look forward to. You have achieved a lot in putting yourself through college. This is a difficult time for so many and don't beat yourself up about being one of them. Use this time well. Good luck!