Jobbridge while working/claiming part time? Please help

LegacyUser

Hi Guys,
My understanding from the jobbridge website is that you could participate in the scheme even if you were a casual claimant. I presume casual claimant is someone working part time and claiming dole for the days they don't work.

I was offered a position via jobbridge which will finally gives me a chance to do what I have wanted to all along. I currently work part time since finishing college and claim on a part-time basis for the days I don't work.
The scheme will require me to work 40 hours a week, so presumably I will have to quit my pt job.
I presumed this would be ok as the website states casual claimers can participate.
However, when I went to speak to a social welfare officer in the local office, he was very confrontational and almost gave out to me for suggesting the idea. He said no no no I can't leave my job. When I stated the website says casual claimants are allowed he muttered something like "we can't tell you not to quit", whatever that means...

So now I'm not sure what's going on I really want to take this internship.
Has anyone else been in this position or does anyone else know the details? Was the social welfare officer just wrong?

Does anybody know what would happen if I can go ahead with the scheme and leave my job, how would my base rate be calculated, would it be reevaluated given that I would be claiming for a full week and not days I didn't work? I'm also under 25, but have been doing the part time job since before the under 25 rule came in.

cee_jay

You can do the internship if you are a casual worker.
RE: we can't tell you not to quit - maybe he meant he cannot tell you to leave your current job to take part in the internship? I dunno!
But you definitely can do the internship if you are a casual worker.

ptWorker

I seem to be being told that I need to keep on my current part-time job in addition to doing the internship...but I can't reduce my part-time hours or leave the job and the internship is 40 hours...
After ringing and repeating my case a second time, the local social welfare office is waiting for clarification from head office.
I'm also talking with the jobbridge people about it.

I'll keep this thread updated in case someone else is in a similar situation. Hopefully this will all be sorted...

lols7

Please help! I am in an almost identical situation! Was tols be FAS that I could take part in work placements/ internships. I've been applying and was asked to come in for an interview for one and have had interest from another. I called my local social welfare office yesterday to double check I was entitled to take part and was told the same thing..."once it doesn't interfere with your current employment". Now when I say my hours are casual, I mean very casual..I work in a hotel so could be given any hours from 7am-2am any given day! The internship is 39hrs so would obviously clash at some point??! I don't know what to do!!! I've emailed the company asking me to come in for the interview explaining all of this and am waiting to hear back!

It is such a ridiculous situation! All I want is experience so I can move on to a "proper" job and maybe make use of my costly education one day! I feel like I'm "technically" allowed to take part in a job bridge scheme, yet not at all allowed in reality!!!!

lols7

This is a fine example of a Catch 22...can't get a straight answer off anyone that should know (FAS, Social Welfare etc)

ptWorker

lols7 wrote: »

Please help! I am in an almost identical situation! Was tols be FAS that I could take part in work placements/ internships. I've been applying and was asked to come in for an interview for one and have had interest from another. I called my local social welfare office yesterday to double check I was entitled to take part and was told the same thing..."once it doesn't interfere with your current employment". Now when I say my hours are casual, I mean very casual..I work in a hotel so could be given any hours from 7am-2am any given day! The internship is 39hrs so would obviously clash at some point??! I don't know what to do!!! I've emailed the company asking me to come in for the interview explaining all of this and am waiting to hear back!

It is such a ridiculous situation! All I want is experience so I can move on to a "proper" job and maybe make use of my costly education one day! I feel like I'm "technically" allowed to take part in a job bridge scheme, yet not at all allowed in reality!!!!

Hi lols7, I hope I am not too late in replying.
I only created this account for this topic so never saw your reply.

It's a joke alright, but I believe the social welfare office just doesn't have a clue, not all of them of course, but a lot of ppl in there don't even know the rules themselfs.

In my case, I rang jobbride and they said to ring social welfare head office.
I rang them later and explained my situation to several ppl and was finally put back onto the guy who I had seen earlier that day...
he repeated what he was saying, but I explained that I was stuck on the dole and this was my chance to come off it and get experience...he relented a bit and said he'd double check with head office.
He got back to me and said as a "one off case" I would be allowed to participate in the program...

So I was able to do it, but I still believe the SW office was incorrect, at the same time I was in correspondance with the jobbride ppl via email and the girl there was adament I was allowed to do it (which I believe is correct), she was emailing me and about to phone me when I got the news from the SW office that I was allowed to do it.

Dod you have any luck in ur case? Get onto JB via email and explain it.

It's a joke really, the lack on knowledge from person to person is crazy in the social welfare department. Each memeber should be educated fully on new schemes but it doesn't seem to happen unfortunately, their knee jerk reaction is to say no!

Predalien

Has anyone been given a definitive answer to this yet? It's looking like I'm going to be in the same position, have been interviewed for an internship related to my qualification but am confused as to whether I can quit my present part-time job and still recieve a payment as it would be impossible to balance both... have contacted jobbridge but no reply as of yet.

pj12332

Hi guys I am in an identical situations, casual worker, going mad in a retail job (been in retail five years all through school and college), found an internship, can I go for it and quit my job?? please if anyone went ahead and took the internship let me know what happened. thanks

GALWAYLAD777

Hi there, On a Jobbridge programme and was wondering if I am allowed to work Sat and Sundays... Does anyone know if you can without it affecting your Jobbridge Payment?

steffiepie

GALWAYLAD777 wrote: »

Hi there, On a Jobbridge programme and was wondering if I am allowed to work Sat and Sundays... Does anyone know if you can without it affecting your Jobbridge Payment?

i am in a similar situation. have u had any clarification on the matter??

GALWAYLAD777

ptWorker wrote: »

Hi Guys,
My understanding from the jobbridge website is that you could participate in the scheme even if you were a casual claimant. I presume casual claimant is someone working part time and claiming dole for the days they don't work.

I was offered a position via jobbridge which will finally gives me a chance to do what I have wanted to all along. I currently work part time since finishing college and claim on a part-time basis for the days I don't work.
The scheme will require me to work 40 hours a week, so presumably I will have to quit my pt job.
I presumed this would be ok as the website states casual claimers can participate.
However, when I went to speak to a social welfare officer in the local office, he was very confrontational and almost gave out to me for suggesting the idea. He said no no no I can't leave my job. When I stated the website says casual claimants are allowed he muttered something like "we can't tell you not to quit", whatever that means...

So now I'm not sure what's going on I really want to take this internship.
Has anyone else been in this position or does anyone else know the details? Was the social welfare officer just wrong?

Does anybody know what would happen if I can go ahead with the scheme and leave my job, how would my base rate be calculated, would it be reevaluated given that I would be claiming for a full week and not days I didn't work? I'm also under 25, but have been doing the part time job since before the under 25 rule came in.

To the best of my knowledge if you manage to secure part time work whilst on the jobbridge scheme, you can work away once it doesnt interfere with the jobbridge scheme that you are on.

To the b