Received JSA payment when not expecting it...

LegacyUser

Hi,

I have been on JSB for a while and recently signed for credits (as I did not want to be assessed/partner is working/complicated siutation - so I felt it best just to sign for credits). However, I did fill out the form online for JSA and sent this (this was before changing my mind to sign for credits). I went in to the office and told them I had filled out this form but had now changed my mind - they said this was okay etc and that was that. So now I've just received notification that my first JSA payment is in the PO next week - do I just contact to SW office and let them know this is a mistake? I'd rather not go in to them, can I just contact them via email (they don't answer the phones in there, that's for sure)?


Thanks.

mp22

It looks like you have a live claim,you can sign off here

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/ContactUs/Pages/CloseClaimByCounty.aspx

LegacyUser

But would signing that off not close my entire claim?

Lugh Ildanach

You can close your claim if you want, but will have to contact them to ensure that you are still registered to receive credits.

LegacyUser

Well that's why I went in back in November - to tell them that I want to sign for credits now and the guy said that was all ok etc. So I don't know why I'd have to go back in again to do the exact same thing.

eastbono

Maybe you are entitled to a jsa payment. Did they send you out a means decision? How much did they say would be your weekly payment?

LegacyUser

eastbono wrote: »

Maybe you are entitled to a jsa payment. Did they send you out a means decision? How much did they say would be your weekly payment?

They didn't send out any means decision to my knowledge - I'm not sure how they would since they haven't means tested me. They said my weekly payment would be €188.00.

sparkling sea

You may be entitled to JA - you won' be entitled to a qualified adult rate if your other half has means over 310. The qualified adult rate is reduced for means earned by that adult of between 100 and 310.

Your other half can earn means up to 100 and you will get a personal rate of 188 and a qualified adult rate of 124.80 - you will get 29.80 per qualified child up to age 18.

You can have savings of up to 20000 before they are assessed as means - your home is not assessed as an asset.

eastbono

sparkling sea wrote: »

You may be entitled to JA - you won' be entitled to a qualified adult rate if your other half has means over 310. The qualified adult rate is reduced for means earned by that adult of between 100 and 310.

Your other half can earn means up to 100 and you will get a personal rate of 188 and a qualified adult rate of 124.80 - you will get 29.80 per qualified child up to age 18.

You can have savings of up to 20000 before they are assessed as means - your home is not assessed as an asset.

Paragraph 1 applies to jobseekers benefit.

Paragraph 2 OP can get payment for a child over 18 years of age if they are in full time education as OP has been in payment of JSB for over 156 days.

sparkling sea

eastbono wrote: »

Paragraph 1 applies to jobseekers benefit.

Paragraph 2 OP can get payment for a child over 18 years of age if they are in full time education as OP has been in payment of JSB for over 156 days.

Your right on the JB

Child has to live with parent claiming payment

eastbono

sparkling sea wrote: »

Your right on the JB

Child has to live with parent claiming payment

If child>18 lives with parent and is in full time education and parent is over 156 days on payment parent can claim for child.

eastbono

unregistered29 wrote: »

They didn't send out any means decision to my knowledge - I'm not sure how they would since they haven't means tested me. They said my weekly payment would be €188.00.

If you have been awarded jsa a means test decision is normally sent to the claimant.You need to contact your local office and see what is happening.

LegacyUser

eastbono wrote: »

If you have been awarded jsa a means test decision is normally sent to the claimant.You need to contact your local office and see what is happening.

I have received a means test decision. It says the following:

"I am writing to you about your claim for JA and wish to let you know that we have calculated your Means as follows..."

It then goes on to list various different means but it has no amounts beside them and at the bottom it says 'Total Weekly Means:' but there's no figure beside that.

eastbono

unregistered29 wrote: »

I have received a means test decision. It says the following:

"I am writing to you about your claim for JA and wish to let you know that we have calculated your Means as follows..."

It then goes on to list various different means but it has no amounts beside them and at the bottom it says 'Total Weekly Means:' but there's no figure beside that.

Does it say anything about means from partners earnings?

Did you at any stage give them bank statements and payslips for your partner. If you did then it would appear that you have been means tested for jobseekers allowance.

If you have been awarded €188 jsa it sounds like there is means against you. I am presuming its just you and your partner if so for jsa you would have personal rate of €188 and adult dependent rate of €124.80 which is €312.40 and if you have been awarded €188 then you have means of €124.80 against you. It does seem somewhat of a coincidence that the means against you is the rate for an adult dependent.

LegacyUser

Says nothing about means from partners earnings and at no stage did they ask for bank statements or anything like that.

Is it possible to award JSA and not means test somebody? I was under the impression that JSA was means tested. Think I'll just give them a buzz and see what the story is.

GavMan

Hi,

My mother is in a very similar position here.

She finished up JSB and decided not to apply for JSA. She told them she wanted sign for credits and they said she would get a letter with a new signing date for this.

However, for whatever reason, she was paid her full amount when she only had one days pay due. She checked this week and she was paid in full. Now, she's kept the money up as she intends to return it to them. She's been in contact with them about the payments but no one seems to be giving her an answer as to what do and why she was paid.

Any thoughts?

eastbono

unregistered29 wrote: »

Says nothing about means from partners earnings and at no stage did they ask for bank statements or anything like that.

Is it possible to award JSA and not means test somebody? I was under the impression that JSA was means tested. Think I'll just give them a buzz and see what the story is.

Best to contact sw as something is not right with this.