Unemployed/got job/now down to part-time, can I claim for the days I dont work

Captain Kidd

Hi,

Hope someone can help me, I was unemployed for 2 years and finally got a full time job last june (7 montsh ago),2 weeks ago i was told that because of the lack of business my full time week will be reduced to a 3 day week. Im told this is temporary and I hope it is.

I know in similar cases people reduced to a 3 day week can claim for the days they don't work but because I was unemployed for so long and have only built up around 7 months of PRSI contributions can I claim also for my lost days. Im in a horrible position if I can't.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated,

Thanks

Mance Rayder

"You must be unemployed to get Jobseeker’s Allowance. However, you may get a proportion of your Jobseeker’s Allowance if your days at work are reduced or if you can only get part-time or casual work. Income from work affects the amount of Jobseeker’s Allowance you get. Find out more about how income from work is assessed for Jobseeker’s Allowance."
From:
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/JobseekerSupports/JobseekersAllowance/Pages/ja.aspx

"Where a Jobseeker's Benefit recipient is working for part of a week, the payment entitlement will be based on a 5-day week rather than a 6-day week. This means that for each day that a person is unemployed, one-fifth of the normal rate of Jobseeker's Benefit is payable and if they get part-time work for 2 days, they will get three-fifths of the normal Jobseeker's Benefit for that week. (July 2012)"
From:
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/JobseekerSupports/JobseekersBenefit/Pages/jb.aspx

mp22

Re-qualifying for Jobseeker's Benefit

If you have used up your entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit (JB), you may re-qualify by working and paying the appropriate PRSI contributions for at least 13 weeks. If you are working and getting JB, as in the case of systematic short-time workers and some part-time workers, the 13 weeks paid contributions can begin once you have claimed JB for 156 days.
You must have suffered a substantial loss of employment to re-qualify for JB, unless you are a casual worker. If you have lost your job you will have suffered a substantial loss of employment. If you are a part-time or systematic short-time worker DSP will look at your pattern of employment over the last 13 weeks or another representative period to find out whether you have suffered a substantial loss of employment.
For example, if you are getting JB and working 3 days each week as a systematic short-time worker or a part-time worker and your employment pattern has not changed during the course of your JB claim, you will not have suffered a substantial loss of employment and will not re-qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit. However, if your JB claim ends and your 3 day week working week is then reduced to a 2 day week, you will have suffered a substantial loss of employment and may re-qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit.


from here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/jobseekers_benefit.html


I recon you should be able to claim for the days you dont work

eastbono

You will re-qualify for casual jsb but only at the lowest rate €84.50 as you will not have had any earnings in 2010 which will be the relevant year for a 2012 claim. Therefore you will receive payment of €42.25 for the 3 days not worked. In your case you may be better off applying for casual jsa which is means tested but if you are >25 years you will be starting from a personal rate of €188 before means are applied from your earnings.

Explanation of how to calculate your means from earnings are in the below link.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/means_test_for_social_welfare_payments/work_and_jobseekers_allowance.html

Captain Kidd

Thanks everybody, really appreciate the help