Failed means test for JSA previously, money situation is now changed.

LegacyUser

Hi guys, going anon for this thread.

I did first year in college in the 2010/2011 academic year. Sadly I ended up failing my exams and then failing my repeat exams in August 2011. The way my college do things is messed up though. You don't get your repeat exam results until 2 or 3 weeks into the new academic year, so the way it worked was that I went in with the second years. Sadly though a few weeks into this, I got called out by the course leader who said I failed the repeat exams, which left me in an awkward position.

A) Repeat the modules I failed in first year and not do second year until 2012/2013 academic year.

Change course and join with the first years.

Those were the options given to me by my course leader.

I really had lost all interest in my original course so decided to change course. She gave me the go ahead, so sent me to the leader of the course I wanted to change to. She went thru the modules with me and happily said I could join up, so all I had to do was go to reception and change from the school of Science to the school of Hospitality. Then the heartbreaking reply from the woman in reception was "it's too late to change. You have to re-apply in next years CAO"

At that stage I had no other choice but to leave the city I was doing college in, and have been home since that obviously.

Since I went home in late September, I obviously didn't want to be just sitting around everyday doing nothing. It's just me (20), Mam and Dad at home. At the time my Dad was working a v.well paid job, and Mam was not working.

Mid-October I got offered a job, but had to do a 10 week training course first. It turned out that this training was paid for €188 a week for people entitled to jobseeker's allowance. Sadly, after doing a means test (first ever time interacting with the employment office, never entitled to a grant in college etc) it turned out that I failed it by a large margin.

As it turned out, I stuck with the training (not getting paid) and got the job. All of this though was with borrowing money for petrol, etc constantly.

Finally after Christmas work actually began and I was paying tax etc until I got laid off mid-March. This obviously pissed me off at the time because I did 10 weeks there without getting paid, and they knew that. I got laid off because the workload was well down.

Sadly since Christmas, my Dad hasn't been able to work due to ill health. Instead of getting his normal money, he is now only getting a €188 weekly "sick pay". The doctors originally said he would be back to work at the end of February. Then pushed that back to the end of March. Then pushed it back to the end of April. Now he isn't even sure because of unexpected problems in operation results.

My mam is working though, at the moment, but I know it isn't near to what Dad earned.

This is very hard for me because (not to sound greedy, but) my parents usually gave me money for different stuff, be it Petrol, and other stuff, but now they are both very tentative in giving me money, and I know that they are struggling. My Dad's insurance doesn't cover his treatments, so it's all coming out of his pockets. I hate asking them for money now. I'm a non drinker/non smoker, but sometimes I want to go to the cinema and stuff with my friends, but actually feel terrible asking for money now.

I have been looking for work so hard since I got laid off, but to no avail. CV after CV handed in and emailed, but nothing.

What can I do in regards to maybe getting Dole/Jobseekers? Is it worth going into the employment office again and seeing? I feel terrible for my parents, but also, I am really bored, with no money!

Thanks in advance.

wmpdd3

If you're unemployed then you should sign on, if your mum is bringing in less than 400 per week there's a chance you'll get some jsa

LegacyUser

wmpdd3 wrote: »

If you're unemployed then you should sign on, if your mum is bringing in less than 400 per week there's a chance you'll get some jsa

I went to the employment office after I got laid off (middle of March) and they said I have some "credits"? and also will send out a date for me to sign on in the future, but I have never received that.

LegacyUser

Bump?