Can someone expain this to me? Mat and JSA

wmpdd3

One person is on maternity benefit at €262 per week.
Other person is on JSA €188 + €14.90 x 2 as there are 2 babies = €217.80 per week.

No other income at all.

Why doesn't the person on maternity leave get the other half rate for each of the children, or why does person on JSA get full rate for each child?

mp22

Payments for dependants

If you have dependants your rate of Maternity Benefit (excluding increases for dependants) is compared to the rate of Illness Benefit (including increases for dependants) that would be paid to you if you were absent from work through illness. The higher of the two rates is paid to you. Although the Illness Benefit rate begins from a lower personal base amount (€188 is the maximum Illness Benefit personal rate), it also takes into account extra payments for your family, and this is why, depending on the circumstances of your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant and how many children you have, the rate paid to you may be greater than the maximum Maternity Benefit rate of €262.
Example (2012 rates): Mary is entitled to the maximum rate of Maternity Benefit of €262. Her partner is unemployed and signing on for unemployment credits. They have two children. If she got Illness Benefit she would get €372.40 (this is the personal rate of Illness Benefit + an Increase for a Qualified Adult + an Increase for Qualified Children). She cannot get less Maternity Benefit than she would get if ill and getting Illness Benefit. For this reason, she will get Maternity Benefit of €372.40.
If your adult dependent is getting a social welfare payment you will not get an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) but you may get a half-rate Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC).
You will qualify for a full-rate IQA and a full-rate IQC, if your adult dependent is unemployed and signing on for credits or is earning under €100.01 per week.
If your adult dependent is earning between €100.01 and €310 per week you will get a tapered rate of IQA and a full-rate IQC. If your adult dependent is earning between €310.01 and €400 per week you will not get an IQA but you will get half rate IQC. If your adult dependent earns over €400 per week you will not get an IQA or IQC.



From here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/maternity_benefit.html

wmpdd3

If your adult dependent is earning between €100.01 and €310 per week you will get a tapered rate of IQA and a full-rate IQC. If your adult dependent is earning between €310.01 and €400 per week you will not get an IQA but you will get half rate IQC. If your adult dependent earns over €400 per week you will not get an IQA or IQC.

Thank you, this is what I thought, but I thought it would be the person on Jsa/btea that would get the tapered rate of IQA and IQC as the the whole family are on his claim?

mp22

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Thank you, this is what I thought, but I thought it would be the person on Jsa/btea that would get the tapered rate of IQA and IQC as the the whole family are on his claim?

To be honest I've no idea why they do that.

wmpdd3

thank you, ill call the maternity section tomorrow and see if they can shed some light on it.

Keogh08

In exactly the same situation, were the maternity benefit section any help?

wmpdd3

Didnt get through yesterday. Will try call again on Tuesday, but my mat leave it up in 2 weeks time so I doubt there's much they can do.