Explain the system??

LegacyUser

I'm totally confused by the social welfare system & allowances.
Both my husband and I used to work full time.

Then he got changed to 3 days a week, so claimed on his stamps for the two lost days until that ran out. He was then means tested. When he was means tested I was receiving the statutory maternity benefit with no top up from employer.

I was not able to return to my job after maternity leave as my employer had changed the job conditions (hours, shifts etc.) so I claimed jobseekers benefit on my stamps until June 2012. When my stamps ran out I went into social welfare and they said I should now get my husband to claim for me, so I went along with that.

I had a call from social welfare today as they had processed the claim. I was told that we would now be receiving less money each week from social welfare than previously.

How can it be that when I was getting maternity benefit he was entitled to x amount, but now that I am getting nothing he is entitled to less? His claim is going to be about €200 a month less than what he was getting when I was getting maternity benefit, which is going to make a huge difference to our family budget.

I did say a number of times on the phone that I didn't understand how the system works, basically how can less money coming into the household mean we are entitled to less, but the woman didn't really explain it. Can anyone?

mp22

While you were claiming JSB (stamps)you received €188,when you became a dependant adult(on your husbands claim)the max he will recieve for you is €124.80.

wmpdd3

Is it now that, you are claiming JSA and he is working 3 days and claim in JSA for the other 2 days?

If so, depending on how much more than minimum wage he earns, it may be better for you to claim.

Is he getting around €120?

The other option is for you to open a JSA claim.

That's €188 for you, €124 for husband and €28.90 per child LESS means.

From my experience, the weekly payment would be about €217, if he's getting about €10.00 per hour.


If you husband is earning much more than minimum wage, then the means will wipe out alot of your payment. It would be better for you if he was working 5 days but earning the same money!

Go figure!

LegacyUser

Thanks for the replies.

I still don't understand it. When he was means tested (working 3 days a week), and I was getting maternity benefit @€;260ish a week, they decided he was entitled to €140 per week.

I was told yesterday he will now get €101 for the both of us on his JSA (means tested).

It is really depressing. I did a quick calculation yesterday and it honestly looks like if we were both full time unemployed and were entitled to rent supplement we would have pretty much the exact same money as his wages + that €101 a week. I honestly never thought it would work out like that.

But at least if he's working, he's gaining experience, skills, paying into a pension etc.

Fingers crossed I find a job soon. We are screwed otherwise.