Jobseekers Benefit and PRSI/National Insurance contribution

april1986

Hi all,
I have a query concerning JSB and would appreciate any advice before I consider contacting the welfare office.
For various reasons I find myself back in Ireland for the first time in 9 years, without any savings or source of income. I have been refused Jobseekers Allowance (Habitual Residency) and I am being supported by family until I get a job, but obviously that could be some time. I was living in England and did not think to apply for dole there, as I mistakenly thought that as an Irish citizen I would qualify for welfare, so find myself without any income and living on handouts from my family. I have worked all my life in England and apart from a short stint of a few weeks drawing dole in Ireland in the 90's (which provided me with a PPS number) have never been unemployed.
Here is the thing, I have been offered a weeks paid work with a delivery man, helping out during his busy Christmas period and will be paying PRSI. Will this be enough to qualify me for JSB or will the fact that I did not sign on in England before I left be a problem? I have read the Department for Social Protection's site (see their website example below) and numerous threads on here, but can only find cases where the applicant is already drawing the dole in England before obtaining work here.
All advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks.



"A person has received 90 days of British JB and then comes to Ireland. S/he receives a further 24 days of British JB on a transfer of benefit (see "Transfer of benefit"). She then finds work for a week, and pays one A1 contribution. She now qualifies for an aggregation of social insurance record (see "Aggregation of records"), and on that basis qualifies for Irish JB.

The number of days paid already on her British claim (90 + 24, or 114) is deducted from her 312 (234) days maximum entitlement, leaving a net Irish entitlement of 198 days or 120 days as appropriate."

mp22

Were you working up to the time you left the uk? or near enough

april1986

I was working until the end of June when my hours were reduced and I could not afford to stay there, part of the reason for moving home. I had saved a little which has now gone and I'm being kindly supported by my family.
Thanks for the quick reply by the way.

mp22

Contributions you have paid in other member states of the EU/EEA will be added to your Irish contributions. If you are applying for Jobseeker's Benefit and need the contributions paid in another EU/EEA country to help you qualify, then your last contribution must have been in Ireland.

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

So as I understand the system if you do a weeks work in Ireland and pay a stamp you will then be able to make a JSB claim based on your stamp record in the UK.

april1986

Thanks very much mp22.
That is what I thought, but was looking for confirmation from someone who knows better than myself.
Thanks again.