Is this correct? FIS

Awwwwfook

I got declined FIS. below are the figures which the calculations were based on.
My income Jan to April €453 wages
April to Oct €262 mat benefit. While I was on mat leave himself got JA of €217 but this stopped when I went back to work in October.
Our renewal was sept 19th. When they calculated our renewal they took my wages from when I was working of €453 (jan to apr) and added the JA, €217 that dp got when I was on mat leave (apr to oct) which totalled our means of €670 which was way over the ammount allowed for our family (2 kids).
I tried to explain that it was unfair the way they calculated it but they said that it was correct and that I couldn't do anything about it.

wmpdd3

Doesnt look right to me.

So whan you were working your income was €435 per week.
When you went on matleave it was €262 + €217 per week?

Where are they pulling the €600 from?

They do take an average of 42 weeks when there is a change in wages.

I was refused the first time because an average of 42 weeks wages meant my full time wages and then my maternity leave payment were taken into account. I'm now part time.

Ring them first thing in the morning and tell them you will be appealing. Tell them to write to you telling you how they calculated your means. With all the upheavel goingon in the FIS offices I wouldn't be quick to presume a mistake couldn't be made.

Also, get ready to apply straight away, if the appeal isnt sucessful, get all your paperwork so you can have it posted ASAP.

Was it a renewal or a first time application?

Awwwwfook

I spoke to them yesterday and they explained how the got the figure.
They added the €453 wages from when I was working to the €217 which himself received when I went on Mat Leave and got €670 which is way over the €602 that our claim is capped at.

I argued my point with her and ended up in tears I was so frustrated. I kept telling her that why would they take my wages from one part of the year and dps JA from a different part of the year. I told her we had never bought anything over €500 into the house at any stage during the year so for them to put our means as €670 was wrong.

She kept saying that it was correct and all I could do was apply again. I said to her that I would loose all my back money as renewal was in September and they only informed me yesterday that my claim was closed since september. So she advised that I send in a new application and ask that they backdate the claim to October when I returned to work as I never received any notification that my claim was refused until December so it wasn't my fault that I couldn't reapply in time.

To say I am digusted is an understatement. I cant believe that they would calculate it so unfairly. I must say though that the lady I dealt with yesterday was lovely.

amtw

Sorry not really following exactly what time period they are using to caluclate your family income. In the guideline on their own site they state that
"Calculation of average family income

If a person is paid weekly or fortnightly, his/her weekly income is based on the weekly average of assessable earnings in the 4 week period before s/he makes a claim.
If a person is paid monthly, his/her average weekly income is worked out using weekly average assessable earnings in the 2 month period before s/he makes a claim.
If a person's spouse/civil partner/ cohabitant is self-employed, his/her income over the 12 month period before the claim is made (divided by 52) is used to work out his/her average weekly income.
However, where the above periods would not reflect a true assessment of income, a Deciding Officer or an Appeals Officer may choose a more representative period as the basis of calculation. The most recent P60 is often used to calculate the average income from employment."

The link for this is http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/fis.aspx#Part1
The last paragraph of the above looks like it might apply to yourself if so write to the deciding officer and ask for a review quoting the above.

Good luck

yabadabado

Unfortunately for you that is the correct decision but you do have the right to Appeal. Best thing to do would be to appeal it and see will they move the renewal date to when u returned to work.