re qualify for job seekers benefit

lotusm

I exhausted my Job seekers benefit for a year to April 5th , I did not qualify for job seekers allowance. I started a job which is a 13 week contract at the begining of June. When that is over can I requalify for job seekers benefit and if so for how long and will it be the same rate..

danjo-xx

Looks like you should requalify if you get the 13 paid prsi contributions required.

Re-qualifying for Jobseeker's Benefit

You can re-qualify for JB if:

• You have used up your full JB entitlement (either 9 or 6 months) and
• You have paid 13 PRSI contributions for at least 13 weeks (these contributions can be counted only after you have claimed at least 156 days (6 months) of JB)

However if you are working and claiming JB (systematic short-time workers and part-time workers) you cannot simply continue your JB claim when it is exhausted since you must have suffered a substantial loss of employment to re-qualify for JB, (unless you are a casual worker).
If you have lost your job you will have suffered a substantial loss of employment. If you are a part-time or systematic short-time worker DSP will look at your pattern of employment over the last 13 weeks or another representative period to find out whether you have suffered a substantial loss of employment.
For example, if you are getting JB and working 3 days each week as a systematic short-time worker or a part-time worker and your employment pattern has not changed during the course of your JB claim, you will not have suffered a substantial loss of employment and will not re-qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit when you exhaust your claim. However, if your JB claim ends and your 3 day week working week is then reduced to a 2 day week, you will have suffered a substantial loss of employment and may re-qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit.

It would last 9months if you have over 260 contributions or only 6 months if less that 260.

lotusm

cheers for that Danjo, much appreciated

Paul_D

Hi, I've a relative in the similar situation. A 4 months contract was offered until the end of the year. CitizenInformation states that 13 weeks of paid contributions are needed in order to requalify for JB. Does it mean 13 weeks of full time work? The work she is getting will be on-demand flex-time averaging aprox 25-30 hours a week. Would it generate the required 13 weeks of contributions?

eastbono

If she only works one day a week or 1 hour a week her employer has to pay a prsi contribution for her even if she falls inside of the threshold whereby the employee doesnt have to pay. So yes it would generate 13 A class contributions from day 156 of her jsb exhausted previous claim. The rate of payment will depend on her average weekly earnings in 2011 if she makes her claim in 2013.