Means test for a couple for JSA

Teagwee

I’m trying to help my aunt with her options for benefit – her husband is retiring early from a local authority due to ill health. Her last employment was in 2007, but she never claimed or signed on as she felt (probably correctly) that she wouldn’t qualify for a payment and didn’t really understand the credits option. She is 57 now and he is 61. They live in a very rural area and there is absolutely no work available – she keeps applying for anything and everything that turns up.
My uncle will have a pension of about €400 per week gross (before any deductions) and a lump sum of around 60k. They have no other savings, no children at home and their mortgage is paid off. I’ve been onto the citizen’s information site for them trying to figure out if she should sign on or not. It’s difficult working this out – for example, they have a formula for the means of a couple where one is in employment, but nothing about where one has a non-welfare pension. Do the same deductions apply re deducting €60 for 3 days employment and then taking 60% of that figure? And how do you figure it out after that?
Can anyone more used to this stuff offer me a rough calculation and an idea of whether she will qualify for JSA? I know she’s very reluctant to make a claim at all and her husband is not much help at the moment – she doesn’t want to add to his worries. With the cost of his medications and the ongoing prospect of more household/water etc charges, she’s really worried that they won’t make ends meet but his health is suffering at work and he really needs to retire. Many thanks in advance

Sue Ellen

Income from a pension is deducted euro for euro. His pension would leave them with means in excess on a JA claim.

poppy1111

My advise is that if your uncle is leaving work on grounds of ill health he should be going down the route of illness benefit. So he should go to his doctor. Far as I know your aunt won't qualify for the adult dependent as he will have a work pension of 400. Illness benefit is payable so long as he is certified unable to work for 2 years and then means-tested.

Annasopra

It might even be an option for her to sign on now for credits

Teagwee

mango salsa wrote: »

It might even be an option for her to sign on now for credits

She was told (by someone?) that she can't sign on now for credits as she left it too long after her last employment - but it would be great if she could. Is there some other way she can do that? I believe her stamps record is a bit patchy with a very broken employment record.
Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I think a lot of people feel bamboozled by the system and many are actually afraid to look for what they're entitled to, especially as you don't seem to be able to ring/email to find out anything anymore

Annasopra

I find the INOU information office very helpful - they can probably give you advice - 018560088

You can request a PRSI record here

https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/secure/RequestSIContributionRecord.aspx