On JSA but going into hospital for a few weeks

dave98

Hi guys. I am on Jobseekers Allowance for a few months now. I am going into hospital next Friday for about 3 weeks to have major surgery on my back and will be in hospital for 15-18 days and with 3 month recovery time at home afterwards.

I know with JSA, one of the conditions is you have to be actively looking for work - which I wont be so what options are available to me?
I don't know if I will be entitled to illness benefit as my PRSI info (roughly ) would be as follows:
1996-2009 - paid 52 weeks every year
2010 - paid 15 weeks (then moved to Oz)
2011 - paid about 8 weeks (when I returned home in November)
2012 - paid about 18 weeks (then had my first surgery on my back and was out of work about 6 months and received supplementary welfare - as I wasn't entitled to illness)
2013 - paid 26 weeks, received supplementary for 4 weeks and JSA for the remainder.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

obplayer

dave98 wrote: »

Hi guys. I am on Jobseekers Allowance for a few months now. I am going into hospital next Friday for about 3 weeks to have major surgery on my back and will be in hospital for 15-18 days and with 3 month recovery time at home afterwards.

I know with JSA, one of the conditions is you have to be actively looking for work - which I wont be so what options are available to me?
I don't know if I will be entitled to illness benefit as my PRSI info (roughly ) would be as follows:
1996-2009 - paid 52 weeks every year
2010 - paid 15 weeks (then moved to Oz)
2011 - paid about 8 weeks (when I returned home in November)
2012 - paid about 18 weeks (then had my first surgery on my back and was out of work about 6 months and received supplementary welfare - as I wasn't entitled to illness)
2013 - paid 26 weeks, received supplementary for 4 weeks and JSA for the remainder.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Try this site
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/disability_allowance.html

obplayer

obplayer wrote: »

Try this site
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/disability_allowance.html

Or this
http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Supplementary-Welfare-Allowance.aspx

dave98

obplayer wrote: »

Try this site
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/disability_allowance.html

Thanks for the reply. My doctor said there is no point even applying for DA. He said his patients wait on average 18 weeks for a decision and I wouldn't meet the first condition as I won't be unfit for work for 12 months, maybe just 4

dave98

obplayer wrote: »

Or this
http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Supplementary-Welfare-Allowance.aspx

Thanks for the reply. Ya I guess that looks like an option. Cheers

eastbono

You will need to apply for illness benefit... get an mc1 from your doctor and then mc2 every week and submit these or get someone to drop them into your local sw office. You are unlikely to qualify for illness benefit.... you will get a letter stating this and you then go to your community welfare officer and apply for supplementary welfare allowance but you will still need to submit mc2s every week while you are on swa.