Jobbridge and New Mum

ShaShaBear

Friend of mine had her baby 2 months ago and is getting hassled by Social Welfare to take a Jobbridge scheme. She's very upset as is claiming Jobseekers and showed that she is trying hard to find work, but can't afford childcare costs when working 40 hours a week on JB. There are no available JB schemes in her town, and she would at best have to get a bus daily to and from the nearest town, which is half an hour on the bus and €35 per week! She has offered to do FAS courses and they said they want her to take on JB and if she refuses she could have her claim suspended.

Is there anything she can do here? She has no support close by and I've taken a look at her finances and there is no way she can afford rent, bills and a crèche just to take up a JB scheme!

eastbono

She can apply for one parent family which is a means tested payment but you dont have to be looking for and available for full tme work as you do with jobseekers.

mrsbyrne

As eastbono says she should be on OPFP as she's not eligible for JSB if she's not available for full time work.

ShaShaBear

mrsbyrne wrote: »

As eastbono says she should be on OPFP as she's not eligible for JSB if she's not available for full time work.

She is available for paid full-time work, she is not available for free full-time work. I suggested OPFP but she was trying to avoid that, but if it's her only option

mrsbyrne

ShaShaBear wrote: »

She is available for paid full-time work, she is not available for free full-time work. I suggested OPFP but she was trying to avoid that, but if it's her only option

Its not free. She would be paid €267 per week while getting valuable experience and training.

ShaShaBear

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Its not free. She would be paid €267 per week while getting valuable experience and training.

I think you missed the part in my first post where I said she would not be able to afford childcare costs and travel costs for Jobbridge as an extra €50 a week would not cover her. She's trying to find full-time work where she would get an increase in income sufficient enough to support them both.

mrsbyrne

ShaShaBear wrote: »

I think you missed the part in my first post where I said she would not be able to afford childcare costs and travel costs for Jobbridge as an extra €50 a week would not cover her. She's trying to find full-time work where she would get an increase in income sufficient enough to support them both.

Its understood if you put yourself forward for JSB that you don't have childcare costs or issues. You have to be available for work. Your friend is only available for work if the remuneration package can cover her childcare issues.
I can't understand why your friend has a problem with lone parent. If she is a lone parent then that's what she should be on. She can find part time work which would suit her childcare problems and earn €90 and keep all her lone parent. If she has 20 hours per week she could get FIS aswell.

ShaShaBear

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Its understood if you put yourself forward for JSB that you don't have childcare costs or issues. You have to be available for work. Your friend is only available for work if the remuneration package can cover her childcare issues.
I can't understand why your friend has a problem with lone parent. If she is a lone parent then that's what she should be on. She can find part time work which would suit her childcare problems and earn €90 and keep all her lone parent. If she has 20 hours per week she could get FIS aswell.

I dont know either shes not long out of work but wasnt entitled to maternity benefit so I expect she was hoping to get into full time work rather than claim lone parents. I think what she is mostly concerned about is not having anywhere to leave her child if she had to do a scheme for 40 hours but obviously a full time wage would leave her in a better position for childcare costs. Ill mention the fis thing to her too.

Samsgirl

If she found a suitable CE scheme her childcare fees would be covered for her.
She would be working 19.5 hrs per week for 208 euro. Max she could be charged for childcare is 15 eur per week.

alex03

No she wouldn't CETS places are only available for children over 1 year. If she did a CE scheme when her child reaches 1, she would earn €20 for 19 1/2 hours work and pay €15 towards childcare. She would earn €5 for 20 hour week or .25c an hour - take out travel costs, well reality is, it's not feasible as a lone parent to do Jobsbridge or a CE schema as meagre as the income is, if you have to pay childcare costs, it is not even financially viable.

Samsgirl

alex03 wrote: »

No she wouldn't CETS places are only available for children over 1 year. If she did a CE scheme when her child reaches 1, she would earn €20 for 19 1/2 hours work and pay €15 towards childcare. She would earn €5 for 20 hour week or .25c an hour - take out travel costs, well reality is, it's not feasible as a lone parent to do Jobsbridge or a CE schema as meagre as the income is, if you have to pay childcare costs, it is not even financially viable.

Oh, I didn't realise children have to be over 1. Mine are 1&2.

ectoraige

Sadly this is a blind spot as far as Jobbridge goes. I was probably one of the earliest people on the scheme, at the time my wife's income+my JSB was just enough to cover expenses. When I took a JB position we had to place our children in crèche. We worked out that we were down over €3,000 by the end of the six months, €50 a week is an insult if you have children. Luckily we had supportive family but for those without, Jobbridge is making it even harder for parents to return to work.

ShaShaBear

ectoraige wrote: »

Sadly this is a blind spot as far as Jobbridge goes. I was probably one of the earliest people on the scheme, at the time my wife's income+my JSB was just enough to cover expenses. When I took a JB position we had to place our children in crèche. We worked out that we were down over €3,000 by the end of the six months, €50 a week is an insult if you have children. Luckily we had supportive family but for those without, Jobbridge is making it even harder for parents to return to work.

She has no family close by, I've offered to help out if she gets stuck but I'm expecting my own little one any day now so I can't guarantee I'll always be available. I've suggested lone parents, but she has a good degree and I think she was hoping for a little bit more time to job hunt after giving birth before they would start harassing her!

Balagan

ShaShaBear wrote: »

She has no family close by, I've offered to help out if she gets stuck but I'm expecting my own little one any day now so I can't guarantee I'll always be available. I've suggested lone parents, but she has a good degree and I think she was hoping for a little bit more time to job hunt after giving birth before they would start harassing her!

Those on Jobseekers are given just four weeks before the birth and eight weeks afterwards in exemption time from signing on and jobseeking/being available for full time work. The One Parent Family Payment will allow her to avoid all this stress and give her time to work out childcare and consider her options.

bulmersgal

Why is she so against lone parent. If she's entitled yo it she should claim it and she would be able to keep some of her lone parent if her wages were under €425 a week. Also she would be entitled to fis if she worked over 19 hours and earned less then €506 after tax.

youandme13

alex03 wrote: »

No she wouldn't CETS places are only available for children over 1 year. If she did a CE scheme when her child reaches 1, she would earn €20 for 19 1/2 hours work and pay €15 towards childcare. She would earn €5 for 20 hour week or .25c an hour - take out travel costs, well reality is, it's not feasible as a lone parent to do Jobsbridge or a CE schema as meagre as the income is, if you have to pay childcare costs, it is not even financially viable.

Nope your child can be from whatever age the creche will take them.. My son was 6 months when he was in full time while I went back to college under VTOS which covers the CETS scheme.

You can avail of this scheme if you get vtos in any vec or plc college or any fulltime day course with fas.. It is not covered under the CE scheme or any other internships the social welfare have. So if she was to do the jobbridge scheme, her childcare costs are whatever the creche costs. Mine were 25euros per week for full time under the CETS scheme

ShaShaBear

youandme13 wrote: »

Nope your child can be from whatever age the creche will take them.. My son was 6 months when he was in full time while I went back to college under VTOS which covers the CETS scheme.

You can avail of this scheme if you get vtos in any vec or plc college or any fulltime day course with fas.. It is not covered under the CE scheme or any other internships the social welfare have. So if she was to do the jobbridge scheme, her childcare costs are whatever the creche costs. Mine were 25euros per week for full time under the CETS scheme

She's just finished college after four years and has an honours degree so I don't think she'd be going back to do any more courses. If it isn't covered under a CE scheme or Jobbridge then obviously she wouldn't be able to manage to pay for a creche as her finances are tight enough as it is.

I'll tell her to apply for lone parents and hopefully she finds work in the interim!

alex03

youandme13 wrote: »

Nope your child can be from whatever age the creche will take them.. My son was 6 months when he was in full time while I went back to college under VTOS which covers the CETS scheme.

You can avail of this scheme if you get vtos in any vec or plc college or any fulltime day course with fas.. It is not covered under the CE scheme or any other internships the social welfare have. So if she was to do the jobbridge scheme, her childcare costs are whatever the creche costs. Mine were 25euros per week for full time under the CETS scheme

Unfortunately not for CE schemes. Rules clearly state child must be 1 year plus for CE schemes. i can't post link, but of you check this leaflet, it will confirm rule for CE childcare places.

onefamily.ie/wp-content/uploads/CETS-Leaflet.pdf