Jobseekers Benefit after resigning

nikkibikki

Hi,

A bit of background, I resigned my job after almost 10years service recently. I left due to stress and my mental health and that of my immediate family was suffering and nothing is worth that. I worked in Financial Services.

I am now looking for a new job, in the area of childcare. I have some qualifications that I did off my own back at night while working. My local office told me yesterday that no decision has been made on my case and it could be another few weeks. CWO was less than useless when I went in there as suggested by DSP office. He can do nothing while I am waiting. Apparantly my husband earns over the threshold but they don't take mortgage repayments or anything like that into consideration. Why are we being punished for owning our home and paying for it ourselves? Anyway, that's another thread!

My doctor understands my situation and has signed me off on stress leave before but I didn't use it. There's no way I can go back to that job. On that basis, would I be better off on Illness Benefit for a short time? ANd how would subsequent JSB claim be assessed then? Would it be the same as it is now, as in will it be treated as if I have resigned from my job? Or will it be a whole new claim and nothing to do with my previous employment?

eastbono

You could apply for illness benefit now if you wish but your jsb claim would still have to be processed up to the date of illness benefit claim. I presume that you gave a detailed statement to sw for your reason for leaving your employment? Its important that you outline in some detail the reason for leaving just not putting stress on the form.

nikkibikki

Thanks for reply. Yep I gave a detailed statement. I thought I was doing the decent and honest thing by looking for other work straight away and not going on illness benefit but looks like I'd have been much better off! Will a new JS claim after illness benefit be treated same as if I have resigned or will it be different coming off illness onto jobseekers?

nikkibikki

Thanks for reply. Yep I gave a detailed statement. I thought I was doing the decent and honest thing by looking for other work straight away and not going on illness benefit but looks like I'd have been much better off! Will a new JS claim after illness benefit be treated same as if I have resigned or will it be different coming off illness onto jobseekers?

ETA: Detailed statement included the fact that I went back to work after maternity leave to a different role, same level but less responsibility and less chance of progression. Nothing i could do about it. Request for flexible hours ignored and I was moved teams 3 times in space of about 3 months.

eastbono

The most you can be disqualified for in your situation is 9 weeks. It will be up to a deciding officer whether to disqualify or not. When you return to jb after illness benefit the claim will link but the disqualification period if applied would have passed.

nikkibikki

Sound thanks a mill.

nikkibikki

Sound thanks a mill.

nikkibikki

To update on this, I received a letter on 12th August saying I am not entitled to JSB as I am not genuinely seeking work and I didn't make reasonable efforts to secure alternative employment before resigning.

I was given 2 options.

1. Provide further documentary evidence back to deciding officer that I think may be relevant, or
2. Appeal to the SW appeals office in Dublin.

I went with option 1 as appeals take about 20 weeks. I did have a bit to provide them with to show efforts made before resigning, and since resigning, so hopefully that'll be enough but it's not something they had asked for previously. The letter also said that I am not entitled to sign for credits but I just called my local office to see if I could get an update (they said it could take 2 weeks for my stuff to be looked at) and they told me to come in as normal tomorrow and sign on.

And apparently, if the Deciding Officer still decides that I am not entitled to JSB, they send it straight to the appeals office for me so I don't have to lodge that separately which is surprisingly efficient!

ETA: And I found out that because I am not receiving a SW payment, I can't get onto a FÁS First Aid Course that I need to do for the county childcare registration, well I can if I pay €150, and I would if I had it.

eastbono

Oh... they are coming at your disqualification from a completely different angle and this could go on indefinetely. Have you applied to you community welfare officer for supplementary welfare allowance while awaiting this review/appeal?

nikkibikki

eastbono wrote: »

Oh... they are coming at your disqualification from a completely different angle and this could go on indefinetely. Have you applied to you community welfare officer for supplementary welfare allowance while awaiting this review/appeal?

Oh I hope not, savings are gone now and things are very tight. We are over SWA amounts but it doesn't take into account our housing costs and the fact that we have to run 2cars to get our little fella to school as there's no bus to where we live and to get my husband to work. No idea how we're gonna heat the house this winter. We are seriously considering emigration. I'm not sleeping. I've 2bald tyres on my car but have to wait for children's allowance to get them fixed. I'm on painkillers for arthritis and I'm rationing them only taking half my dose while I wait on medical card. And FIS won't make a decision til JS is done. If I leave this go and not sign on now, how long do I have to leave it before I can sign on before the fact that I resigned from a job is held against me? I really want to get working butneed to do a courcourse or 2before I do.

maryk123

If you are not well. I would recommend disability benefit. It sounds like you have enough stamps. They won't ask regarding looking for work and you will get your 188 per week (presuming you have the stamps). When you feel a little better then you could look for a job. Sounds like the better option for your situation. Go to the Gp and get a first cert and start the process. You may have to take the hit for the weeks you applied for job seekers allowance and the refusal time.

nikkibikki

I will go to gp when I've medical card as can't afford the €50 right now. I'd rather not go down that road but I can't go on like this either. Yes I'd have plenty stamps, been working for 20 years.

Rubberchikken

this is one part of paying tax that i never understand.
you have worked for 20 years and paid tax. even though you chose to resign due to feeling unwell, i think a person should be entitled to get the jsb for whatever period the stamps cover.

hope you get this sorted. dealing with sw can be a pain a lot of the time.

nikkibikki

To update on this, my arthritis has gotten worse and rheumatologist is putting me on disease modifying medication. Got a chance to see gp this morning, not easy when you've to find child care for 1 yr old twins! GP has put me on illness benefit. I went straight to sw with the form and got told my job seekers claim had just been awarded today and it was up to myself whether to submit the illness benefit form or not. Last 2 weeks i have been def not well enough to work and it could take up to 12 weeks for new med to kick in and i haven't even started them yet. I gave in IB form anyway but not sure now if i made a mistake doing that. And not sure if i got excluded for first 9 weeks of JSB, they didn't say, just that I'll b sent a cheque in the next week.
Good news is I've been offered a childminding job to start after Christmas!

Cushie Butterfield

nikkibikki wrote: »

To update on this, my arthritis has gotten worse and rheumatologist is putting me on disease modifying medication. Got a chance to see gp this morning, not easy when you've to find child care for 1 yr old twins! GP has put me on illness benefit. I went straight to sw with the form and got told my job seekers claim had just been awarded today and it was up to myself whether to submit the illness benefit form or not. Last 2 weeks i have been def not well enough to work and it could take up to 12 weeks for new med to kick in and i haven't even started them yet. I gave in IB form anyway but not sure now if i made a mistake doing that. And not sure if i got excluded for first 9 weeks of JSB, they didn't say, just that I'll b sent a cheque in the next week.
Good news is I've been offered a childminding job to start after Christmas!

Your GP is of the opinion that you are unfit for work probably for at least 12 weeks so my advice is to submit your Illness Benefit claim. YOu can continue on Jobseeker's Benefit until that come through & your payments will be automatically changed over, so you won't be left without any payment one way or the other.

12 weeks will bring you up to Christmas/New Year anyway, & you probably need that amount of time for your health to improve & for the medication to fully kick in - remember you need to be in the best of health to mind children! If your health improves before that you could always return to JSB.

baron von something

hard to believe that it took so long for your j.s.b. to come through OP.i left my job of 7 years last month due to pretty much the same reasons and got put on jsb within 10 days of applying.its amazing how different dsp's work.glad you got it sorted in the end

nikkibikki

That's amazing alright! Wish I lived near you, wouldn't have been so stressed the last few months and probably not as sick as I am now. Got another job offer starting in November so delighted with that!!