Means test question

LegacyUser

I was recently offered a job when I finish my internship through Jobs Bridge. As it stands I'm currently claiming for myself, my partner and 2 kids.

I will be earning €400 net pay a week. I presume I have to go down to the social welfare and sign off once the internship is officially finished. Does my partner have to start a new claim for JSA?

How does the means testing for JSA work? I've tried working it out with the information I found online but not sure if I'm doing it right.

Nomis21

You will be earning 400 Euro net a week?

If your partner is still living with you then I can't see how she can claim JA as you will be assessed as a family unit.

LegacyUser

Nomis21 wrote: »

You will be earning 400 Euro net a week?

If your partner is still living with you then I can't see how she can claim JA as you will be assessed as a family unit.

Yes approx €400 net.

Yes we all live together. Why do you think she can't claim JSA?

She's unemployed an actively seeking work. We had our own individual claims before I did the internship, but where advised it'd make more sense to put it under my claim.

mp22

Start here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/means_test_for_social_welfare_payments/work_and_jobseekers_allowance.html

LegacyUser

I managed to get down to Citizen Information today but I'm still a bit confused.

The rough figure they gave me was slightly less than what I had calculated.

They said my partner would not be able to claim for the kids as child dependents because of some new rule, but he didn't know anything else about the rule.

Has anyone heard of this? I'm not sure why my partner can't claim for the children. She claimed 1/2 for each child (and I claimed the other 1/2) before our claims where combined under my name.

I'll have to go down to the social welfare next week but would just like to have an idea what to expect.

Thanks

uck51js9zml2yt

You need to do the maths on this one OP

You're getting 372 for the 4 of you currently so will only be 28 euro better off before travel costs are taken into account.

At least on Jobbridge you had €50 extra bringing you to €422. You'll be no better off and probably worse off as things stand.

You may l qualify for Family Income Support and look at how it will effect your medical card.

Gest

If you are earning e400 net per week your wife will still be entitled to claim. She will be entitled to around e372 minus your means which will work out at roughly e210. So she should be able to get around e160 per week roughly.

Gest

Also check out your FIS entitlement as stated above.

mrsbyrne

Best thing for you yo do is claim FIS. You will get approximately €120 per week and your wife wont have to sign on.

MouseTail

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Best thing for you yo do is claim FIS. You will get approximately €120 per week and your wife wont have to sign on.

This, unless your wife might want to avail of training, jobsplus, btea or an internship herself, in which case she should have her own claim.
Congrats on the job

LegacyUser

Many thanks for all the replies.

Heidi Early Newsboy wrote: »

You need to do the maths on this one OP

You're getting 372 for the 4 of you currently so will only be 28 euro better off before travel costs are taken into account.

At least on Jobbridge you had €50 extra bringing you to €422. You'll be no better off and probably worse off as things stand.

You may l qualify for Family Income Support and look at how it will effect your medical card.

I did a bit of maths myself and it seems we'll be coming out worse off when the employment starts. We'd lose rent allowance and the reduced payment for my partner wouldn't even match what we're currently getting for rent allowance.

It's very disheartening after doing a 9 month internship and getting full time paid employment we're going to be worse off until my partner finds something. Personally I'd rather get back into the workplace but I can understand why some people are reluctant to find work.

MouseTail wrote: »

This, unless your wife might want to avail of training, jobsplus, btea or an internship herself, in which case she should have her own claim.
Congrats on the job

Yeah she is looking for work at the moment, but there might be an internship coming up in the next few months with full time employment at the end of it so she'd like to be claiming so that if she doesn't find anything in the next few months she'll be able to apply for that.

MouseTail

Can you opt for RAS if your Landlord is amenable? Dependent on timing, you may also be eligible for the new Family Dividend Payment.

G2ECE

It would appear to me that your partner may well qualify for Jobseekers Allowance, albeit at a reduced rate. You could also qualify for FIS. Try the ready reckoner. http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Ready-Reckoner.aspx