Lost my job and want to move in with partner

Colinoh

Hi guys, I've only ever had one job since leaving school 10 years ago and i have no idea where to go from here with regards to what I'm entitled to. I will have to wait for 9 weeks because I left for reasons I wont discuss here.
My partner and I have two children but don't live together. It is too expensive for us to live in the city where I work and I couldn't afford to commute so she lives about a 40 minute drive away with our kids where one is old enough to attend school. I was staying at my parents house and paying rent to them and helping with bills and food.
My partner is not working and gets benefits and I pay maintenance to her since we don't live together. Please not that she has never made fraudulent claims and we have always been honest when it came to social welfare payments.
Now that I am not working I want to move out and live with my Partner and kids. I have no bills for her address so will I be able to put in my application with the social welfare for her address or will I have to do it at my parents house?
Wouldn't that count as fraud if I were living there but claiming at an address here? I Don't want to get either of us into trouble with social welfare
I've tried reading through the information on the social welfare site but i find the wording very confusing.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

haveringchick

I presume your girlfriend was in receipt of OPFP. It's actually quite simple. You and she need to go to her local SW office. She is closing her OPFP claim and you are opening a claim for JSB with your girlfriend snd 2 kids as your dependents. Your family payment per week will be
€188 +
€124+
€29.80 x 2.
If SW disqualify you for 9 weeks because you left your job, then your girlfriend can claim the same amount in JSA instead.
Good luck.

Colinoh

thanks for the info
couple of questions.
what is opfp?
I assume €188 is the current weekly benefit but what are the €124 and €29.80x2?
would the 124 be my partner and the 29.80 be the two kids?

haveringchick

OPFP is lone parent payment. I presume your girlfriend is getting OPFP right now. She will lose that when you come to live with her because she will no longer be parenting alone.
Yes it's €188 for you €124 for your partner and €29.80 for each kid.

Gatling

Lone parents would literally mean a lone parent not one who partner ,father of the kids is working and living at a separate address

haveringchick

Gatling wrote: »

Lone parents would literally mean a lone parent not one who partner ,father of the kids is working and living at a separate address

No, not nenecessarily..

MayoSalmon

Gatling wrote: »

Lone parents would literally mean a lone parent not one who partner ,father of the kids is working and living at a separate address

Eh no..

Gatling

MayoSalmon wrote: »

Eh no..

Yes

haveringchick

I cant post links because im a newbie but Gatling should read the Operational Guidelines applying to the Administration of One Parent Family Payment where it is clear that qualification for the payment is not dependent on the applicant having know relationship with the other parent. The only stipulation is that they cannot be co-habiting.

MayoSalmon

Gatling wrote: »

Yes

Read the regulations before acting like you know what your talking about

Gatling

MayoSalmon wrote: »

Read the regulations before acting like you know what your talking about

Excuse me

Colinoh

Thanks for the help guys.
just curious? Why would she have to be dependant on me and not the other way around?
Is that because I was working or because the old folks that wrote the law say I'm the man of the household and she's only Aloud cook and clean?

keano25

haveringchick wrote: »

Administration of One Parent Family Payment where it is clear that qualification for the payment is not dependent on the applicant having know relationship with the other parent. The only stipulation is that they cannot be co-habiting.

Let me get this right, does this mean if Sarah has one child with John. They don't live together she gets OPFP, she then starts a new relationship with Mark and has a child, she and Mark move in together, she's entitled to still claim OPFP for Johns child but not for Marks?

eastbono

keano25 wrote: »

Let me get this right, does this mean if Sarah has one child with John. They don't live together she gets OPFP, she then starts a new relationship with Mark and has a child, she and Mark move in together, she's entitled to still claim OPFP for Johns child but not for Marks?

No once she is co-hab she cannot claim OPFP. OPFP is made up of a personal rate and child dependant rate. Once you are co-hab you cannot receive any part of the payment. It doesnt matter if the person she is co-hab with is not the father of her child.

Tasden

Colinoh wrote: »

Thanks for the help guys.
just curious? Why would she have to be dependant on me and not the other way around?
Is that because I was working or because the old folks that wrote the law say I'm the man of the household and she's only Aloud cook and clean?

The adult dependent is just the adult that is not the one claiming. The claimant is the one in receipt of the payment and the adult dependent is their partner that depends on the claimant. If that makes sense?

Whoever claims JSA has to be actively seeking work so if your partner intends to be minding the kids and not out working then its best you apply for it and she is your Qualified Adult/dependent. Although if you are disqualified for 9 weeks then you'll prob want her to apply in her name as she can claim straight away.

wench

It is also better for you to be the claimant in terms of prsi credits.
She can receive homemakers credits (while the kids are under 12), but you would be left with a gap in your record.