Question about signing off Jobseekers Benefit for 6 months

tomhenryford

I'm asking on behalf of someone who isn't good on a computer, I've done some research for them myself but I don't want to give them any wrong information.

The person in question lost their job last July and was entitled to 9 months of JB. This is due to end mid April of this year. They have been offered a job for 6 months (maternity cover) starting next Saturday the 21st of February. The job is 4 full days per week so they won't be continuing to claim any part of their JB and will be signing off. That leaves roughly about 8 weeks of their JB unclaimed.

1) Can this 8 weeks remaining be claimed when the job ends in 6 months and

2) Will the 6 months of work contribute anything in terms of 'stamps' if they needed to make a new claim for JB.

The person thought that if they worked for 6 months that this would extend their claim for 6 months because the DSP told them if they took up an internship place that it would suspend their claim for that period and that they could pick up where they left off but I don't think it works like that in terms of actual paid employment.

Any help would be much appreciated, thank you.

mp22

Re-qualifying for Jobseeker's Benefit

You can re-qualify for JB if:

• You have used up your full JB entitlement (either 9 or 6 months) and
• You have paid 13 PRSI contributions for at least 13 weeks (these contributions can be counted only after you have claimed at least 156 days (6 months) of JB)

However if you are working and claiming JB (systematic short-time workers and part-time workers) you cannot simply continue your JB claim when it is exhausted since you must have suffered a substantial loss of employment to re-qualify for JB, (unless you are a casual worker).



From here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/jobseekers_benefit.html

tomhenryford

mp22 wrote: »

Re-qualifying for Jobseeker's Benefit

You can re-qualify for JB if:

• You have used up your full JB entitlement (either 9 or 6 months) and
• You have paid 13 PRSI contributions for at least 13 weeks (these contributions can be counted only after you have claimed at least 156 days (6 months) of JB)

However if you are working and claiming JB (systematic short-time workers and part-time workers) you cannot simply continue your JB claim when it is exhausted since you must have suffered a substantial loss of employment to re-qualify for JB, (unless you are a casual worker).



From here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/jobseekers_benefit.html

Thanks I had read through citizens information yesterday. This might sound like a stupid question but when they say 13 prsi contributions how does that fair when you're paid monthly versus weekly - does it take longer to build them up.

Arbiter of Good Taste

tomhenryford wrote: »

Thanks I had read through citizens information yesterday. This might sound like a stupid question but when they say 13 prsi contributions how does that fair when you're paid monthly versus weekly - does it take longer to build them up.

PRSI contributions, I presume, are always on a weekly basis. If you have a monthly payslip it will either refer to 4 or 5 insurable weeks. So it shouldn't make a difference