Social Welfare HELP!!

Jessica77

Hi, I'm in a bit of a sticky situation. I'm 5 months pregnant and diagnosed with low-laying placenta therefor I am unable to work , no entitled to Illness Benefit. Myself and my partner are in a complicated relationship and not always I can depend on him. I have been without income for the last 4 weeks and it's very tough. I went to the Community Social Worker but she refused to help as my partner has a full time job, and I tried explaining that I don't get money of him, she just smiled and told me there is nothing she can do. Is that really true ?? Am I really not entitled to anything ?? Please can someone help me, with all the information they have. And thank you in advance.

wmpdd3

How are you not entitled to illness benefit, do you have very little stamps/ PRSI contributions?

Please take this the way I mean it, but maybe a call to a woman's refuge would help as this issue comes up alot.

Stheno

Do you live with your partner?

Jessica77

wmpdd3 wrote: »

How are you not entitled to illness benefit, do you have very little stamps/ PRSI contributions?

I have been working somewhere for 2 years and was convinced I was registered but towards the end of that job I found out that in fact I was not registered. And in my current job I'm here a year and a half, so that's why I don't have enough.

Jessica77

Stheno wrote: »

Do you live with your partner?

Yes, I do.

Kristopherus

Jessica77 wrote: »

wmpdd3 wrote: »

How are you not entitled to illness benefit, do you have very little stamps/ PRSI contributions?

I have been working somewhere for 2 years and was convinced I was registered but towards the end of that job I found out that in fact I was not registered. And in my current job I'm here a year and a half, so that's why I don't have enough.

Well, you should get on to Welfare and enquire from them how many contributions you have paiid in total up to end of 2013. AFAIK 2013 is the "Relevant Year" for calculating Welfare entitlements. If Welfare confirm that you have no PRSI contributions for 2011/12/13, then you should tell them that you were working for X company during that time. Welfare take a very serious view of Employers not deducting/paying PRSI. They will most likely investigate your previous employer and hopefully you will have your PRSI record regularised.

Jessica77

Kristopherus wrote: »

Jessica77 wrote: »

Well, you should get on to Welfare and enquire from them how many contributions you have paiid in total up to end of 2013. AFAIK 2013 is the "Relevant Year" for calculating Welfare entitlements. If Welfare confirm that you have no PRSI contributions for 2011/12/13, then you should tell them that you were working for X company during that time. Welfare take a very serious view of Employers not deducting/paying PRSI. They will most likely investigate your previous employer and hopefully you will have your PRSI record regularised.

I did this last week. I explained the situation and reported the company, but still nothing I'm just waiting around. So that's why my question is that , is there anything else that I might be entitled to except the Illness Benefit.

Stheno

If you live with your partner you are jointly assessed on his earnings for most other social payments

haveringchick

If you are in a "complicated" relationship with the father of your child SW cannot sort out your personal life.
It's entirely your choice to continue living with a man who has fathered your child but clearly doesn't want to feed you or his unborn child.
We are adults and must tmake responsibility for the choices that we make.
Your not eligible for Benefit because you don't have enough PRSI contributions paid.
Your not eligible for Allowance because your partner has a job and should be supporting you as you would presumably support him were he unfit for work.
You should take this info on board and decide what's best for you and baby taking this into consideration.

Tordelback

It's a crappy situation to be in, but the only reason you aren't entitled to any JS Allowance is because your household income (or assets) is assessed as being too high (over 300 a week, or whatever the current figure is, I forget).

Where did this information come from? Did you give your partner's income on your form, even though you are not sharing bills? If you really aren't able to share your partner's income (and what a piece of work he must be if you're not), then sadly you need to move out or you will be rightly stuck: the State assumes your partner is a decent human being, you may know better.

Jessica77

Thanks everyone for the help. I gotta do whatever is best for me and my baby. I might aswell be a single mum at least I will get more help that way. Anyways, thank you all so much.