FIS Disallowed

shazah

FIS Disallowed
Hi. Im hoping I can get some help here. I am training to be an accountant and I am on a trainee rate of pay which is below minimum wage. I have one child and I applied for FIS, got called to meet an inspector and a month later got a letter refusing FIS.

They are saying I am not entitled to FIS as I am training.

Does anyone know anything about this?

Is there anything else I could get as I cannot live on what I am getting paid.

DanDublin1982

Not fully familiar with the ins and outs of FIS but that doesn't seem right to me...

Are you "in training" under another Social Welfare scheme of some type? Jobridge or something similar?

shazah

Im going to start training with CPA, to be a fully qualified accountant. I done jobbridge for 9 months with this same accountant and then he kept me on and offered me a Training Contract when the 9 months was up.

DanDublin1982

shazah wrote: »

Im going to start training with CPA, to be a fully qualified accountant. I done jobbridge for 9 months with this same accountant and then he kept me on and offered me a Training Contract when the 9 months was up.

So were you on Jobridge when you applied? That could be the problem? If not I'm stumped but suggest you follow up with them directly.

myshirt

That is completely and utterly wrong.
A number of lads that trained with me all had FIS throughout, no issue. And additionally, one lad in the firm now who still gets it. Even have a solicitor friend who had his FIS renewed 4 weeks before he moved onto a €50k salary and they wouldn't take it back until his next review date!

And as you know, solicitors do full time education placements. Accountants however work full time, attend courses in own time, and take exams outside that.
You are working, earnings your stripes, in the early part of your career. That is it. You are not on a training course.

Absolutely 1 million percent challenge that, and challenge it robustly. I just want to post to offer a case of precedent for you. Best wishes. I am going to get a strong whiskey before I post something that gets me banned. I actually cannot believe it.

Francescoli

myshirt wrote: »

That is completely and utterly wrong.
A number of lads that trained with me all had FIS throughout, no issue. And additionally, one lad in the firm now who still gets it. Even have a solicitor friend who had his FIS renewed 4 weeks before he moved onto a €50k salary and they wouldn't take it back until his next review date!

And as you know, solicitors do full time education placements. Accountants however work full time, attend courses in own time, and take exams outside that.
You are working, earnings your stripes, in the early part of your career. That is it. You are not on a training course.

Absolutely 1 million percent challenge that, and challenge it robustly. I just want to post to offer a case of precedent for you. Best wishes. I am going to get a strong whiskey before I post something that gets me banned. I actually cannot believe it.

IF OP was on jobbridge when they applied or still had the UA/jobbridge claim open they would be refused.

anyone who goes into education placements during the time they are on FIS isn't entitled to receive it for that period of time and should have contacted DSP to tell them.

Depending on the training course they may not be entitled to FIS just because you are working and training doesn't mean you automatically get FIS.

myshirt

I agree with you Frances. That was my view also, though the chap was paid throughout the entire time he was out on his training course. I believe that was an error, but there you go, not allowed say any more on this forum as it is against charter.

In respect of the op here, they are in accountancy which is quite different, they will work full time throughout their period of training. In terms of training as one might normally understand it, there is none. It is training in name only, established by custom and practice, Essentially you are just in the early part of your career, low paid, working full time and earning your stripes. It is not a profession subject to collective bargaining agreements or statutory apprenticeship schemes. It is a job. An incredibly badly paid job. It fully meets the conditions for FIS.

mystic

The decision is correct if you applied for FIS when you were on JobBridge.

You can ask for the decision to be reviewed or can appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. A word of warning, when a FIS decision is appealed it isn't registered as an appeal until a 'clarifying' letter is sent to you from the FIS Section. A lot of people are under the impression that their appeal is over when this 'clarifying' letter stating the original decision stands is received. However, the Social Welfare Appeals Office should be contacted again and the appeal will be formally registered and go through the appeals process.

shazah

DanDublin1982 wrote: »

So were you on Jobridge when you applied? That could be the problem? If not I'm stumped but suggest you follow up with them directly.

I was finished jobbridge and signed off when i applied.

wmpdd3

Did you ring them? Sometimes you can be lucky and get through to someone who will go through it with you. It could just be one answer that you gave, like are you a student or registered with an institution.

Ring them and ask them to go through it completely with you.

Then appeal, as then if you are right, you will get back dated.

shazah

Thanks for all the advice and replies. I have been in touch with the FIS Section and the Social Welfare Inspector and there is a review and possibly an appeal. They know the full story that I am going to be doing CPA. All I can do now is hope for the best and keep the fingers crossed that it will all work out and it will get backdated. I could really do with it at this stage.