Dependant Adult or JSA

rsole1

I am considering moving in with my partner. He works 3 days a week and gets €285 plus €50 JSA for the other two day unemployed. Would it be best for me to go on his claim as a Dependant Adult or to make a separate claim on my own for JSA? I can't work out which would be more benficial apart from as an Dependant Adult I wouldn't have to be actively seeking work.

I would appreciate any info from anyone who undertstands my predicament.

mp22

How old is your partner, ie over or under 24.

eastbono

It wont make any difference whether you go on his claim or have your own claim as there will be a maximum payment on JSA. The advantage of being an adult dependant is that you wont have to be looking for work.

rsole1

mp22 wrote: »

How old is your partner, ie over or under 24.

over 24

rsole1

eastbono wrote: »

It wont make any difference whether you go on his claim or have your own claim as there will be a maximum payment on JSA. The advantage of being an adult dependant is that you wont have to be looking for work.

Thanks that's the way I'm thinking.

emg74

If you are looking for work, it may be better to have your own claim - it may keep you in the PRSI system with credited contributions (if you are coming from a Jobseekers Benefit claim) which are important for the future - contributory pensions etc

Also having your own claim, may give you access to schemes (Community Employment, Tus etc) that you may not have access to as a dependant. Also access to training schemes - Solas, BTEA

Some of these things as accessable to dependants but some are not.

Just something to think about

eastbono

With regard to adding to your contributions...if you are currently receiving credited contributions on you jsa claim then if you want to go on your partners claim you can open a contribution only claim..you wont receive any money but credited contributions will be added each week... you will still have to be available and looking for full time work with a contributions claim and you can also go on jobbridge and receive the €50pw payment for jobbridge participation.

ShaShaBear

Just a heads up, when I moved in with my partner and went onto his claim as an adult dependent, we lost our entitlement to fuel allowance as my OH had not been claiming long enough and I no longer existed on the system. I am also not entitled to do any JobBridge schemes as I am no longer a claimant. This was never mentioned to us at the time.

eastbono

Shashabear... if you were entitled to you could have opened a credits claim and you would have been entitled to do jobbridge and get the extra €50 pw. Just to clarify in relation to fuel allowance you as a couple didnt lose your entitlement to fuel allowance... you as a stand alone claim lost your entitlement to fuel allowance... your partner wasnt claiming long enough to be entitled to fuel allowance. You could have continued to keep your claim open and have added your partner to your claim and have continued to receive fuel allowance... that is presuming your were still available and looking for full time work.

Help!!!!

How do you apply for the fuel allowance? Do you automatically get it when your 15months on JSA?

eastbono

You would normally receive an application form in the post for fuel allowance. You have to be in payment 390 days to receive it. Fuel allowance should start again in October. Call in to you sw office and get an application form.

ShaShaBear

eastbono wrote: »

Shashabear... if you were entitled to you could have opened a credits claim and you would have been entitled to do jobbridge and get the extra €50 pw. Just to clarify in relation to fuel allowance you as a couple didnt lose your entitlement to fuel allowance... you as a stand alone claim lost your entitlement to fuel allowance... your partner wasnt claiming long enough to be entitled to fuel allowance. You could have continued to keep your claim open and have added your partner to your claim and have continued to receive fuel allowance... that is presuming your were still available and looking for full time work.

No, I know we as a couple didn't. I was entitled to it but because I became his dependent on the claim, I lost that entitlement. When we went in to apply as a couple, they didn't tell us about losing entitlements that I had achieved from being on a social welfare payment, they simply said that going as a dependent was easier as it was the one payment rather than us both having to sign on and lift our money separately. I was in college for four years so no entitlements to a credits claim, so I literally lost all entitlements. Hence why I was warning the OP that separate claims are definitely worth considering - once you become a dependent on a claim, they literally wash their hands of you.