Medical Card and too low an income

Howlin

Hi all,

I am currently unemployed and while I search for a job I am getting Job Seekers Allowance. I had a medical card as I was eligible as I was doing an internship.
My only income is €144 a week and I am not living at home but in a rented accommodation. When I sent back in the documents showing I am only receiving €144 a week, it says I am not eligible for a medical card as I am not earning enough. I was told that I have to be earning more than €164 before I could be eligible for one. When I rang up and asked they said "I am still below the guidelines", "as not being a dependent then you have to be on an income of 164", "you would have to be on the 164 then or higher to be eligible for then, on your own as a single person living on your own" and "unless you got a little part time job or something that could bring it up a couple of euro ....... if you do get it [a part time job] you could be eligible then alright you no you would be over the guideline"

I am looking for work either full or part time but no luck yet. Can anyone confirm if this has happened to them and if there is anyway of getting the medical card while I try find a job?

Thanks in advance,

Regards,
Stephen

tanit

The only reason in your situation to refuse you the medical card is that they are considering you still financially dependant on your parents in which case you are either under their medical insurance or covered by their medical card.

Check with them to see if that is the problem. It could be that you appear as still living with your parents or registered in that address and that is the reason for the refusal.

"People aged 16–25, including students, who are financially independent of their parents may be entitled to a medical card if they pass the means test. If they are financially dependent on their parents they are normally only entitled to a medical card if their parents have one."

From the Citizen's Information Office

Howlin

The original one was based from when I was at home but then I rang up and asked that I have recently moved out and living on my own. I was told I would still be ineligible for one. The quotes from my op, were direct quotes from the conversation I was having with the woman on the phone from the medical card helpline number.

tanit

Howlin wrote: »

The original one was based from when I was at home but then I rang up and asked that I have recently moved out and living on my own. I was told I would still be ineligible for one. The quotes from my op, were direct quotes from the conversation I was having with the woman on the phone from the medical card helpline number.

By the rates you gave in your message I guess you are under 25. The 164 limit is the maximum means you can have if living with family. It's not a minimum limit it's a maximun and I can't find anything in the guidelines regarding a minimum limit of income. There are only maximum limits of income.

If you are living on your own and can provide proof of that via rent allowance entitlements or bills on your name for the apartment/house (electricity for example) that should be enough to proof you are no longer living with your family and do not depend on them.

And again I can't find any information about minimum limits of income and it makes no sense. I recommend you to call again and request in written form their refusal. If they are still refusing to renew go to the Citizen's Information Centres and ask for help there you should be entitle to it and looking at the documents refusing your application they might be able to help you with this. You should definitely be entitled to it if you have no other income and are living on your own.

Howlin

I have recently turned 25.

I have listen to the conversation I quoted above a few times and it appears even when I mention that I have moved out of my family home and my parents are not financially funding me, I still am ineligible for one.

From what I understand from listening to the phone calls due to earning less than €164 a week, I am class as a dependent and would come under my parents income, no matter if I am living at home or away from home and on my own.


I will go to my local the Citizen's Information Centre on Monday when they open to query it.


I am posting the question here to see if anyone else who applied for a medical card was in the same situation as me and what their outcome was.

Thanks for you help so far

wokingvoter

As far as medical cards are concerned you cannot be out living independently on €164 per week
You must have another source of income.

Howlin

wokingvoter wrote: »

As far as medical cards are concerned you cannot be out living independently on €164 per week
You must have another source of income.

Even if I can prove that I do not have any other income other than the social welfare and can live independently on less than €164 a week?

Kristopherus

Op, now that you're over 25, can you get the correct rate of jsa appropriate for that age?

Gatling

Kristopherus wrote: »

Op, now that you're over 25, can you get the correct rate of jsa appropriate for that age?

It's 26 to get the higher rate (if I'm correct )

Howlin

Kristopherus wrote: »

Op, now that you're over 25, can you get the correct rate of jsa appropriate for that age?

Nope I can't as they have changed the full rate of €188 to those who are 26. Those who are 25 still only get €144. It was changed when those between 18 and 24 could only claim €100 a week.

There is a link to the rates of pay: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Jobseekers-supports.aspx

Howlin

Looking over the Medical Card/G.P. Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines document on page 19 section 4.5.1 Financially Independent it says:
Applicants aged 16 – 25 years, including students, who are deemed to be financially independent are:
- People who are in receipt of income equivalent to or greater than the current
Medical Card Income Guideline for a single person, living with family.


This seems to show that for me to be financially independent as a single person, I have to be earning the same as or greater than the income guidelines for a single person, living with family.

Page 34 shows a table of the General Medical Card/GP Visit Card Guidelines for Single person living with family. It says for a single person living with family aged up to 65 years, the weekly rate has to be €164.00.


It now appears to be a closed case, even if you are living on your own and have an income of €144, you are not deemed financially independent in the eyes of the medical card program.


I will go to the Citizen's Information Center on Monday to confirm I am reading and understanding this correctly and will report back on any information I will receive.

wokingvoter

Howlin wrote: »

Even if I can prove that I do not have any other income other than the social welfare and can live independently on less than €164 a week?

In SW terms, the law says that the minimum income of a person living independently cannot drop below €186 per week.
Your income from SW is €144.
Ergo, you are not living independently.
Medical Cards is very strictly means tested
Simply put if your only income is €144 and you claim to be paying rent and utilities and feeding and warming yourself on €144, well that just doesn't make sense and you have to admit it does seem impossible
As others said if you had even a part time job and could show a rent book etc then you would probably qualify

Howlin

wokingvoter wrote: »

Simply put if your only income is €144 and you claim to be paying rent and utilities and feeding and warming yourself on €144, well that just doesn't make sense and you have to admit it does seem impossible
As others said if you had even a part time job and could show a rent book etc then you would probably qualify

My rent currently is 56.25 a week. I get €144 a week from SW, that means I have 87.75 a week to live off. Utilities have been approximately, 15ish a week. That leaves 72.75 a week.
I shop around and I know where to get the food I want for the cheapest price. I rarely buy food out and I always make my own. So far this year, my average weekly food bill has been 37.53.

All of this results in saving approximately €35 a week.

I am careful with my money so it is not impossible for me to live off €144 a week.

Also I am trying to find work but I can't find any at the moment.