Free Travel Pass question

artvanderlay

Hi,

I have a free travel pass (the newer one, on the public services card), because I was acting as a carer for my wife who has mental health problems, and I was in receipt of half-rate carers allowance. We are currently broken up (wife is back in hospital and won't talk to me), and I am switching from carers to jobseekers allowance. My question is will they take away my free travel? I know I am no longer entitled to use it given that I am no longer a carer, but it would be handy to have, even for a short period, while I am getting myself set up...I'm in a very bad spot at the moment and need all the help I can get.

thanks.

TheQuietFella

Bus Eireann is in a bad spot at the moment also!

infogiver

artvanderlay wrote: »

Hi,

I have a free travel pass (the newer one, on the public services card), because I was acting as a carer for my wife who has mental health problems, and I was in receipt of half-rate carers allowance. We are currently broken up (wife is back in hospital and won't talk to me), and I am switching from carers to jobseekers allowance. My question is will they take away my free travel? I know I am no longer entitled to use it given that I am no longer a carer, but it would be handy to have, even for a short period, while I am getting myself set up...I'm in a very bad spot at the moment and need all the help I can get.

thanks.

if your wife is in hospital then you were entitled to continue getting carers allowance for her for 12 weeks, and would keep the free travel during that period.
But if you've surrendered your carers allowance already on the grounds that you don't want to be considered as caring for her and are looking for and available for full time work, and you've applied for jobseekers then, no, your not entitled to free travel and shouldn't try to use the free travel at all.

artvanderlay

infogiver wrote: »

artvanderlay wrote: »

Hi,

I have a free travel pass (the newer one, on the public services card), because I was acting as a carer for my wife who has mental health problems, and I was in receipt of half-rate carers allowance. We are currently broken up (wife is back in hospital and won't talk to me), and I am switching from carers to jobseekers allowance. My question is will they take away my free travel? I know I am no longer entitled to use it given that I am no longer a carer, but it would be handy to have, even for a short period, while I am getting myself set up...I'm in a very bad spot at the moment and need all the help I can get.

thanks.

if your wife is in hospital then you were entitled to continue getting carers allowance for her for 12 weeks, and would keep the free travel during that period.
But if you've surrendered your carers allowance already on the grounds that you don't want to be considered as caring for her and are looking for and available for full time work, and you've applied for jobseekers then, no, your not entitled to free travel and shouldn't try to use the free travel at all.

thanks for replying. Well I haven't actually applied for jobseekers yet...I am getting half-rate carers (€102 per week), but if I was on Jobseekers I would get €188. She was getting a disability allowance dependent payment for me, but she cut that off a few weeks back...she has mental health issues and usually turns against me when she is unwell, and sabotages things. I've kind of had enough of it all now, and I'm moving on. She has been in hospital for the past 3 weeks, so I'm well under the 12 weeks you stated....it should give me enough time to get settled in my own life.

infogiver

artvanderlay wrote: »

thanks for replying. Well I haven't actually applied for jobseekers yet...I am getting half-rate carers (€102 per week), but if I was on Jobseekers I would get €188. She was getting a disability allowance dependent payment for me, but she cut that off a few weeks back...she has mental health issues and usually turns against me when she is unwell, and sabotages things. I've kind of had enough of it all now, and I'm moving on. She has been in hospital for the past 3 weeks, so I'm well under the 12 weeks you stated....it should give me enough time to get settled in my own life.

Your better off on JSA then. Best of luck.