Can't get illness Benefit

pando

Hi, I need some advice please.
I have been working and have been paid on the rct for most of the last 2 years. I am taxed under the self employed system even though I am not self employed.
I recently had minor surgery and cant work, could be after xmas before I can go back. I am not entitled to illness benefit, and have no income and no money whatsoever. I have ongoing medical expenses including a daily procedure. I don't know what to do, any ideas?

Stheno

pando wrote: »

Hi, I need some advice please.
I have been working and have been paid on the rct for most of the last 2 years. I am taxed under the self employed system even though I am not self employed.
I recently had minor surgery and cant work, could be after xmas before I can go back. I am not entitled to illness benefit, and have no income and no money whatsoever. I have ongoing medical expenses including a daily procedure. I don't know what to do, any ideas?

What do you mean by you are paid on the rct?

wally1990

pando wrote: »

Hi, I need some advice please.
I have been working and have been paid on the rct for most of the last 2 years. I am taxed under the self employed system even though I am not self employed.
I recently had minor surgery and cant work, could be after xmas before I can go back. I am not entitled to illness benefit, and have no income and no money whatsoever. I have ongoing medical expenses including a daily procedure. I don't know what to do, any ideas?

I'm assuming you had no income protection at all ?

pando

wally1990 wrote: »

I'm assuming you had no income protection at all ?

I paid stamps for last year, I didn't know they didn't cover illness benefit. Do you have a helpful suggestion or are you just asking to say what I should have done but didn't?

pando

Its self employed tax system, used to be called c45.

beechwood55

Have you been in touch with your local DSP office?

pando

beechwood55 wrote: »

Have you been in touch with your local DSP office?

Yes, I can get no state help.

Avatar MIA

Stheno wrote: »

pando wrote: »

Hi, I need some advice please.
I have been working and have been paid on the rct for most of the last 2 years. I am taxed under the self employed system even though I am not self employed.
I recently had minor surgery and cant work, could be after xmas before I can go back. I am not entitled to illness benefit, and have no income and no money whatsoever. I have ongoing medical expenses including a daily procedure. I don't know what to do, any ideas?

What do you mean by you are paid on the rct?

Relevant Contract Tax, I imagine. 20% deduction at source.


Op, what do you mean you're not self employed? Was your employer dodging ER PRSI?

Avatar MIA

BTW, I don't think you can have income Protection if you are self employed.

Spanish Eyes

There must be something available to you, sorry that is not helping you much.

Surely you cannot be expected to live on fresh air. Surely the DSP will give you emergency payments or something like that.

Stheno

[ quote="Avatar MIA;105256203"]BTW, I don't think you can have income Protection if you are self employed.[/quote]

You can I have it. Rather I have a policy which pays out a certain amount per week if I am off sick for more than four weeks

Sleeper12

pando wrote:

Yes, I can get no state help.

You need to go to the welfare officer. If you have no income at all they will give you something. Even if you have been self employed. It'll be means tested so if you have a lot of savings you may not get much

pando

Sleeper12 wrote: »

You need to go to the welfare officer. If you have no income at all they will give you something. Even if you have been self employed. It'll be means tested so if you have a lot of savings you may not get much

I did, the told me I can't have anything.

Stheno

pando wrote: »

I did, the told me I can't have anything.

Dod you go to the community welfare officer or the dole office?

pando

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Relevant Contract Tax, I imagine. 20% deduction at source.


Op, what do you mean you're not self employed? Was your employer dodging ER PRSI?

Yes, I started on paye but after a month in the job he told us we had to change to rct or find another job, should have found another job but there wasn't much available at the time.

pando

Stheno wrote: »

Dod you go to the community welfare officer or the dole office?

both, the cwo was paying me €190 a week until last week, once I got the letter telling me I couldn't get illness benefit, he stopped paying me. I brought the letter into the sw office to try appeal it, they told me I couldn't appeal this case as the system is based on contributions and I didn't have the required amount.

Avatar MIA

A couple of things come to mind...

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Relevant Contract Tax, I imagine. 20% deduction at source.

pando wrote: »

I did, the told me I can't have anything.

You might be able to get some of the RCT repaid. Go into the tax office and claim you have overpaid, now that you are unemployed.

pando wrote: »

Yes, I started on paye but after a month in the job he told us we had to change to rct or find another job, should have found another job but there wasn't much available at the time.

It's not for him to make that assumption, and it's likely he is incorrect. If Revenue found this out they would reverse the status - you would then get stamps paid. Now, that obviously have its consequences, but your conscience should be clear.

pando

Avatar MIA wrote: »

You might be able to get some of the RCT repaid. Go into the tax office and claim you have overpaid, now that you are unemployed. .

No, I cant claim it back until the employer has paid it in, I have received no rct's since April so I suspect he hasn't paid the rest in yet. I can't calculate the income until I get the notification from revenue. I already asked my accountant about it. We checked on ROS and there are no notifications since April.

pando

Avatar MIA wrote: »

It's not for him to make that assumption, and it's likely he is incorrect. If Revenue found this out they would reverse the status - you would then get stamps paid. Now, that obviously have its consequences, but your conscience should be clear.

This type of action is rampant in the construction industry, there is no oversight, no regulations enforced. The relevant departments are well aware of the situation. They get hundreds of complaints every week and do nothing at all about it.

Avatar MIA

pando wrote: »

This type of action is rampant in the construction industry, there is no oversight, no regulations enforced. The relevant departments are well aware of the situation. They get hundreds of complaints every week and do nothing at all about it.

Revenue are probably the most efficient Public sector body. They can't get around to everybody, and have targeted the Construction industry. And if your "employer" hasn't paid over RCT they will come down on him very quickly.

pando

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Revenue are probably the most efficient Public sector body. They can't get around to everybody, and have targeted the Construction industry. And if your "employer" hasn't paid over RCT they will come down on him very quickly.

Believe me this is not the case. The situation has been raised with revenue continuously since 2014. If you are one of the people effected in this way, you call revenue and they tell you they are aware of it, they sympathise with you and continue to do nothing. They don't care that the RCT isn't paid every month just as long as they are up to date at the end of the tax year. You can be registered as self employed without your knowledge or consent. It has happened to thousands of construction workers since the REA was struck down a few years back. Once you are in the rct system, it takes quite awhile to get things right again regarding contributions and entitlements.

splinter65

If the CWO is refusing you SWA having means tested you then you must have produced evidence of means.
Are you living with a spouse/cohabitant?
What is their income?

igCorcaigh

pando wrote: »

Its self employed tax system, used to be called c45.

I used to work on c45 back in the '90s, getting started in software development, highly illegal, and badly paid, but had no help from official sources.

Was OP working in construction?

pando

splinter65 wrote: »

If the CWO is refusing you SWA having means tested you then you must have produced evidence of means.
Are you living with a spouse/cohabitant?
What is their income?

No, I wasn't means tested, he just cut me off after I got the letter saying I cant get illness benefit. I live alone but couldn't pay rent this month. The landlord is understanding about my position but says he can't let it continue as he has a mortgage to pay. He will have to put me out if I cant pay him something by the end of the month.

wally1990

I hate to hear this !!
'Self employed' getting screwed over In a nutshell
'Contribute' to the economy and society but left high and dry in times like this with f all the state will do to assist

C3PO

No help to the OP but I'm amazed that there is no help available anywhere for him! There must be some avenue for assistance open to him?

Stheno

wally1990 wrote: »

I hate to hear this !!
'Self employed' getting screwed over In a nutshell
'Contribute' to the economy and society but left high and dry in times like this with f all the state will do to assist

Self employed pay a massively reduced rate of or so compared to pay whose employers pay an extra 10%

Stheno

C3PO wrote: »

No help to the OP but I'm amazed that there is no help available anywhere for him! There must be some avenue for assistance open to him?

If they have a partner who is working their earnings are considered for any means test

C3PO

Stheno wrote: »

If they have a partner who is working their earnings are considered for any means test

But the OP lives alone!

Stheno

C3PO wrote: »

But the OP lives alone!

Where did I miss that?

C3PO

pando wrote: »

No, I wasn't means tested, he just cut me off after I got the letter saying I cant get illness benefit. I live alone but couldn't pay rent this month. The landlord is understanding about my position but says he can't let it continue as he has a mortgage to pay. He will have to put me out if I cant pay him something by the end of the month.

Here!

Corca Baiscinn

OP, have you talked to your local Citizens information Office? They are very experienced and should be clued in to all the ins and outs of entitlements. It can't be right that you would be left destitute due to illness/surgery. Not sure that not having paid PRSI for current year makes any difference as while you have to have contributions in the current year unless you have other credits or contributions built up as well you might not be eligible anyway. But The CWO system is meant to be there to bridge gaps

Th3B1tcH

Talk to local Citzen Advice place asap
If you pass the means test CWO must pay you SWA if no other income, some CWO's can be a pita do try deal with so try get all the advice and help before you reappoach them , your local TD might also be able help

You need get this sorted asap so you dont become homeless as result of unable pay your rent
It maybe also useful have a word with these they can help if at risk losing your home
http://www.homelessdublin.ie/at-risk-of-becoming-homeless

GL sounds like you going have a fight on your hands but its not as bad as looks you will get help

Murt10

OP, you need to go back to the CWO and tell him that you have absolutely no income and have a right to payment under the Supplementary Welfare Scheme.

Ask the CWO for the name of his Area Manager. Then tell the CWO that you want to see his AM. CWO will probably try and fob you off or not facilitate you with a meeting. Do not accept this.

Lodge a formal written complaint with the AM against the CWO for unlawfully refusing you payment in the first place.

Take your case to the Ombudsman. If one CWO is acting in such an arbitrary and unlawful manner, perhaps there are other CWO's doing the same and this illegal practice needs to be stopped.


Also have a look at this article regarding assistance (from the CWO) with your rent

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/SWA---Rent-Supplement.aspx

formula12

splinter65

formula12 wrote: »

Why the sad face ?

formula12

Sorry Splinter65 that was a mistake, i had written something for Pando and it disappeared on me.