On Jobseekers but start a job that doesn’t pay for a month

Flipdish

Hi,

I’m in a situation where I found a job which starts in a few days.I’m currently on job seekers but unfortunately the salary for the job is paid after 4 weeks. I really need the money just to keep me tied over until the first payment at the start of January, so I was wondering would it be ok to keep claiming and then pay the welfare office back when I get my wages or would I be in big trouble for not notifying welfare about my work situation.I can’t get a loan from a bank or the credit union.

Thanks.

yenom

The Community Welfare Officer can pay you. They'll want to see your bank statement and proof of starting work. Don't keep claiming.

cursai

Aren't the welfare officers notoriously difficult to get money from?

endofrainbow

Flipdish wrote: »

Hi,

I’m in a situation where I found a job which starts in a few days.I’m currently on job seekers but unfortunately the salary for the job is paid after 4 weeks. I really need the money just to keep me tied over until the first payment at the start of January, so I was wondering would it be ok to keep claiming and then pay the welfare office back when I get my wages or would I be in big trouble for not notifying welfare about my work situation.I can’t get a loan from a bank or the credit union.

Thanks.

That would be fraud.

Flipdish

yenom wrote: »

The Community Welfare Officer can pay you. They'll want to see your bank statement and proof of starting work. Don't keep claiming.

Thanks for the information.Really appreciate it.

Flipdish

cursai wrote: »

Aren't the welfare officers notoriously difficult to get money from?

That would be a big worry

Flipdish

endofrainbow wrote: »

That would be fraud.

Is it not swings and roundabouts?.By that I mean I would be paying it back at the end of the month when I get my wage.I have no other source of income.I’m not going to be paid a weekly wage.
Let’s call a spade a spade here, there are a lot of people on welfare who do nixers on the side.
Is that worse then what I’m asking?.

endofrainbow

Flipdish wrote: »

Is it not swings and roundabouts?.By that I mean I would be paying it back at the end of the month when I get my wage.I have no other source of income.I’m not going to be paid a weekly wage.
Let’s call a spade a spade here, there are a lot of people on welfare who do nixers on the side.
Is that worse then what I’m asking?.

You can dress it up however you like - it's still defrauding the system. Those doing nixers are also defrauding the system.

Hercule Poirot

You are much better off informing them and they will assist you with some form of payment until you actually receive your first paycheck - continuing to claim while in employment is fraudulent however it's dressed up

LegacyUser

I'm going to advise you based on having just gone through the same thing for the 2nd time.

Keep claiming until you get paid and then inform the dept of your work start date. They will then issue a statement to say what amount you were overpaid, and then you can work out a payment plan (or pay in lump sum) by direct debit.

It's not fraud, as I was literally told to do this by an employee of the department, because the system just doesn't have a proper modern transitioning to work procedure for jobseekers who enter into monthly paid jobs.

I don't why people would trawl the benefits forum to point fingers or offer inaccurate advice, but that's dole bashing boards for you. Being overpaid is not fraud, it just means you have to pay back what you were not entitled to. You'll find it's usually those who were never in the position of having to claim who are quick to accuse you of something without knowing at all what they are on about.

I wouldn't go near a Community Welfare officer or sign off til I was paid as there will be delays and such.

I got a job a few months ago after being out of work the better part of the last 2 years. The job paid monthly and I missed the payroll deadline for the month I started in. I don't know many working people who could go 6 weeks without any income, let alone someone who hasnt had work for a while and has barely any savings, who also had to (in my case) purchase new dress shoes and belt, trousers and shirts suitable or business wear, and pay for commuting also. But that's what I was going to have to if I didn't keep claiming.

I've been on to the department since and I have gotten a letter about the overpayment. No one on the phone or the letter mentioned the word fraud.

mystic

Apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance. The category is pending wages. You can receive this for up to 30 days while you're waiting to be paid. You'll need confirmation from your employer. This does NOT have to be paid back when you get paid from your job.
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/36e514-supplementary-welfare-allowance/#what-the-basic-supplementary-welfare-allowance-is
If you start work and don't tell DSP they'll find out when your employer registers your employment with Revenue and a Commencement of Employment form (COE1) is sent to you and will be on the DSP system. You'll have an overpayment assessed against you which you'll have to pay back.
So the best option is to apply for SWA.

Flipdish

mystic wrote: »

Apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance. The category is pending wages. You can receive this for up to 30 days while you're waiting to be paid. You'll need confirmation from your employer. This does NOT have to be paid back when you get paid from your job.

If you start work and don't tell DSP they'll find out when your employer registers your employment with Revenue and a Commencement of Employment form (COE1) is sent to you and will be on the DSP system. You'll have an overpayment assessed against you which you'll have to pay back.
So the best option is to apply for SWA.

That’s fantastic information.Thanks very much 😊.
Do you know how long the process for supplementary allowance takes to go through?.
If it’s a couple weeks, then I think it would be appalling to have that kind of system in place for those who genuinely want to exit from the Job Seekers Allowance system.
When you say “confirmation from your employer”,is it good enough to send the welfare office the email correspondence between myself and my employer of when I’m starting the job or does my employer have to write me a letter to give to the welfare office stating I’m employed by him?.
How sure are you that one doesn’t have to pay that back as I surely would have thought I would have to.

mystic

Flipdish wrote: »

That’s fantastic information.Thanks very much 😊.
Do you know how long the process for supplementary allowance takes to go through?.
If it’s a couple weeks, then I think it would be appalling to have that kind of system in place for those who genuinely want to exit from the Job Seekers Allowance system.
When you say “confirmation from your employer”,is it good enough to send the welfare office the email correspondence between myself and my employer of when I’m starting the job or does my employer have to write me a letter to give to the welfare office stating I’m employed by him?.
How sure are you that one doesn’t have to pay that back as I surely would have thought I would have to.

Here's the procedure:
Email your local Intreo centre. Details available here. https://www.gov.ie/en/directory/category/e1f4b5-intreo-offices/ and https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/28b9b5-list-of-offices-administering-supplementary-welfare-allowance-swa-in-dublin/
Explain the situation about your upcoming job and the need to apply for SWA. Mark it for the attention of Community Welfare Services.
CWS staff may telephone you or you may be asked to go into the office. It depends on your location.
Make sure you have bank statements and proof you won't be paid for a few weeks. If your contract states the payment dates that may be ok.
SWA can be paid immediately. The whole point of SWA is that it's an emergency payment to tide a person over in certain situations.
In my experience it doesn't have to be paid back. But it's probably best to check yourself.
Here's a link to the application form.
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/36e514-supplementary-welfare-allowance/#apply
Hope this helps

fantaiscool

Flipdish wrote: »

Hi,

I’m in a situation where I found a job which starts in a few days.I’m currently on job seekers but unfortunately the salary for the job is paid after 4 weeks. I really need the money just to keep me tied over until the first payment at the start of January, so I was wondering would it be ok to keep claiming and then pay the welfare office back when I get my wages or would I be in big trouble for not notifying welfare about my work situation.I can’t get a loan from a bank or the credit union.

Thanks.

Unless you're getting paid cash in hand, don't do it. The revenue system and SW system is cross linked and programmed to automatically flag up people who are working and claiming at the same time.

dartboardio

Quite simple really - you only sign off once you get your first paycheck.