Employment services?

John Horgan

Hi,

I was recently turned down for carers and I assume I'm being targeted due to this but i got this message soon after.

An employment services appointment has been made for you. An employment officer will contact you by phone on 11/8/21

Does anyone know what this is?

And if I'm obliged to engage since I've applied for SWA while waiting a decision on my appeal?

Dempo1

I recall your issue with carers application. Is that decision under appeal? Have you been awarded SWA in the mean time?

If yes

When you apply for any Unemployment benefit, Jobseekers and SWA it automatically triggers employment assistance services. The Department is on a mission to target anyone on new and existing Jobseeker benifits.

It's perfectly normal and you can explain the situation when your contacted however as odd as it may seem, your obligated to be seeking employment in the interim.

antix80

I left a job a few years ago.. I thought I'd take a month out and apply for JSB.. no such luck. Dragged along to a powerpoint presentation the following week, an appointment made with someone or other the week after... after that it was business as usual (sign on, collect from post office) but they "engage" you fairly quickly.

You're not being targeted. It's the way things are done now.

John Horgan

Thanks for the replies folks, well I got a call off the community welfare officer today and he confirmed my last payment of jobseekers was the 5th of August.

I explained to him I'm just worried about getting by while awaiting a decision from the appeals office in town in the meantime. H

He said I do qualify for it but I completely forgot to ask him if I will be paid on Thursday in the bank as usual

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729611#Comment_117729611

You may need to get back to them, I'm not sure if SWA is paid into bank, might need to picked up in post office 🤔

I'm curious re your JSA being paid into bank as this question has been raised before on other threads.

Has your JSA always been paid into bank or did you have to request this option?, I believed JSA/JSB are generally not paid into bank albeit I believe you can request this after a period of time and some allowances made during pandemic. Thanks and glad to hear your sorted, almost 😁

John Horgan

I requested it sometime during the pandemic actually.

I fully expected it to be back in the post office by now to be honest.

I'm sure now that I've drawn attention to myself it will be the post office in future

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729854#Comment_117729854

Thanks for clarifying, I believe once they agree to electronic payment method, they leave it at that, I thought that was what happened in your case, good to know for future ref.

I'd still just clarify re payments for SWA as in a sense you've reset the clock, let us know if it's paid into bank so we can share this useful info.

Good luck and fingers crossed re the carer's application also

John Horgan

No problem will get back on here as soon as it's sorted out. Does anyone know if the employment services they mention though is someone in Intreo or is it the L.E.S or something?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732946#Comment_117732946

Initially it will be an employment officer from the department, they'll assess etc and then determine what is suitable, Jobspath, Jobsbridge etc but hopefully they'll be mindful of your carer's appeal

John Horgan

Thanks again.. it seems extremely cheeky to me to cut someone's money off then expect them to talk to one of their employment officers.

I will just be civil though and explain the situation which I already would of expected them to be aware of

Dempo1

It is one aspect of the welfare system that seems extremely unfair, in essence the requirement you must be seeking work appears to trump every other consideration. For example, I believe if a person is on a jobseekers payment and has to ligitmately apply for a sickness, disibility allowance, benifit, their jobseekers payment ends while new illness payment being processed, some taking months to process, applicants have to essentially apply for SWA in the mean time, it seems to be a very inadequate system with many potentially falling into a poverty trap.

I understood the must be seeking work rule but surely a jobseekers payment already means tested could be reverted to a SWA payment albeit potentially less but at least avoiding additional stress and processing.

I suppose it gets a little complicated however if a jobseeker has additional allowances, say dependents etc but there must be an easier way or perhaps not.

Cherry Blossom

When I applied for DA in December 18 the case officer told me to stay on jobseekers while the claim was being processed which I did. It took 3 or 4 months and I had no problems. Maybe it’s different with other payments or the rules have changed since but it seems unreasonable to me for them to cancel the OPs jobseekers while waiting on a carers allowance appeal to be processed.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117739178#Comment_117739178

I feel the same and I think the rules have changed (not 100% sure) but they seem to be now quite zealous on this must be seeking employment clause and it seems really unfair.

John Horgan

Yea it seems to have changed alright.. The thing is I personally know people abusing the PUP working on the side and so on.

But let's crack down on those fighting for some form of payment they are entitled to instead

John Horgan

Even though the PUP payment is much higher

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117743388#Comment_117743388

Not Quite, since last September (2020) major reductions took place with regard to PUP, the HIGHEST rate of €350 pw is now only being paid to approx 12% of claimants it then goes to €300, €250 (the majority) and €203 pw. All students returning to full time education loose it on the 7th September, every one else loosing €50 pw with those on lowest rate of €203 and those on €250 reverting to JSA from the 7th September.

I do not subscribe to comparing anyone's entitlement and whilst I accept some abuses of every SW scheme, I generally stay away from commenting on same.

John Horgan

Oh I thought the cuts weren't until September this year.

I still feel like the point was valid though when comparing €350 to 203 all that time

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117746859#Comment_117746859

Apples and Oranges I'm afraid, it's important to note PUP was aimed at those who lost employment, income due to pandemic, also worth mentioning there are still sectors closed and employees can't actually return to work even sectors that have reopened have not brought full compliment of staff back. The actual must be looking for work rule also applies to PUP recepients albeit not as black and white given alot of PUP recepients actually have jobs, just can not return to them. In addition to PUP, Government still continue to pay 75% of alot of businesses payroll in wage subsidy schemes.