To sub or stay on the Pandemic Dole ???

pythonfoot · 25-08-2020 09:11AM #1

Been on the Pandemic Unemployment payment since March/ April. Before that I was casually subbing but not earning the 350 a week. Some weeks I might earn a decent amount, however the reliability of the 350 a week has been much neeeded.

Applied for jobs over summer but have not got as post as of yet. I know that subbing and substitution hours will arise over coming weeks and months but i am worried that it may not be as reliable as my 350.

Anybody else in a similar pickle?

To sub and live on that gig economy Of sorts or stay on a reliable amount of unemployment benefit a week?

Thanks for any advice here

Postgrad10 · 25-08-2020 09:27AM

I think eventually you’ll be making more than 350 if you go subbing which should incentivise you and I’m sure the Deasp is soon going to require proof as to why you are not back at some schools.

rainbowtrout · 25-08-2020 09:57AM

pythonfoot wrote: »

Been on the Pandemic Unemployment payment since March/ April. Before that I was casually subbing but not earning the 350 a week. Some weeks I might earn a decent amount, however the reliability of the 350 a week has been much neeeded.

Applied for jobs over summer but have not got as post as of yet. I know that subbing and substitution hours will arise over coming weeks and months but i am worried that it may not be as reliable as my 350.

Anybody else in a similar pickle?

To sub and live on that gig economy Of sorts or stay on a reliable amount of unemployment benefit a week?

Thanks for any advice here

If you don't go looking for subbing then what is the long term plan? I don't envy you your position, but you can't get a teaching job unless you start subbing, if you don't get a contract in the coming weeks.

pythonfoot · 25-08-2020 10:16AM

Thanks for the advice. I can offer you some more detail on my predicament ...

From next week on I imagine I will be picking up some subbing hours. Now those hours are all fine and dandy when it is paid from the Dept of Education. However whenever I have got paid from the schools coffers as opposed to the Dept it has been a lesser or as I call it ****e rate of e19.98. So there have been occasions in the past where I may be doing the same job , taking care do someone’s class, but if their leave wasn’t certified or they were away on school business I would get 19 quid an hour and not the 39.99 an hour if it was Dept paid.

As I am now qualified and on the pre 2011 scale regarding casual subbing rate I will go from 39.99 to 45 euro. This is great but I fear that the work I may pick up will be paid from the school’s budget. So I will get the lesser rate on more occasions than I would like .

Was it a case that as I was unqualified I was only entitled to that rate but now that I am qualified the school will have to pay me more ? I’d rather not return to work ( i have debts to pay) if the work I gain will be largely school coffers paid ( and therefore lesser pay) rather than Dept. I would stand to earn more on dole as it is now.

In the meantime I am applying for full time teaching posts.

Just seeing what you would think about the above.

rainbowtrout · 25-08-2020 10:23AM

I'm a little confused, but I must admit I'm a textbook teacher case in that I got a permanent job straight out of college many moons ago so I've never needed to sub. I would have thought you would be paid the Dept rate for subbing work if you are qualified. Someone may correct me on this.

I notice you say you are on the pre 2011 pay scale, I presume you registered with the Teaching Council at some point in the past because you had worked in a VEC school without the dip. More importantly are you in the new or old pension scheme? Old pension scheme is far more valuable than new one so if you are in it, you need to have worked in the last 26 weeks to stay in it or you get kicked into new scheme. Given that schools closed on March 12th, you would have to do subbing in early September to make it count. That might make subbing more valuable as a long term prospect if you see your long term future in teaching.

There will possibly be more contract work coming up in the next few weeks if teachers do retire at the start of October as predicted.

antimatterx · 25-08-2020 10:24AM

Taking the sub roles will provide career advancement. You going to do nothing to hep yourself on the PUP. Take the work.

pythonfoot · 25-08-2020 11:01AM

antimatterx wrote: »

Taking the sub roles will provide career advancement. You going to do nothing to hep yourself on the PUP. Take the work.

A sub role where they pay me 19 euro an hour though.

pythonfoot · 25-08-2020 11:05AM

I would have thought you would be paid the Dept rate for subbing work if you are qualified. Someone may correct me on this.

I was not qualified until July. Just completed my PME. Prior to this i had been working as a casual sub since 2008. Getting 39.99 for my casual unqualified work. On occasions I would be asked to work covering classes but the work was not paid from the dept of education as it was a teacher away on in house business like a school trip. In this situation they pay me 19 euro an hour.
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ulsen · 25-08-2020 11:43AM

If your on the pre 2011 payscale and pension scheme be careful you don't move into the new pension scheme. Your need to sub 1 day in every 26weeks for this not to happen.

pythonfoot · 25-08-2020 11:54AM

Ok thanks for that

pythonfoot · 25-08-2020 12:50PM

Thanks for all the replies folks. I will decide on what do with a more informed mindset. Thanks

am_zarathustra · 25-08-2020 01:06PM

A lot depends where you are. If you are in an urban area there will be a rake of subbing available and you will have no problem making over 350. If you are in an area overloaded with teachers and most of the schools in the area have multiple teachers on 12 hours in the school fighting for extra then it's less guaranteed.

Private pay won't keep you on the old pension either. I've ben paid privately (for extra on top of my 21, 20) but always at department rate, I wouldn't do it otherwise.

I subbed for a few years in a city and it built up a lot of contacts. I got other jobs out of it. I might have done 4 weeks in a school and the principal would know someone looking to cover 5 months of a maternity and put a good word in. That's added value too. Honestly it builds your reputation in an area too, people come looking the next year if they have a vacancy and you did a good job.

To sub or stay on the Pandemic Dole ???

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