Taking the dole instead of a job....

ssbob wrote: »

Hi EarlERizer, I do not doubt your situation for a moment but just a few points based on your situation:

1. If you are maintaining 2 children then you should be entitled to roughly €29 per child extra a week on job seekers.
2. If you are maintaining your wife even though seperated you should also be entitled to something in that regard.
3. If you are paying a mortgage then you should be entitled to a mortgage interest supplement, have you applied for this?

Can you let me know if you meet any of the above criteria because if so you need to speak to your social welfare officer again explaining your entitlements!

Hi ssbob, I can tell you I meet all 3 points, I have been uneployed 12 months now, back in May/June of last year I spoke with the DoSW and filled out all nessacery paperwork (or rather all paperwork they gave me to fill out) I explained in detail my position as it wasn't as clear cut as in how the paperwork was laid out.

Basically, I'm a 38 yr old seperated from my ex & 2 kids (1 is 3yr old,the other 10),I'm currently 'living' on an airbed in the spare room at my parents house as 1.I cant afford a place of my own & 2.I've no where else to go. I don't pay maintenance as such (not a court ordered payment) however,I pay the mortgage and my ex pays all other bills relating to the household (shopping,gas,esb,ntl,waste,etc) this we agreed between ourselves prior to my redundancy.
The DoSW say that it's of my own choosing that I pay a mortgage,their opinion is if i'm that hard up I should give up the house and go on the housing list.The bank whom I have the mortgage with say that I cant sign the house over to my ex as solo owner as it was a joint mortgage based on both earnings and her earnings wouldnt qualify alone (understandable as she only works a GO position on minimum wage)
They also state that other personal bills are of my own doing,it was up to me that i chose to take a bank loan,a cred card etc ( I totally accept that) and what do I expect them to do for me.
The mortgage issue aside,the welfare tell me i'm not entitled to extra payments for the kids as I dont live with them and provide for them,even though I share 'custody' ,by that I mean the kids spend half the week with me and half with my ex and then every 2nd weekend with me,staying overnight.
I have provided letters from my parents confirming same,and still i'm told i'm not entitled to 'extras',I was told about FIS which i thought I might be entitled to but apparently I'm not as my ex is already claiming same and they dont give it to both parents but to the one who the kids live with.
Now,whilst all this was unfolding I had the 'comfort blanket' of the statutory redundancy payment I received which ment I could live on the €196 pw benefit payment (prior to the budget) and have the lump sum in my account to pay the mortgage each month, this however has dried up (there were some other expenses throughout the year,days out with the kids,school provisions,kids birthdays,xmas etc which took from it also).
I have jumped through the hoops and each time i fall flat on my face so I gave up trying and 'accepted' that i wasn't entitled to anything else.However,right now,I'm in trouble,I have creditors (cred card & bank) on my case daily looking for payments but my benefits barely cover the mortgage payment leaving me an allowance of €37.50 a week,so i'm unable to even give my parents anything by way of 'board' (my mum works ,my father is on early pension due to illness).So basically now I cant even afford to treat my kids to a day out when they are with me.

Recently I spoke to a canvassing councilor and he put me onto a solicitor who I went to , I now have a legal affidavit stating my position,it's with a veiw to pressing the local authority on the matter of housing (another area I have come to learn is not straight forward).

All this and not to mention the stress of having to have my kids over at my parents,keeping them in check,keeping them quiet,fed,etc,it's taken its toll on me personally but as far as i can make out,the official line seems to be "it's my own peoblem",all of this has made me very bitter and taken it's toll on my health (mentally & physically).

Is there anything by way of literature stating what you claim? something that I can go and produce to the DoSW to back up my position?

Is it really a thing of the louder you shout the more likely you'll get something to shut you up?