Means Test-Appeal

barbora

Hi all,

could anybody please explain to me what the means test is? I am on BTEA, currently on JA (20 euro a week) and my spouse applied for JA in September last year. He hasn't got anything from Social Welfare up until now, when they sent him a cheque for 440 euro (???). Our only income at the moment is the JA- 60 euro altogether. We have a small child, none of us is working. How come our means was assessed at 330 euro per week? Apparently they looked at my spouse's income from self-employment from last year, but since he is not working anymore, how can this be right. Has anybody experience with apealing the Means test? If so, how did you get on?

edellc

barbora wrote: »

Hi all,

could anybody please explain to me what the means test is? I am on BTEA, currently on JA (20 euro a week) and my spouse applied for JA in September last year. He hasn't got anything from Social Welfare up until now, when they sent him a cheque for 440 euro (???). Our only income at the moment is the JA- 60 euro altogether. We have a small child, none of us is working. How come our means was assessed at 330 euro per week? Apparently they looked at my spouse's income from self-employment from last year, but since he is not working anymore, how can this be right. Has anybody experience with apealing the Means test? If so, how did you get on?

The max allowed for a couple is 326.10 between you per week and 29.80 for you child per week
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/unemployed-people/jobseekers-allowance

barbora

i do understand this part...i just don't understand how a couple with no savings, no income and no property can be said to have means of 330 per week, and be given a jobseerers' allowance of 60 euro.

edellc

barbora wrote: »

i do understand this part...i just don't understand how a couple with no savings, no income and no property can be said to have means of 330 per week, and be given a jobseerers' allowance of 60 euro.

you need to go an appeal this if you really are only getting 60 between you or each a week with a child then its well below the poverty line and you need to appeal
they work out your means based on your income from last year an irish way of doing things i know cause it is presuming that you lived on just 330 per wk and saved the rest therefore would have enough put by to have 330 per wk this year and topping it up with the 60euro from JSA
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/irish-social-welfare-system/means-test-for-social-welfare-payments/means-test-for-jobseekers-allowance

i suggest you go down to your local SWO and ask to speak to a deciding officer or get an appeal form from the hatch and start the process immediately

cee_jay

edellc wrote: »

you need to go an appeal this if you really are only getting 60 between you or each a week with a child then its well below the poverty line and you need to appeal
they work out your means based on your income from last year an irish way of doing things i know cause it is presuming that you lived on just 330 per wk and saved the rest therefore would have enough put by to have 330 per wk this year and topping it up with the 60euro from JSA
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/irish-social-welfare-system/means-test-for-social-welfare-payments/means-test-for-jobseekers-allowance

i suggest you go down to your local SWO and ask to speak to a deciding officer or get an appeal form from the hatch and start the process immediately

They don't work on your income from the last year.

The earnings from your business will be assessed in the means test for Jobseeker’s Allowance. The assessment must reflect the income you may reasonably be expected to get from your business over the next 12 months. Income for the last 12 months will be taken as a guide but allowing for any factors which it is known will vary.

Earnings are assessed as gross income less work related expenses over 12 months. Your expected annual earnings from self-employment is divided by 52 to find your weekly means from self-employment.

Any ‘drawings’ you take from the business is not an allowable expense. If your ‘drawings’ from the business are greater than the level of income calculated, the ‘drawings’ are assessed as cash income.

There is no exhaustive list of all expenses allowed because expenses vary with the nature and extent of the self-employment. However the following are the main allowable expenses in most cases:

Materials (supplies costs)
Motor running costs (portion applicable to business)
Depreciation of machinery or equipment
Insurance relating to the business
Telephone (portion applicable to business)
Lighting and heating (for business and not domestic use)
Advertising
Bank charges
Stationery
Van leasing
Labour costs
Pension plan
Any other costs associated with running the business
Household running costs are not allowed as deductions against business profit
Class S PRSI contributions (where paid or payable) (Note if payable but not being paid, a separate report should be made by the Social Welfare Investigator on this aspect.)
To prove the level of income from your business you must give your receipts and payments (documentation showing money coming in and out of your business) or audited accounts to the person dealing with your application in your Social Welfare Local Office.

When you apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA)
Usually, you will be asked for your receipts and payments or audited accounts for the current and previous year. For example, if you apply for Jobseeker's Allowance in June 2009 you will be asked for your receipts and payments from January to June 2009 and for 2008. However, in certain cases you may be required to show audited accounts for the last two or more years.

http://www.welfare.ie/syndicatedcontent/en/social%2Dwelfare%2Dpayments/unemployed%2Dpeople/self%2Demployed%2Dand%2Dunemployment/

If you are not happy with the outcome of your means test you are entitled to appeal - you can get the appeal form at your local office. You have 21 days to submit your appeal.