Broken ankle,can't collect JSA

stupidusername

I'm on JSA, but have just broken my ankle and obviously can't travel too easily to collect my JSA payment in the post office. besides this for the next few weeks technically I probably wouldn't be classed as available for work, so I need to talk to my social welfare office.

However I've been ringing constantly, and can't get an answer. Don't know what to do. this weeks payment was in on monday, and think it was til today I had to collect it, but I can't. What should I do?

cee_jay

You need to go to your doctor and get a cert for Illness Benefit. Then get yourself to your CWO who can pay you will you are laid up. Have a look at the HSE website for details of your local clinic and give them a call.

stupidusername

cAr0l wrote: »

You need to go to your doctor and get a cert for Illness Benefit. Then get yourself to your CWO who can pay you will you are laid up. Have a look at the HSE website for details of your local clinic and give them a call.

Oh thanks! I'm going to my GP tomorrow so just as well I asked now. will ask her for a cert so. and I can send that into the office then.

Getting to the CWO is a problem though. remember before having terrible problems actually getting to see her. so I might have a while to wait.

Nolanger

How can he get Illness Benefit when he's on Jobseekers Allowance?

Because he's not available to work, ie: look for a job, h's put on illness benefit

foggy_lad

you can post in the certs or get someone to drop them into your local social welfare office and the payments will be posted out to you.

It may take a couple of weeks to process, also any payments made by Job seeekers allowance during your incapacity will be deducted from your illness benefit/disability allowance

Nolanger

Papa Smut wrote: »

Because he's not available to work, ie: look for a job, h's put on illness benefit

Er, he's on Jobseekers Allowance which is means tested and he probably doesn't qualify for Jobseekers Benefit as he doesn't have enough credits? So he's now to switch to Illness Benefit even though he doesn't have the credits to qualify? As for Disability Allowance the injury to his foot has to be long-term e.g. over a year so he probably won't qualify for that either?

stupidusername

I'm a she.

But it won't be over a year. It'll be a few weeks before I could work at some jobs, but a bit more before I could do others. I think the illness benefit is for anyone who is not able to work, for up to a year? not sure.

cee_jay

Nolanger wrote: »

Er, he's on Jobseekers Allowance which is means tested and he probably doesn't qualify for Jobseekers Benefit as he doesn't have enough credits? So he's now to switch to Illness Benefit even though he doesn't have the credits to qualify? As for Disability Allowance the injury to his foot has to be long-term e.g. over a year so he probably won't qualify for that either?

She no longer qualifies for Jobseeker's Allowance as she isn't available for work. So she needs to open an Illness Benefit claim. As she probably doesn't have the contributions for payment on Illness Benefit, she goes to the CWO who will probably be able to pay her as she has a claim open with Social Welfare but doesn't qualify for payment on it.

stupidusername

I was speaking to a woman my dad knows working in the social welfare office in this area, and she told me to get an MC1 form from my doctor fill it out and send it in to her. Every week I've to get a cert from my doctor basically to say I still have a broken ankle.

I'm not sure what I'm entitled to, but the woman in SW told me my application will be processed and then i can contact my CWO to receive payment while they're processing it through to my bank account. Now I don't know who this guy is so I haven't gone to him for payment, but if it's on his system as being eligible for something or other surely they could just pay it to me Anyway it's been a few weeks and I haven't heard anything back yet. Going on 6 weeks since I broke my ankle now. I'm alright for money as I'm now living at home.

I read up about all the different illness and disability things but none of them I seem to slot into. I mean it's a temporary problem so i dunno. anyone have experience with this. and anyone have any idea how long I'll be waiting for payment?

sls

stupidusername im currently in a similar situation awaiting operation on my knee and told by my doctor not to return to any work. im currently on job seekers allowance. your mention of payment not coming through for you have me uneasy to get the necessary paperwork going as i need my money coming in. im also temporaly disabled so to speak ive been told to expect to be waiting at least 9 months for my operation.
ill be following your tread to see how things go for you.
wish you a speedy recovery

stupidusername

Got a letter from SW today. It says re: illness benefit that I'm not entitled to it. Which I knew, cause I don't have enough stamps built up. but now what? I'm out €1300 because of my ankle! and i'm not entitled to anything??

cee_jay

were you not getting paid by the community welfare officer?
they can still assist you while you are unable to work.

cee_jay

were you not getting paid by the community welfare officer?
they can still assist you while you are unable to work, just keep submitting your certs.

stupidusername

cee_jay wrote: »

were you not getting paid by the community welfare officer?
they can still assist you while you are unable to work, just keep submitting your certs.

But whatever money I get from the CWO is going to have to be repaid if I'm not entitled to any payment.

cee_jay

No it shouldn't be. If you were awarded Illness Benefit, the payment you would receive from that would go to repay the Supplementary Welfare Allowance. As you are not entitled to Illness Benefit you don't have to pay this back out of your own pocket. Just contact your CWO again, explain the letter you got and that you will still be handing in your certificates as you are still unavailable for work, and they should keep paying you.

yabadabado

call into the cwo with the letter you have recieved and they will give you Supplementary Welfare Allowance,this happens all the time on illness benefits where people dont have enough contributions paid.the cwo will give you the same amount as illness benefit(is it €188 p/w since jan).

stupidusername

I really dont get this. I mean if i'm entitled to a payment why is it not coming from the SW?

I'll call into the CWO tomorrow and see what they say. will they give me backpayment?

Duiske

stupidusername wrote: »

I really dont get this. I mean if i'm entitled to a payment why is it not coming from the SW?

I'll call into the CWO tomorrow and see what they say. will they give me backpayment?

But that's the thing, you are not entitled to a payment from SW as you are not available for work, and you do not qualify for illness benefits.

You need to contact your CWO and apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance. You will get the same amount as you would get on UA, and the payment will continue as long as your doctor issues certs.
When your doctor thinks you are fit enough to be working again, he will issue a final cert and you will switch back to UA.

cee_jay

stupidusername wrote: »

I really dont get this. I mean if i'm entitled to a payment why is it not coming from the SW?

I'll call into the CWO tomorrow and see what they say. will they give me backpayment?

You aren't entitled to Illness Benefit payment. You may be entitled to Supplementary Welfare Allowance through your Community Welfare officer - its basically a payment to help you out with basic living costs when you find yourself in situations like the one you are currently in.
If you have been receiving supplementary welfare allowance up until now, you won't get any backpayment. There is nothing to back pay.

stupidusername

I haven't received anything since i broke my broke my ankle. so will it be back dated?

cee_jay

You can ask - I am not too sure they backdate Supplementary welfare allowance however.

Lol26

I know someone that switched from jsa to illness benefit and it took 4 months to get a payment, they never answer the phone.

stupidusername

You can't switch from JSA to Illness Benefit, but ya they never answer their phones.

I went down today after lunch, but they were closed. says their lunch is from 1-2, but their opening hours after lunch were 3.30-5.30 :rolleyes: I had to leave it, couldn't do that walk again today. will go again tomorrow. though they do a half day wednesday :rolleyes: so will have to make it before lunch.

I'm still outraged about the whole thing. I mean how am I meant to know I had to call in there for payments every week!? It's not written anywhere, no one told me! I mean I looked into this as much as I could, and didn't find anything useful. and now I'm out more than €1300 because of it.

stupidusername

Ok just said I'd throw in an update.

I eventually got to see the CWO. he said he can only back date it 3 weeks. I don't know why. I mean I didn't know I could collect from there, no one told me, it's not written anywhere, I mean how are you meant to know!? :mad: then he said he'll write me a cheque for this and he'll send out my cheque for this week. He wrote a cheque for €372. I'm confused as to how this is meant to be 3 weeks payment. but anyway whatever. I'm glad I could get something I suppose. though it's still €1000 less than I'm owed.

All I can say to anyone reading this in the same position, go to your CWO asap if something happens.

Balagan

stupidusername wrote: »

Ok just said I'd throw in an update.

I eventually got to see the CWO. he said he can only back date it 3 weeks. I don't know why. I mean I didn't know I could collect from there, no one told me, it's not written anywhere, I mean how are you meant to know!? :mad: then he said he'll write me a cheque for this and he'll send out my cheque for this week. He wrote a cheque for €372. I'm confused as to how this is meant to be 3 weeks payment. but anyway whatever. I'm glad I could get something I suppose. though it's still €1000 less than I'm owed.

All I can say to anyone reading this in the same position, go to your CWO asap if something happens.

Glad you are getting it sorted somewhat. I don't want to add to your frustration about this but in the first reply to your post, cee_jay let you know about the CWO and to go there for payment. Although I do wholly agree that the SW office should have made it clear also.

stupidusername

Balagan wrote: »

Glad you are getting it sorted somewhat. I don't want to add to your frustration about this but in the first reply to your post, cee_jay let you know about the CWO and to go there for payment. Although I do wholly agree that the SW office should have made it clear also.

Yes, and while I'm not blaming anyone on here, it wasn't clear that I wouldn't be getting payment if I didn't do this. I assumed that if i didn't collect it every week I'd just get it in a lump sum once my claim had been processed. Of course if I thought that was the case I would've done it.

sls

so where exactally does someone have to collect ilness benefit
you visit doctor and get cert for illness benefit and i assume send this off or is there local office in each county to which it can be dropped off ?
do you still need to sign each week or how is payment received ?

stupidusername

sls wrote: »

so where exactally does someone have to collect ilness benefit
you visit doctor and get cert for illness benefit and i assume send this off or is there local office in each county to which it can be dropped off ?
do you still need to sign each week or how is payment received ?

Sorry I actually meant to reply to this after reading it, just remembered again now.

As far as I know illness benefit is paid into your bank account, once you provide details. you get a cert from your doctor every week, and post this to your local SW office / drop it in. As it's illness benefit, they know you would be unlikely to be able to collect it and so it's more than likely going to be paid to your bank account. on the form that you fill in (get from the doctor) the mc1 form, it has a space for your details. am, you don't sign every week for the dole, that's once every 4 weeks in general. but no in the time you're 'ill' it's paid into your account, and there's no need to go to your post office.