jobbridge Internship with no equal rights!

Tjay11

Hi, I was recently accepted to start an internship as a Tutor, so I went to social welfare office with the forms to check eligibility. They told me I would not qualify because my partner is signing for me. My partner has been out of work and signing JSA for the two of us and our son for about 2 and a half years and I have been in college for 6 years. After completing my degree I was hoping to start working yet I am being refused this vital experience. I was told that my partner would be eligible but I wouldn’t. Unless I’m missing the point, this indicates to me that I am seen as having unequal work options to my partner. It would also suggest that I would have to be a single woman or a man to avail of this opportunity. I would appreciate it if anyone could inform me as to why this is the case…

Balagan

You were a qualified adult on your spouse's claim. If you had been available for and seeking work, which you were not as you were studying, you could have been signing for social insurance contribution credits while still being a qualified adult on your spouse's claim and if you had been signing for credits for three of the past six months, you would have qualified for JobBridge. JobBridge was set up to get unemployed people off the live register and in the hopes that the experience gained would lead to employment. You were studying, not unemployed.

To be eligible for a place as an intern you must be on Live Register and currently in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance or signing for Social Insurance Contribution Credits for 3 months (78 days) or more in the last 6 months.
http://www.jobbridge.ie/InternEligible.aspx

Tjay11

Thanks for your reply and informing on the situation. I am only now aware that if I was signing social insurance contribution credits in my own right since I finished college last May I would qualify for this scheme. I am disappointed that social welfare officers don't inform women on their partners claim that they are in a powerless position and that we should signing for social insurance contribution credits. Better still it should be mandatory that women should always sign in their own right and not have to be under their partner. This seems very old fashioned.

Balagan

It is really unfortunate that you didn't know about signing for credits. You are right that eligible qualified adults should be informed that they need to sign for credited social insurance contributions. It is vital for protection of their future pension situations. They should have signs up in the SW office making that clear.

By the way, women can also be the claimant with their partner as qualified adult. Not every qualified adult is available for and seeking work and unless they meet those criteria, they are not eligible to make their own individual claim.

Although, it has a small chance of succeeding, would you consider asking the SW to reconsider your eligibility for JobBridge seeing as you didn't know, were not informed etc., about the possibility of signing for credits? I don't think all the JobBridge positions are getting filled and it could well be worth putting your case. Good luck!

Tjay11

Many thanks for your help Balagan, I will go to SW office to see if there is anything that can be done..

Trish2007

What you want to do is go to the social welfare and tell them that yourself and your partner each want to put in a claim for yourselves. The payment your partner is getting now will be split between you so you won't get any more money but it is easier to satisfy the stupid rules the make up. We had the same problem, I was claiming for my husband as an adult dependant.

He tried to sign up for a FAS course and was told he was ineligible even though he had been signing for credits the whole time, he had to be in receipt of a payment in his own name according to the FAS people although I know others were doing courses that weren't getting any payment.

Madsophos

Hi, Tjay11
I was wondering if the social welfare allowed you to do the internship anyway...I am finding myself in the same position as you regarding internship eligibility? I'm curious to know what happened in the end?
Thanks
:-)