Jobseekers Allowance/ Bank Account

k0189

I have recently began the paperwork for applying for Jobseekers Allowance after being told by my local CWO that I am over the limit for applying for Supplementary Allowance.

My weekly paycheck varies from €165 working Sat and Sun to €245 working Sat Sun and one weekday. So I believe I should be entitled to some kind of assistance as I am oftentimes overdrawn from my bank account just to meet day to day needs.

The problem arises when they ask for bank statements dating back 12 months. From Jan 2012-Sept 2012 my account was more times than not in the red, in September I received a loan of €3,000 from my parents wire transferred from their U.S. account, this was to pay for car insurance as well as rent and other utility bills- all which was deducted from the same account. Then late October they lodged another €3,500 into my account, this was their money for their use for their trip here in November 2012- the money which I withdrew for them in the same month, as they do not have an Irish bank account and wished to avoid the transaction fees occurred while using an ATM card in a foreign country.

Will these transactions raise a red flag for claiming Jobseekers Allowance? Will they think this is some kind of income (which it is not) or will this be written off as the savings which you can have in your account and still claim Jobseekers? Or will this matter simply disqualify me from receiving Jobseekers?

Atlantic Dawn

Not unless you have €20k plus in the account it won't matter, they only want statements to assess your means.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/means_test_for_social_welfare_payments/means_test_for_jobseekers_allowance.html

k0189

But the fact that I received such a large sum of money and then made a cash withdrawal a couple of days later would this matter? Could they ask for receipts showing where the money went? Because I don't have this documentation as it was my parents money, I wasn't the one who spent it.

eastbono

It may be queried depending on how observant the person calculating your means is. If its queried be upfront and explain the lodgements as you have done here. Its usually 6 months bank statements that is asked for but this could differ from office to office.

danjo-xx

I have recently began the paperwork for applying for Jobseekers Allowance after being told by my local CWO that I am over the limit for applying for Supplementary Allowance.

What happens if you apply for SWA while awaiting your JSA claim, are you then only allowed the 5k disregard for swa and not the 20k for jsa.

eastbono

If you apply for swa then the disregard for swa applies not the disregard for jsa.

danjo-xx

eastbono wrote: »

If you apply for swa then the disregard for swa applies not the disregard for jsa.

thanks eastbono

If one person was on DA and the other claiming SWA , is there a higher disregard then.

eastbono

danjo-xx wrote: »

thanks eastbono

If one person was on DA and the other claiming SWA , is there a higher disregard then.

I wouldnt be up to speed on this but I would think that we are entering into maximum payment area here e.g. claimant plus spouse/partner maximum payment allowable €312.80. SWA disregard would still apply to swa application. It maybe be easier to add an adult dependant to DA claim unless other claimant wants their own jsa claim.