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Any State Allowances for Seperated Parents?

  • 19-09-2017 12:18pm
    #1
    seperating.dad
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭


    Hi All,
    Living in Kerry and my wife and I are going to seperate. I'm trying to figure out how it will work financially. I plan to  move out and rent a house so my 2 kids can come stay with me but I'm struggling to see how I can afford to maintain two houses. I work full-time, my wife is not working. Our names are both on the mortgage but I pay it. We don't have any other outstanding dept.
    What state entitlements would she qualify for? Could she claim the dole if I pay maintenance? Could she claim single-parents allowance? Jobseekers allowance?
    Any ideas at all would be very welcome. Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    musefan123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭musefan123


    She should be entitled to job seekers benefit along with her exisiting children's allowance, assuming there's no other form of income. But she should really see about finding some form of work, assuming she's able to work. It would be unfair for her to expect both you and the state to fund her lifestyle. You will be expected to pay maintenence of course, and you will need to decide between yourselves as to who will pay the existing bills including the mortgage.


  • #3
    fmpisces
    Registered Users Posts: 888 ✭✭✭fmpisces


    seperating.dad wrote: »
    Hi All,
    Living in Kerry and my wife and I are going to seperate. I'm trying to figure out how it will work financially. I plan to  move out and rent a house so my 2 kids can come stay with me but I'm struggling to see how I can afford to maintain two houses. I work full-time, my wife is not working. Our names are both on the mortgage but I pay it. We don't have any other outstanding dept.
    What state entitlements would she qualify for? Could she claim the dole if I pay maintenance? Could she claim single-parents allowance? Jobseekers allowance?
    Any ideas at all would be very welcome. Thanks.

    Yes, your ex-wife should qualify for state assistance. However, as mentioned above, it would be better if she sought work, for her own independence and to help with the cost of the mortgage since it would be unfair for you to have to pay 100% of the mortgage and a place to rent as well.

    As for the type of state assistance she may be entitled to depends mostly on the ages of your children. One Parent Family can be paid in respect of the parent who has primary care of the children (so for example if ye were to engage in 50/50 shared custody, OPF would not be possible). It's only paid to single parents whose youngest child is 7 or younger. She can work and earn a certain amount before her payment would be affected. Maintenance paid is counted as means, so she/your children would not see all of it. Secondary payment such as Fuel Allowance may also be payable.
    http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/278_One-Parent-Family-Payment.aspx

    If your children are older than 7 and not older than 13, then Jobseekers Transitional Allowance is most likely the other qualifying payment. Again, she can also work (at the moment there is an income disregard of €110 per week, and anything earned over that then 50% of it is counted as means). I think this figure also applies for the OPF above. So say for example if she found a job that paid €220/week, after the €110 disregard that leaves the 50% of the remaining €110 to be deducted from this allowance, which equals €55. So €55 is what would be deducted from this type of payment if she qualified for it. Maintenance is also counted as means and Fuel Allowance may also be payable. The income disregard may be increased in next months budget which would allow single parents earn more.
    http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Jobseeker's-Allowance-Transitional.aspx

    With both of the above she does not have to be available for, or seeking work. But with the JST, she would have to "sign on" once every 3 months and engage in certain activation meetings and possible courses/schemes that the Department of Social Protection may invite her to.

    There is also the Family Income Supplement (FIS) which may be payable to low income single or 2-parent families where a parent works a minimum of 19 hours/week or 38 hours/fortnight.
    http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/275_Family-Income-Supplement.aspx

    Hope this helps :)


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