Paternity Benefit issue

popand

Hello,

Last Friday I applied online for paternity benefit. I also applied for increases for my wife and our children. My wife has no income (and no properties/savings/investments), I am the one supporting the family from my salary.

This Tuesday I received through "my welfare" website a letter saying that:

"You have been awarded Paternity Benefit from 26 March 2018 to 08 April 2018. Your rate of
payment is €198.00 a week."

I now have 2 questions which I already asked the social welfare office in writing:

1. As far as I know, the minimum rate of paternity benefit is 235Eur a week, and from 26th of march 2018 240Eur a week. Does anyone have any idea why I was awarded a rate lower than the minimum specified in the law?
2. Why did they not take into account the claims for my wife and my children, as I don't see any reason for this?

Thank you

splinter65

Have you got 2 kids? If so then your PB payment should be €390 because that’s what you would get if you were on illness Benefit.
Ring 1890 690690 and have your PPSN handy .

raxy

I applied through the post over a month ago but haven't got a reply yet about it being approved. I got a text to say they would contact me when a decision was made.

Edit: just logged into it & I found it there. I never got any notification for it though.
€235. My wife works & we have 1 child already.

popand

splinter65 wrote: »

Have you got 2 kids? If so then your PB payment should be €390 because that’s what you would get if you were on illness Benefit.
Ring 1890 690690 and have your PPSN handy .

We have 3 children. I already sent a letter in the attention of a Deciding Officer. Should I call them, as well?
Thank you

popand

raxy wrote: »

I applied through the post over a month ago but haven't got a reply yet about it being approved. I got a text to say they would contact me when a decision was made.

Edit: just logged into it & I found it there. I never got any notification for it though.
€235. My wife works & we have 1 child already.

Did you claim increases for you wife and the child, when you applied throug post?

raxy

Yes, I put it on the form.

splinter65

raxy wrote: »

Yes, I put it on the form.

Ring first thing on Monday. They’re generally very helpful. As I said have your ppsn handy.
Will you post back here and tell us how you got on?
The deciding officer mightn’t get to your letter till later in the week .

raxy

Just looking at the welfare website. In the frequently asked questions it says if your spouse earns >400/week you don't qualify for additional payments.
Think that must be why I only get the minimum

splinter65

raxy wrote: »

Just looking at the welfare website. In the frequently asked questions it says if your spouse earns >400/week you don't qualify for additional payments.
Think that must be why I only get the minimum

I got you mixed up with the OP whose wife is not working.
No you won’t get anything for your wife and child if that is her income.

popand

I just rang the office and spoke to a lady. It looks like the letter I got online is incorrect, and the lady didn't know to tell me why it was like that. But the social welfare system shows the right information: I will get 198Eur + IQA + 3xIQC = aprox. 430 Eur/week.

splinter65

popand wrote: »

I just rang the office and spoke to a lady. It looks like the letter I got online is incorrect, and the lady didn't know to tell me why it was like that. But the social welfare system shows the right information: I will get 198Eur + IQA + 3xIQC = aprox. 430 Eur/week.

Sorry I thought you only had 2 kids, that’s why I said 390.
430. Happy days anyway.

popand

Yes, I am glad that it got sorted out. I was a little bit concerned.

splinter65

popand wrote: »

Yes, I am glad that it got sorted out. I was a little bit concerned.

I’d love to know what the Qa is going up to. It was 128 and they said it was going up but they didn’t say by how much.

popand

It is 130.4 or 131.4 EUR. The lady told me on the phone.

IQA=130.4/131.4 EUR
IQC=31.8 EUR

splinter65

popand wrote: »

It is 130.4 or 131.4 EUR. The lady told me on the phone.

IQA=130.4/131.4 EUR
IQC=31.8 EUR

I thought it would be around 130. Thanks for that!

Squatter

popand wrote: »

It is 130.4 or 131.4 EUR. The lady told me on the phone.

It's €131.40 from 21 Mar.



http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Jobseekers-supports.aspx