Getting the Dole?

Zascar

Sorry if this is the wrong board, please advise if another catagory is more apropriate.

About 10 months ago I left a full time job in sales to go traveling. I'm now coming back and will be on the job hunt straight away, but in the mean time I would like to get some Unemployment Benefit. I've never been on the dole before, and not sure how to do it, or even if I'm elegible. I've looked on a few government websites and it says that to be eligeble you must have Lost your job. I left mine volentaliry to go traveling, does this mean that when I come back (next week) will not be able to sign on, or is there a way around it? $125 euro a week would be a serious help, as I am coming back and pretty much ahve to get my like back together from scratch, and there may be a while before I can get aother job.

Can anyone give me advise on this pelase?
Many Thanks.

DMC

http://www.welfare.ie/schemes/unemp/ua.html

You would be entitled to Unemployment Assistance, not Unemployment Benefit. Maybe not full whack, but you will have to be means tested. If you live at home, you will recieve a lot less than if you live elsewhere.

There is a Work forum here... might be better suited.

pwd

Go to the local social welfare office with some evidence that you have been applying for jobs.
Then you have to wait several weeks for someone to come out and interview you.
Different offices are very different in how helpful they are. Dun Laoghaire won't back-date claims for the whole period you are out of work. Dun Laoghaire are **** tbh. They went on how crap my prospects were in IT when I was fresh out of college and didn't give me anything even though I needed it.
Ennis I went along with a few rejection letters and said I hadn't come before because I hadn't thought I would have trouble getting a new job, which was true. They gave me the dole without any hassle and backdated it the 6 weeks I'd been out of work.

shoegirl

I'm not sure how leaving a job voluntarily would affect your chances of getting unemployment assistance. Sadly, they tend to be far harder on people who've no history of receiving the dole than those who repeatedly have claimed it. (Partly because statistics show that people on the dole end up in a series of poor and unstable jobs that repeatedly dumps them back on assistance).

If you're living at home you're parents income is only taken into account if you're beneath a certain age. This is called "benefit and privelige." Once you're over 27 or have lived away from the family home for at least 3 years before returning they count you only on your own means.
See the link below to find out how this is assessed:
http://www.welfare.ie/foi/ua_benpriv.html

Even if they do take your family income into account and its "too high" there is a minimum payment of €40.00 per week. The days of butter vouchers have long since passed.

You may have a dilemma here in that you may already realise that your family income is too high and so you'll get only 40 euros and decide not to apply. However if you don't apply then you lose the prsi stamp for every week you don't work, which will count against you later in life when looking for other benefits and as against your old age pension. They may ask you for evidence of earnings in the other country if you were in the EU. Lastly, you may be even more disadvantaged if one or other parent is self-employed because there will be costs accrued to your parents in proving income (this effectively stopped me from ever making a claim, which I now realise may cause problems for my pension entitlement later in life).

If your folks aren't self employed, apply away regardless, you'll have 40.00 at least to gain.

I don't think they take your siblings earnings into account by the way, though not sure.

Our man in Havana

I see no reason to not get UB as oposed to UA. The longest you can be disqualified is 9 weeks which dates from the time you left your last job and not from when you apply for dole. I assume you were away longer than 9 weeks? If so they pay immediately UB if you have the PRSI paid or UA if not.

sixtysix

for ub you need 39 stamps in 2003 to qualify now

Zascar

Thanks Guys,

I'm 24, I;ve been gone 10 months, and before going traveling I had been living away from home for 3 years. I will be moving back in wtih my parents for a shile until I soft myself ouyt with my own place etc. My fater is self employed and I would not want to involve him. How long is it going to take, I mean ow long do they expect yu to wait araound until they decide if you are eliible or not. Chances are I'll have a job by the and have wasted my time! Hope not...

Our man in Havana

Head down to the community welfare officer at your health centre. He/she will pay your benefits pending a decision from the Dole office. From what you say you should be entitled to UB which has no bearing on your parents income etc etc, provided you have 39 stamps in 2003. Otherwise its UA. Good Luck.

woody

I was myself on the dole for 6 weeks (once)


The Dole Office required me to write a letter explaining the reason why I left and I gave a got legit reason, also point to note as for it to be back dated, I did'nt but then asked after my first payment wrote another letter and got it a week later.

If you are not a dole merchant they will be harder on you than some low life waster than could'nt be bothered getting a job.

Go in with your facts, ID etc and be straight unlike some people I saw there loosing there head.

Also they will ask you for details of jobs you applied for but rarely solid evidence.

Our man in Havana

They can't really deny you the dole as the 9 week period dates from the date you left work and not the date you applied for dole.

People get around the 9 week problem by leaving work on Friday, going to the doctor on Monday and getting Disability benefit for 9+weeks (same value as the dole) and then applying for dole. As the 9 weeks are expired they will pay the dole no Q's asked.