Living With unemployed girlfriend

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 06:33PM #1

Hi folks,
I have lived with my Girlfriend for 13 months. I am a teacher. She lost her job on the 23rd of december last. She has a meeting with social welfare on monday.

Will she be refused welfare benefit because we live together?
She has been applying for jobs everywhere to no avail. She has enough weeks worked to claim.

I appreciate all comments. I have tried reading up on this stuff but find it difficult to find our situation.

If she is entitled to benefits, what is she entitled to?

Thanks for reading,

eastbono · 21-01-2011 06:34PM

Is she applying for Jobseekers Benefit or Jobseekers Allowance

tenchi-fan · 21-01-2011 06:40PM

If she has paid enough contributions which working she will be eligible to claim Jobseekers benefit for a year..

Jobseekers assistance and most other forms of assistance are means-tested. As they will take into account your income there is little chance of her being entitled to anything.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 07:03PM

Well we're hoping this is a temporary thing, she is literally applying for everything around.

So will they means test us if she goes for jobseekers benefit? (thats drawing stamps?)

And if they means test us and she qualifies for nothing, then can i claim ther tax credits?

We have been going out 2 yrs and living together a year

eastbono · 21-01-2011 07:08PM

She will not be means tested for Jobseekers Benefit but will be for Allowance and tbh knowing what teachers earn if its allowance she probably will be means in excess because of your earnings but tell her to apply anyway. Contact revenue about you taking over her tax credits I am not au fait with this side of things.

Hope she gets something soon.

Just saw that you said she will qualify for Jobseekers Benefit so you living together will not impact on her payment of this as it is not means tested. Contact revenue about transfer of her benefits to you.

tenchi-fan · 21-01-2011 07:11PM

JB is not means tested

As for taking her tax credits, you're not married so you won't be able to.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 07:13PM

thanks for all your comments. You are really great and helpful. She is good at her job, so hopefully someone will give her chance but the gym industry is tough at moment and hundreds applying for general shop jobs.

so because we live together, she can't get jsa but i cant get her tax credits because we're not married. This is some country.

eastbono · 21-01-2011 07:37PM

even if you were married she would not qualify for Jobseekers Allowance because of your earnings... but as I said tell her to apply anyway because I dont know if your part time or full time. I must go and prowl revenue site to see if you can claim her credits because this is annoying me and I feel its unfair.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 07:44PM

No, I am a full time teacher alright. That is great for her confidence though, asking me for "pocket money". It'd be different if we could join tax credits.

We'd be better off financially if we lived apart from reading this, but we don't want that.

im trawling the revenue website too and thanks for all your help.

eastbono · 21-01-2011 07:50PM

dont let her ask for pocket money... set up a joint account and get her a card for it.... or just transfer money into her account and say nothing about it. btw... she may be entitled for jobseekers benefit and may not need the pocket money.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 07:54PM

She has worked in ireland since october 2008 and worked solid until dec 23rd 2010 and gets 1 day work a week since. don know if that qualifies for job seekers benefit.

tenchi-fan · 21-01-2011 07:58PM

kollegeknight wrote: »

She has worked in ireland since october 2008 and worked solid until dec 23rd 2010 and gets 1 day work a week since. don know if that qualifies for job seekers benefit.

The Relevant Tax Year is the second last complete Tax Year before the Benefit Year in which you claim.

For a claim made in Benefit Year 2011 the relevant Tax Year is 2009.
So she'll be fine.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 08:05PM

Does she not have to work a minimum length of time or anything?
This is just to keep us ticking over until she gets a job. It is a worry for us as between loans, rent and bills, not much left over at end of month actually nothing left over.

Jagle · 21-01-2011 08:22PM

of course saying ye arnt in a relationship just friends living together might help this no? am i wrong?

tenchi-fan · 21-01-2011 08:28PM

kollegeknight wrote: »

Does she not have to work a minimum length of time or anything?

Oh sorry , so she does. i was thinking of my experience on the dole and working a short length of time wasn't an issue (I worked through college). I also got pre-entry credits because I had just finished college. Your girlfriend might be entitled to these too.

Have a look here: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/jobseekers_benefit.html

Since 15 October 2008, Jobseeker's Benefit can be paid for a maximum of 12 months (312 days) to people who have at least 260 paid contributions. Jobseeker's Benefit can be paid for a maximum of 9 months (234 days) to people who have less than 260 paid contributions.

So basically each week where she earned >€38 counts as a contribution. I'm not sure how too few contributions affect her payment.. I have a feeling dole will just run out earlier, or alternatively be paid at a lower rate. I'm not sure!

Just to let you know, the idiot AT RECEPTION in the dole office originally sent me away with loads of means-testing forms and told me to apply for JA as I would not be eligible for JB, but she was wrong. Insist on speaking to a welfare officer.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 08:29PM

I wouldnt be overly a fan of that. but cant really take moral high ground a moment.

Thanks for all your replies folks.

eastbono · 21-01-2011 08:35PM

kollegeknight wrote: »

She has worked in ireland since october 2008 and worked solid until dec 23rd 2010 and gets 1 day work a week since. don know if that qualifies for job seekers benefit.

Ok she is working 1 day per week she can apply for a casual claim... now here is the problem... if she has only worked from oct 2008 until dec 23 2010 and she applies for casual JB I dont think she has enough contributions to apply for JB if she applies in 2011 it goes on her cons for 2009 now she does have enough cons in 2009 but not enough overall she will need to have 104 cons to qualify... now if 2010 cons are taken into account she will be fine for JB but only for 234 days of payment... did she work outside of ireland before this???? if she did then her cons from another eu country will be taken into account but this will take a while to be sorted once she has worked in another eu country up to the time she took up employment in irl

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 08:38PM

She is an austrailian with an irish passport. she has only worked in ireland and contributed here.

So We're cooked altogether.

eastbono · 21-01-2011 08:43PM

kollegeknight wrote: »

She is an austrailian with an irish passport. she has only worked in ireland and contributed here.

So We're cooked altogether.

Has she ever worked in the uk. You are also into the land of Habitual Residence which also doesnt look good for her.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 08:47PM

She worked for a year in uk prior to that.

What is habitual residence?

snubbleste · 21-01-2011 08:49PM

For a teacher you seem to be very uninformed about the protections afforded by the State.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 08:55PM

snubbleste wrote: »

For a teacher you seem to be very uninformed about the protections afforded by the State.

What do you mean by that. I am not an expert in this area because i have always worked. Even when i was between teaching jobs, i worked elsewhere. Pardon me for not being an expert.

To those who offer constructive help and advice, thanks.

eastbono · 21-01-2011 09:02PM

kollegeknight wrote: »

She worked for a year in uk prior to that.

What is habitual residence?

If she worked in the uk prior to taking up employment in irl her contributions from there can be transfered it can take a while but she would certainly be entitled to JSB... its unfortunate that her employer cut her days in dec if it had been in jan she would have qualified for jsb cos she would have had her cons from a bit of 2008 all of 2009 and all of 2010 for qualification... ok next step for her is to go in and make a claim and produce her p45 from uk... social welfare office will get her to fill out another form to send to uk... it will take a bit of time for this to come back... she will prob be turned down for jobseekers allowance cos of your earnings and habitual residence is... let me see hard to explain for non nantionals you have to prove that you have been in the country for a certain period of time and have no ties to another country for irish nationals returning from abroad you also have to prove that you intend staying in the country and you have to have a good work record in the country as well....this is a simplified version.. if you have any other questions feel free to pm me

tenchi-fan · 21-01-2011 09:03PM

kollegeknight wrote: »

What do you mean by that. I am not an expert in this area because i have always worked. Even when i was between teaching jobs, i worked elsewhere. Pardon me for not being an expert.

To those who offer constructive help and advice, thanks.

kollegeknight, i think the best thing she can do is just make a claim.
the link i posted to citizens information gives a lot of info including the sentence "Contributions you have paid in other member states of the EU/EEA will be added to your Irish contributions"...

How the welfare officer processes it is anyone's guess.

eastbono · 21-01-2011 09:05PM

snubbleste wrote: »

For a teacher you seem to be very uninformed about the protections afforded by the State.

We all cant be experts in every field. :mad:

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 09:05PM

Technifan, eastbono, you are great and i appreciate all your help. Thank You.

cee_jay · 21-01-2011 09:12PM

kollegeknight your girlfriend qualifies for Jobseeker's Benefit, which is based on her PRSI contributions. Your earnings won't affect this. She can apply for pre entry credits, but even without these she qualifies for payment for 9 months.

I have handed out an infraction and warning already on this thread - infraction for suggesting welfare fraud, and warning for off topic and unhelpful posting. Could people please read and abide by forum charter before posting.

kollegeknight · 21-01-2011 09:16PM

Great, Thanks Cee-Jay for you're advice. All contributers have put our mind at ease a bit.
She has jobseekers interview monday, and job interview on tuesday, waiting on a few interviews from last week so hoping no to need jobseekers interview.

Many thanks again.

eastbono · 21-01-2011 09:25PM

cee_jay wrote: »

kollegeknight your girlfriend qualifies for Jobseeker's Benefit, which is based on her PRSI contributions. Your earnings won't affect this. She can apply for pre entry credits, but even without these she qualifies for payment for 9 months.

I have handed out an infraction and warning already on this thread - infraction for suggesting welfare fraud, and warning for off topic and unhelpful posting. Could people please read and abide by forum charter before posting.

Actually your right I just did the maths on it and she would have had 104 cons before her days were reduced... but she should still transfer her cons from uk.. because that may entitle her to 312 days.

mrsbyrne · 22-01-2011 05:04PM

you wont be able to transfer her tax credits to you as your not married. in revenue your either married or single. end of. you can have 8 kids with a girl and it wouldnt make a jot of difference. were hoping this civil partnership will even things up a bit.

kollegeknight · 26-01-2011 06:08PM

Just to say thanks to everyone for their help.
She had jobseekers interview tuesday at 11, she applied for benefit.
and while she was in an interview for a job in the afternoon, she received a voicemail offering her a job. so no need to apply for benefit.

thanks again for all your help

tenchi-fan · 26-01-2011 11:08PM

kollegeknight wrote: »

Just to say thanks to everyone for their help.
She had jobseekers interview tuesday at 11, she applied for benefit.
and while she was in an interview for a job in the afternoon, she received a voicemail offering her a job. so no need to apply for benefit.

thanks again for all your help

she should still claim benefit for the time she was out of work. ask the dole office to backdate it (a written request along with the claim is needed).
She should only sign off the dole when she starts working.

bantee · 28-01-2011 11:52AM

Great to hear she landed a job.

I'm in the same boat. We're getting married in September and my fiance is out of work a year and a half now. I was out of work a year and received the JSB and she was getting the JSA the past few months.

We have a fairly big mortgage too and now she found out today that she is entitled to zero JSA as I'm back working since December. This is a bit of a shock for us as that money helped with bills and shopping.

Does anyone know what the cut-off salary is for your partner to be cut off JSA? And is there any way we can appeal this?

Living With unemployed girlfriend

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