Unemployments Benefits Finished - What Now

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walsh101

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My husband was laid off approx 17 months ago and was claiming Jobseekers Allowance. But this is now finished as you only get if for 15 months. I earn €550 per week and because of this he was told that he is not entitled to any benefit, but I have to pay mortgage, food bills, esb, phone bill, health insurance, TV licence etc and I can barely manage. I am now very worried about the future as he has applied for tons of jobs over the last 17 months but rarely gets even an interview or a reply to his application and now with lots of people losing their jobs lately I think it will be even harder to get anything as he is an unskilled manual labourer and the only licence he has is a forklift licence. Basically I was wondering if there was anything else he can claim for as having worked for 26 years and paying taxes it feels lously to be told that 15 months is all you can claim.

Any advice would be grateful as we're both very depressed at the moment
 
We can't claim FIS as we have no children. He has looked into doing something else but all courses cost money which we don't have and he has applied for other types of jobs but because he has no experience he's not having much luck.
 
Thanks Clubman I'll check these out, but I'm very good at dealing with what little money we have, frankly if we cut back on anything else we'll be eating bread and water and living in the dark and cold :( It's not money management I need, it just money!!!!!!!!
 
In that case there seems little option other than for you to look for higher paid employment and your husband to redouble his efforts to find any paid employment. Seems odd to me that in this day and age he can't find something.
 
I know it seems odd that he can't find anything, but that's whats happening he even applied to Tesco last week and said it was embarrising for a 43 year old to be interviewed by an 18 year old who could barely string a sentence together and he said that he would have made a better job of being the interviewer. Nothing for it except to sell hubby off !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :p
 
walsh101 said:
as he is an unskilled manual labourer and the only licence he has is a forklift licence.
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Friend of mine has exact same background and has never have had a problem getting a job (Dublin based - Forklift driver in warehouse). He actually got 3 jobs in the last 2 years through agencies.
So i think these jobs are still in demand and your husband should be able to get a job (may be not great hours, not great salary, and not great working conditions, but better than nothing.)

Are you sure he has been "really" looking for a job?
 
Has your husband discussed his situation with his local FAS office -he may be entitled to some courses free given his time on JSB (job seekers). He may even receive a payment on certain FAS courses. i would suggest you make use of all the services. you have nothing to lose. Citizens Information have information on possible entitlements or courses, Mabs will help you budget and may have tips or suggestions for paying bills that make it easier for you and may be able to suggest other options - for example have you looked into whether you can take a payment holiday form your mortgage (clear other debts in that time etc). Have you ensured that you are using all his tax credits and are in the correct tax band, have you claimed bin tax, medical expenses etc .. they may help pay car insurance or something for the year
 
If you've got substantial equity built up in your home you could lenghten the term to reduce the mortgage amount or go interest only until you get back on your feet. MABS or Citizen Advice bureau should be able to help with advice.

I think you can requalify for unemployment benefit after only working for a few months so it's a pity your husband cannot get any work.

sorry to hear about your circumstances.
 
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Thanks Bacchus for your reply, but I think that part of the problem is that a lot warehouse jobs start at 8 or 8.30 in the morning and most are in industrial estates and as we don't have a car and the first bus on our route starts at 7 o'clock and would take about three different buses to get to the place he wouldn't be there on time.
 
Thrifty is right about going to Fas. Make sure to register with Fas as seeking work and ask what Community Employment Schemes are in the area. As the scheme is only 19 hours a week it gives him time to take on extra work (if part time became available) or go job hunting.Not a lot of money is paid (about€200) while on the scheme but it might be a start and it is part of the conditions of the scheme that he does some couses to up-skill.

Meantime make sure to keep signing for credits at his local Social Welfare even though he is getting no payment
 
He went to FAS in the beginning and he had to hound them for over a year to get a course. He eventually got a course that lasted for about 4 months and that finished before Christmas and was then told that you can only apply for one course every 2 years, so he can't do any more course. He isn't looking for a job that pays a fortune he just wants to work as he is bored at home and is not used to being unemployed.
 
Black Sheep, you say that he should keep signing on even though he is getting no payment why is that. I know that I sound really tight but our SW Office is in Clondalkin and we live in Lucan and you have to get 3 buses to get to it and we don't even have the money to pay bus fare and a regular basis, is it really necessary for him to keep signing on.
 
He should still be signing on to keep up his "stamps" ie his PRSI stamps. It counts towards state pension etc.

Is there any CE scheme he would be eligible for? At least then he would still be getting payments of some sort - with his manual labour experience he may be lucky, I know a lot of people who would have found CE jobs as caretakers for primary schools, and CE jobs related to the upkeep and maintenance of public spaces and graveyards and such, but these would have been rural locations, I see you're in Lucan so not sure if there's any like that where you are.

Keep applying for jobs, I know it's hard when you feel you're getting knocked back at every step(trust me I've been there before and am there again having been made redundant at the end of last year) but something will turn up eventually. Ask everyone you know if there's any work going in places like hardware/timber yards, garden centres, etc, with his forklift licence he may find a job there.
 
walsh101 said:
Thanks Bacchus for your reply, but I think that part of the problem is that a lot warehouse jobs start at 8 or 8.30 in the morning and most are in industrial estates and as we don't have a car and the first bus on our route starts at 7 o'clock and would take about three different buses to get to the place he wouldn't be there on time.
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Wouldn't something like a moped be relatively economical to run?

Thrifty said:
Has your husband discussed his situation with his local FAS office -he may be entitled to some courses free given his time on JSB (job seekers).
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Just to be accurate according to the original post he was on means tested Jobseekers Allowance not PRSI linked Jobseekers Benefit. The thread title and the first post do not match with regard to the terms used.

walsh101 said:
Black Sheep, you say that he should keep signing on even though he is getting no payment why is that. I know that I sound really tight but our SW Office is in Clondalkin and we live in Lucan and you have to get 3 buses to get to it and we don't even have the money to pay bus fare and a regular basis, is it really necessary for him to keep signing on.
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By continuing to sign on (not necessarily every week) even if he gets no payment he should get credits in respect of long term (e.g. pension) PRSI benefits. Check this out with the local SW office.
 
Did he try May Cahill Roberts in Ballyfermot? it is on a bus line from Lucan and i think there are always on the look for drivers.
 
walsh101 said:
I know that I sound really tight but our SW Office is in Clondalkin and we live in Lucan and you have to get 3 buses to get to it and we don't even have the money to pay bus fare and a regular basis, is it really necessary for him to keep signing on.
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Could he not cycle?
 
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