# going back to work after maternity leave



## guerngirl (24 Nov 2010)

hi,
I'm shortly going on maternity leave and when i go back to work 6 months later, i will be paying double creche fees for my two children.  this effectively means that after working fulltime and paying mortgage and creche etc, i will take home approx 300 eur in total per month.  question, having paid taxes for years and prsi at highest rate, am i entitled to be on the dole after maternity leave?  i'm married and my husband earns a fairly high salary 100k.  i'd be better off on the dole than working next year!


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## gipimann (24 Nov 2010)

One of the conditions for claiming jobseeker's benefit is that you must be available for and be seeking full-time work.   Will you be looking for another job, given that childcare expenses that are driving you out of your current job?

If you qualify, you would only be entitled to Jobseeker's Benefit for a maximum of 12 months - after that you'd be means-tested so wouldn't qualify based on your husband's income.


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## fender (24 Nov 2010)

No. Dole is means tested and PRSI (Job Seekers) is insurance payable if you lose your job.
You have to prove you are looking for a job to get job seekers. 

You are choosing to give up your job.


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## eastbono (24 Nov 2010)

Hi guerngirl,

Iwould be very careful giving up my job after mat leave... you probably have an entitlement to jobseekers benefit but when you apply I would expect and social welfare office to contact your employer to know why you left your job and if the reply they give is because you wanted to stay at home then you would immediately have a I think 9 week period before you would be paid any JB and then you would get very strict forms called UP19 looking for very detailed proof of your efforts to seek employment with written confirmation from people or companies you had applied to saying you did not get the job and why.


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## guerngirl (24 Nov 2010)

i have to give up my job as its a contract role, fixed term.  im not in permanent employment.  in this case, you think i am eligible for job seekers allowance?  how much does this work out as?  i will be seeking employment after the 6 months mat leave is over


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## allthedoyles (24 Nov 2010)

Jobseekers allowance is means tested , and your husbands earnings will be taken into account .


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## eastbono (24 Nov 2010)

hi again... is it jobseekers benefit or allowance you will be appylying for...I would presume you have entitlement for jobseekers benefit if you are receiving mat benefit... are you receiving mat benefit


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## guerngirl (24 Nov 2010)

yes i will receive statutory maternity benefit.  this means afterwards i'm entitled to jobseekers benefit?  do you know how much that is? again if means tested, my husband earns 100k


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## eastbono (24 Nov 2010)

hiya

under current regulations you will be entitled to 196.00E per week... for 312 days... from your husbands earnings you will not be entitled to ada... i.e. a payment for your husband or cda... payment for your children...  jobseekers benefit is not means tested it depends on your contributions or to the layperson your stamps.... when will you be coming off mat benefit because if it is 2011 it will depend on your contributions in 2009...


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## guerngirl (24 Nov 2010)

hi yes it will be 2011.  thanks very much for this, this is really helpful.


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## eastbono (24 Nov 2010)

no prob... glad to be of help and best of luck with the new addition


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## huskerdu (25 Nov 2010)

You are probably entitled to JSB, based on your PRSI contributions. 
but, as has been said in a previous post,  you have to be available for work and looking for work. 

If you are a full time parent, you could be asked to prove that you are looking for work and have childcare arrangements in place when you find a job.


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## DB74 (25 Nov 2010)

eastbono said:


> hi again... is it jobseekers benefit or allowance you will be appylying for...I would presume you have entitlement for jobseekers benefit if you are receiving mat benefit... are you receiving mat benefit


 
Self-employed people are also entitled to maternity benefit so just because someone gets maternity benefit doesn't mean that they would be entitled to JSB


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## eastbono (3 Dec 2010)

huskerdu said:


> You are probably entitled to JSB, based on your PRSI contributions.
> but, as has been said in a previous post,  you have to be available for work and looking for work.
> 
> If you are a full time parent, you could be asked to prove that you are looking for work and have childcare arrangements in place when you find a job.



You may be asked to provide proof that you are looking for work but their is no obligation on any person applying for jsb to prove that they have childcare arrangements in place.


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## Tentman (5 Dec 2010)

eastbono said:


> You may be asked to provide proof that you are looking for work but their is no obligation on any person applying for jsb to prove that they have childcare arrangements in place.



Not now, but the changes coming in next Tuesday's budget will mean much stricter criteria for any welfare benefit. That is a stated intention in the Gov's Memorandum of Agreement( meaning surrender) with ECB/IMF. OP, when is your current contract up? Are you getting any discount from the creche for having 2 children with them?


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