# JSB Rates and Entitlements



## paulgreen (12 Dec 2011)

I'll try and be brief

Made redundent in April 2008 and received JSB until June 09 when the entitlement ran out,Didn't qualify for JSA but signed on for credits then in Dec 2010 managed to get a years work finished last Friday

Just come back from the social and at first they said that I didn't qualify for a new claim for JSB then changed their mind and said I might get a reduced claim I don't have any paid contributions for what they call the relevent tax year which in my case is 2009 (although signed for credits from June 09)

Looking at the web site the info is a little confusing 

QUOTE



At least 104 weeks PRSI paid since you first started work
*And*


Have 39 weeks PRSI paid or credited in the relevant tax year (a minimum     of 13 weeks must be paid contributions***)
*Or*


Have 26 weeks PRSI paid in the relevant tax year and 26 weeks PRSI paid     in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year.
***If you do not have 13 paid contributions in the relevant tax year, you must have paid 13 contributions in any of the following years:


The 2 tax years before the relevant tax year
The last complete tax year
The current tax year.
The Relevant Tax Year is the second last complete tax year before the year in which your claim is made. So, for claims made in 2011, the Relevant Tax Year is 2009.


UNQUOTE


But I am thinking that I do qualify as I do have 13 contributions in The 2 tax years before the relevant tax year and The current tax year.


Has anyone got any thoughts on this that they could share?


Thanks


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## Ildánach (12 Dec 2011)

You will have the 13 contributions to be able to *possibly *re-qualify.  Whether you *actually *re-qualify depends on whether you meet the other conditions, including having sufficient PRSI contributions.

You will have the 39 paid or creditted contributions in 2009 (JB credits until June 09, and signing for credits for the rest of the year).

You will not have the 13 paid contributions in 2009.  However you will have them in another relevant year (current tax year)

You appear to have suffered a further substantial loss of employment.

Actually in your case, its probably not a re-qualification case, but a completely new claim as your claim is separated by more than 26 weeks from your last one.  In any event, the conditions for eligibility are the same.

You should therefore qualify for Jobseekers Benefit.  As you have no paid contributions in 2009, you will qualify at the minimum rate (84.50 plus any increse for spouse/children)

If you waited until January to make your claim, your claim would be based on your 2010 contributions.  If you only worked 4 weeks or so (ie December) in 2010, then your Benefit would be based on your average over those 4 weeks, so you may well be eligible for a full payment of 188 plus any increases due, provided that your average earnings were over 300 Euro.


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## paulgreen (12 Dec 2011)

Ildánach said:


> You will have the 13 contributions to be able to *possibly *re-qualify.  Whether you *actually *re-qualify depends on whether you meet the other conditions, including having sufficient PRSI contributions.
> 
> You will have the 39 paid or creditted contributions in 2009 (JB credits until June 09, and signing for credits for the rest of the year).
> 
> ...



Thanks very much for the note.I didn't get any salary in Dec 10 only started getting paid in Jan 11 back dated so I didn't make any contributions in 2010 so based on your reply I doubt you could use the 4 week avg


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## Ildánach (12 Dec 2011)

paulgreen said:


> Thanks very much for the note.I didn't get any salary in Dec 10 only started getting paid in Jan 11 back dated so I didn't make any contributions in 2010 so based on your reply I doubt you could use the 4 week avg



But your PRSI contributions will be dated January, as that's the period that you worked for them.  

To work out the average earnings for the purpose of determining your rate of payment, you take your total earnings for the year, and divide by the weeks worked.  If you only worked one week in the year, that's your average!!!  It doesn't sound right, but I assure you that the information is accurate.  Here is the Department's Operational Guidelines on Jobseekers Benefit  http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/jb_jobseekben.aspx#part12


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## paulgreen (12 Dec 2011)

Ildánach said:


> But your PRSI contributions will be dated January, as that's the period that you worked for them.



correct that's why I don't really understand your point about the 4 weeks in Dec I only starting paying contributions in Jan so surely 2010 would not be relevent unless I'm missing the point.

Anyway thanks for your response


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## Ildánach (12 Dec 2011)

Sorry, I meant dated December.

if you worked in December, your credits will be dated December.


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## paulgreen (13 Dec 2011)

Ildánach said:


> You will have the 13 contributions to be able to *possibly *re-qualify.
> 
> You will have the 39 paid or creditted contributions in 2009 (JB credits until June 09, and signing for credits for the rest of the year).
> 
> ...


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## Ildánach (13 Dec 2011)

You have the 39 credited in 2009 and the 13 in a relevant year, that's grand.  But that doesn't determine the rate you get paid.  

No matter what year your qualifying contributions were made, the rate depends only on your average earnings in the GCY (General Contribution Year), so if you claim in 2011, it is based on your average in 2009, if you claim in 2012, it is based on 2010.


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## eastbono (13 Dec 2011)

From what you said you should requalify for jsb as you have 13 a contributions since day 156 of the date your last jsb claim exhausted. From what you say It appears that you will have the minimum payment €84.50 unless your circumstances have changed since your jsb last exhausted and you may qualify for jsa which is means tested.


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## paulgreen (13 Dec 2011)

Ildánach said:


> You have the 39 credited in 2009 and the 13 in a relevant year, that's grand.  But that doesn't determine the rate you get paid.
> 
> No matter what year your qualifying contributions were made, the rate depends only on your average earnings in the GCY (General Contribution Year), so if you claim in 2011, it is based on your average in 2009, if you claim in 2012, it is based on 2010.




ok got it thanks looks like I  would have been better to wait until next year to claim but I guess that's too late now


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