# Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this affect payment



## Lone Parent (8 Jun 2009)

Hi, I'm a lone parent with one child and I am in receipt of One parent family payment. I have been offered a part-time job, working 19 hours a week and I will be paid €200, how will this effect my payment? how much will i be deducted from my SW payment. I will not be paying tax as I wont earn enough. My employer said he will pay my prsi.


----------



## samanthajane (8 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

You can earn up to 148.50 before your payment is effected. After that every euro you earn 50c will be taken away, So you will have 25.75 taken away from your loan parents. 

Since you will be working 19hours a week you will be entitled to apply for FIS. 

What other income do you have, and i can figure out (approx) what you can get from FIS.

Also are you recieving rent allowance? By earning 200 a week the 1st 100 is disregarded and the remaining 100 you will have to pay towards your rent.


----------



## Lone Parent (8 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

Samanthajane, many thanks for your prompt reply.  I have no other income, and i live with my parents


----------



## samanthajane (8 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

The FIS limit for 1 child is €500 a week. 

So you loan parents will be reduced to €204.55

Plus €200 wages a week brings your total income to €404.55.

Your'll recieve 60% of the difference which is €57.27 a week.


----------



## Lone Parent (8 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

many thanks once again, looks like im going back to work yeah


----------



## aquaceri (9 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

Hi there,

I am a lone parent of two children, I used to get lone parent payment but i returned to work full time and was no longer entitled to it. I have been working full time for almost two years and now my job have told me that they need to cut my hours from 37.5 to 20 per week. My mortgage is 1240.00 per month which i struggled for months and months to get and I am so so worried about what is going to happen to me and the kids. What i would like to know is whether it is better for me to apply for FIS or re apply for my lone parents or both!

I will be earning gross of 362.00 based on 20hours per week. This will be my only earnings... Is there any way i can calculate what I would come out with each week?

Thanks so much I am at my wits end.....


----------



## Welfarite (9 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

The first €146.50 of your weekly earnings is not taken into account and social insurance contributions, health contributions, superannuation contributions and trade union subscriptions will not be taken into account in the assessment of earnings.
Half the remainder of your earnings up to €425 per week is assessed as means. You can claim FIS as well, as long as your earnings and SW income don't exceed the limit for 2 children of €590. You will also be able to claim half-rate JB for the days that you are not working (Mon-Sat).


----------



## samanthajane (9 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

Hi aquaceri, 

You should be entitled to both. 

You would recieve 149.55 from loan parents allowance and 47.07 from FIS. Your loan parents allowance will go up slightly in september when the fuel allowance comes into effect again. 

You wont be entitled to the back to school clothing allowance, which was the only other thing i could think of that you might be entitled to, your €78 over the limit if it was just a few euro i would of said try anyway but not with being that much over.

EDIT: oh yeah i forgot about JB, your'll have to see which you would be better off on. Not including FIS your income is €511.55. I'd imagine any JB you got would probably take you over the €590 so you wouldn't be able to claim FIS.


----------



## Welfarite (9 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

Are SJ's figures quoted off *gross* pay of €362? If so, actual payment will be higher than quoted and limits might not be exceeded.


----------



## samanthajane (9 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

yeah forgot about that aswell oops.....

good job your here welfarite!!!


----------



## aquaceri (9 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

Hi guys 

Thanks so much for this! So really I wouldnt be losing out on very much at all... Just to answer welfarite the 362 is gross - It would be about 347 Net...would this make much difference? 

Also, can i begin applying now even though this wont come into effect until the beginning of July or do I wait until my payslips are only showing 20 hours. i am worried about what I live on if the applications take about 8 weeks...

Thanks


----------



## samanthajane (9 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

It wont make much difference just your payments will be a bit higher. 

Yes apply now as applications can take a while. Send in what ever information that you can now. A letter from your employer stating the cut in hours and what your pay will be wouldn't hurt either if you can't get that then explaine on the form why you are claiming and that you will send in bank statements/wage slips when you have them.


----------



## Lone Parent (22 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

Hi, Thank you for all the helpful replies I received to my last query.
 I have now returned to part-time work, I am working 19 hours, I notified the Social Welfare and they will amend my payment from this week. I think they said I should receive €210.30 plus my wages €200.00. I am filling out the Family Income Supplement forms but I am not sure how much i will receive.
I was told to apply for the Back to Shcool Clothing and footware payment but the limit is €407 which means I will be over the limit by €3.30 - should I still apply for it or am I wasting everyones time.  thanks in advance


----------



## samanthajane (22 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

I dont think you would be entitled to the back to school allowance. 

You are applying for FIS as well which make your limit even more over than the €3.30. 

It will take a while for the FIS to come through but it will be back dated to when you applied, so this will still be classed as having earning over the limit. 

I'd still apply and see if you could claim. 

When your FIS comes through you should be getting €53.82 extra a week.


----------



## Lone Parent (24 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

Thank you Samanthajane, for your prompt reply. I have to put my little girl into a creche but i dont think i can affort it. It might be better if i didnt work, I would be financially better off, plus i could claim more help 
thanks again, im depressed now lol


----------



## samanthajane (24 Jun 2009)

*Re: Lone Parent on OPF wants to return to work, but how will this effect payment*

sorry to hear that. 

It's crazy that you can be better off not working....but untill something is changed regarding the system with loan parents there are a lot of people in your situation. 

You seemed really happy to be going back to work as well. Since you are only working part-time is there not chance a fanily member of a friends could help out even 1 or 2 days a week to cut down on the childcare costs, that seems to be the main outgoing that you will have that is making you think of quitting the job. You could maybe try and do a swap with someone, i used to do that, a friend had my daughter for 1 day a week and i had hers for 1 day a week.

How long before your child will be in school? It could be that you might have to wait till then so that you donthave to pay for childcare. 

Good luck hope you manage to sort things out.


----------

