# stopping one parent family payment, am i entitled to anything?



## liketoknow (15 Apr 2008)

i am going to get back together with my ex and come off the one parent family payment. he earns 350 per week any pays maintenance of 100 per week for his two children from a previous relationship. 

i am wondering am i entitled to any allowance as i wont have an income, i have two children with him and one is seriously ill.
i have applied for domicilliary allowance but i am waiting months for a decision on that. 

would i be able to get another allowance in the meantime?

thanks in advance

any help would be appreciated


----------



## Thrifty (15 Apr 2008)

Apply for carers allowance in your own right if you are looking after your son. It's usually easier to get after domicilary care has been awarded but apply now if you feel you meet the criteria. Also get your partner to apply for FIS, Family Income Supplement.


----------



## aquaceri (15 Apr 2008)

Hi there,

I think that your partner should be able to claim for "his family" sure thats the reason they use for not being able to claim opf anymore! In their eyes he should be supporting you. its so frustrating i know!

He should be able to claim FIS. I cant see why you guys wouldnt be entitled to it. Applying for any state benefits takes a long time. I went for 3mths about 18mths ago without any income at all while waiting for my OPF to be reinstated, It was truly the worst time of my life and i had nowhere to turn. I had been approved but it simply took that long to get processed!

I hope that helps you some. you should make an apt with citizens advice, they will be able to tell you exactly what you are entitled to.


----------



## Welfarite (15 Apr 2008)

aquaceri said:


> I went for 3mths about 18mths ago without any income at all while waiting for my OPF to be reinstated, It was truly the worst time of my life and i had nowhere to turn. I had been approved but it simply took that long to get processed!


 
For future reference, you should be entitled to Supplementary Welfare Allowance while you are waiting for a SW payment. Whatever is paid on that is deducted from the arrears due when the SW payment comes through.


----------



## Black Sheep (15 Apr 2008)

Carers Allowance will only be awarded when Domicillary Allowance is in place. I'm afraid its a long and tedious process (in this area anyhow) so perhaps previous posters suggestion of applying for Carers now (as it also is a long process) is a good one to get the process started. 

When replying to the question on the Carers form about DCA I would put DCA applied for, awaiting decision and when you get your decision from HSE send a copy to Carers Section as further information supporting your claim

Also your partner could apply for FIS as he is supporting 4 children on low income


----------



## liketoknow (15 Apr 2008)

thanks for the info , can he still claim fis for 4 children if he lives me and our two children and pays maintenance weekly in respect of the other two children?


----------



## Black Sheep (15 Apr 2008)

When claiming FIS the child/children should be normally be living with him and supported by him, but as he is also supporting 2 children from a previous relationship I think it might be worth mentioning that in the application.

 I'm not an expert in this area but if you don't try you won't receive.


----------



## Welfarite (16 Apr 2008)

A claimant must have at least one qualified child normally living with or wholly or mainly maintained supported by him/her to qualify for FIS.
In the case of parents who are separated, a parent who is paying maintenance of at least €22.00 per child per week will fulfil the requirement of wholly or mainly maintaining that child and can qualify for FIS. However only one FIS payment can be made in respect of any family so if his ex-partner is already claiming FIS for the 2, he can't claim as well.


----------



## liketoknow (16 Apr 2008)

thanks welfarerite,

its just my partner phoned the fis dept today and was told that unless the children stayed with him at least 4 nights a week he could not claim it, even though he is maintaining them with 100 euro a week.

i looked up welfare.ie and it stated what you said. so im a bit confused.


----------



## Welfarite (21 Apr 2008)

liketoknow said:


> thanks welfarerite,
> 
> its just my partner phoned the fis dept today and was told that unless the children stayed with him at least 4 nights a week he could not claim it, even though he is maintaining them with 100 euro a week.
> 
> i looked up welfare.ie and it stated what you said. so im a bit confused.


 

That sounds strange! either A. The rules changed and they haven't told anybody or B. the person on the phone doesn't know what they're talking about! I would suggest the latter! Maybe, top be sure, riong them again and ask for a second opinion, quoting the website!?


----------



## liketoknow (21 Apr 2008)

i thought it was strange too, cant be right because if he is maintaining them there still his family and it is called family income supplement after all.


----------

