# Jobseekers Benefit to Illness Benefit??



## Boo (27 May 2009)

Hoping someone can help me here, I have read various posts as well as the welfare site and am pretty confused, so perhaps someone could assist? 

I am currently on Jobseekers Benefit after being made redundant last year. I have applied for over 100 jobs in the last few months, and have had a few interviews, but no offers. My chances of finding work have decreased significantly as I am now 20 weeks pregnant, in itself an obstacle, but am sufferering badly from a pregnancy related condition which I am receiving treatment and physio for, and if I was still in work would have resulted in me being absent from work lately. 
A friend tells me that I should be claiming for illness benefit as opposed to jobseekers benefit as I am unfit for work, but I don't know how that works, or what to do. My entitlement to JB runs out soon and I was hoping to get even temporary work so that I could get maternity benefit (I would be entitled based on PRSI record but need to be in employment to get it), but my chances of finding a job are narrowing all the time, especially as I can now barely walk. 

My partner earns just slightly over the limit for me to claim JA, so I won't be entitled to that. To be clear, I have no interest in claiming anything I am not fully entitled to, I just want to know if I am claiming the wrong benefit and what if anything I should do now. 

Thanks in advance for any replies.


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## Boo (28 May 2009)

Sorry, not bumping, but I'm reading the welfare site again and it gives details for Jobseekers Allowance to Illness Benefit, but doesn't mention J Benefit. 
Does anyone know if this is significant?


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## TillyD (28 May 2009)

My friend did this. She was on JB and was at the very end of her pregnancy and went on to illness benefit. You are not suppose to be on the JB if you are not fit for work and because of your pg related illness it sounds like you are not fit for work. You need to go to your GP and get a cert and inform the social welfare. She had to stay on illness benefit for 5 months after her pregnancy because she had a s-section. 

Good luck with your pregnancy and the new baby.


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