# Moving back to Ireland and Social Welfare Allowance



## outtotime (5 Sep 2011)

Hi All. I am moving back to Ireland in October having lived in Germany for the last 3 years. When I come back i will be doing college course and so I would rather try not to work but rather concentrate on the course. I'm wondering what social welfare payments would I be entitled to. My problem is that I presume I can get job seekers because I won't be looking for a job then and also I'm not sure if I've been away too long to be entitles to that. How do they deal with circumstances like mine?


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## niceoneted (5 Sep 2011)

If you are studying you will not be entitled to anything afaik. Not even back to education allowance as I believe you would have had to be on JB/JA to get it.


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## gipimann (5 Sep 2011)

niceoneted is correct - you are not entitled to SW as a full-time student.   You would not be eligible for Jobseeker's for a few reasons, not least the fact that you have stated that you will not be looking for work (which is one of the qualifying criteria).


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## outtotime (6 Sep 2011)

*Grant*

It will be a part time course though. Would that make a difference to getting a grant? And what about other social welfare allowances for unemployment? Is there no support for people who want to study as mature students?


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## Sue Ellen (6 Sep 2011)

outtotime said:


> It will be a part time course though. Would that make a difference to getting a grant? And what about other social welfare allowances for unemployment? Is there no support for people who want to study as mature students?



If you have a read through the mature student criteria on the Citizens Information website you may be able to get some further advice or give them a call.


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## gipimann (6 Sep 2011)

You may be able to sign for Jobseeker's while doing a part-time course, but only if you are available for, and looking for full-time work.

You may be able to transfer your Unemployment/Jobseeker's Benefit from Germany (as was suggested in another thread), but you will have to check the requirements before you return - to transfer benefit from Ireland you must have been signing for at least 4 weeks, it may be similar in Germany.


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## sean.c (7 Sep 2011)

As well as all the above, social welfare entitlements are now subject to a residency status check.  The community welfare officer who dealt with me didn't even bother filling in that page, but it might be different for you.


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## castleforbes (7 Sep 2011)

Why would you move from Germany to Ireland if you do not have the funds to support yourself and you wish for social welfare to pay while you go to college.  The social rates in Germany is quiet a lot lower than those in Ireland, can you not do the course in Germany.  I know of a of lot of people in my company(myself included) who study at night and work during the day.


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## Mongola (8 Sep 2011)

outtotime said:


> It will be a part time course though. Would that make a difference to getting a grant? And what about other social welfare allowances for unemployment? Is there no support for people who want to study as mature students?


 

So you are basically hoping to come back over here, study at your leisure (part time) be "compensated". You also clearly state that you have absolutely no intention of getting a job as you want to focus on your part time course? Am I missing something here????????

I came over to Ireland from France when I was 18, I was au pair for a year, then decided to stay on, found a job etc...I also enrolled in college and put myself through college while holding a full time job. I did not have much of a life for years but I obtained my degree in the end. 

Working in your case is not a luxury but a necessity.


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## Mongola (8 Sep 2011)

By the way, 10 years later: I still have not claim one cent & touch wood, I hope I will never have to, at least NOT BY CHOICE.


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## outtotime (20 Sep 2011)

*Entitlements*

Mongola: I just wanted to know if there is anything I am entitled to. I don't need lecture on the morals of claiming money from the state. I, like you, have always worked and supported myself and never claimed any payments, except for for just 2 weeks before I left Ireland in 2008. And I never received any grants before either. But I know there are grants available for some people under certain circumstances and there are people who receive various different types of social welfare based on different circumstances, even when they are in college. What I'm not sure of is what those circumstances need to be, so I was looking for advice on whether I might be entitled to something based on other peoples experience on this forum.  

Castleforbes: The course I want to is not available to do in Berlin, so I'm coming home to do it.


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## Mongola (20 Sep 2011)

I am not the moral police but what I understood from your post and actually this still comes across, is that you want to come back and solely focus on your course with no intention to work....

If you had say, I am planning to come back, benefit of what I am entitled to for a few weeks so that you get going and then get a job...I would not have said that but that is not what your post read.


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## Mongola (20 Sep 2011)

There are still many things that I would like to study, some to improve my career and others for pleasure. I am also entitled to certain benefits: does this mean I give up my job, use those benefits or whatever I am entitled to go and study (part time!) at my leisure????

Most of us have entitlement to certain benefits/support: do we use them? no!

I am sorry, I am getting quite annoyed abt this post as a girl I knew did that a few years ago...The circumstances were a bit different but while we were all working long days, getting cuts and the whoel thing, she was able to study at her leisure for 3 years while being supported by the government! I was so close to ring Scl Services...so close!


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## ClubMan (20 Sep 2011)

Mongola said:


> Most of us have entitlement to certain benefits/support: do we use them? no!


I'd question that assertion. A few years back I found myself unemployed for a period of about 8 months. I could have easily survived on savings without claiming the non means tested _Jobseekers Benefit _to which I was entitled (through having made years of _PRSI _contributions) - but naturally (to me at least) I claimed it. Similarly I always endeavour to avail of all entitlements (e.g. social welfare, taxation, public services etc.) available to me. Can't see why anybody would have an issue with that - like others I have paid enough tax/_PRSI_/levies etc. over the years to get something back. The original poster is perfectly entitled and, in my opinion, correct to research what, if any, entitlements are legitimately available to them.


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## Mongola (20 Sep 2011)

ClubMan said:


> I'd question that assertion. A few years back I found myself unemployed for a period of about 8 months. I could have easily survived on savings without claiming the non means tested _Jobseekers Benefit _to which I was entitled (through having made years of _PRSI _contributions) - but naturally (to me at least) I claimed it. Similarly I always endeavour to avail of all entitlements (e.g. social welfare, taxation, public services etc.) available to me. Can't see why anybody would have an issue with that - like others I have paid enough tax/_PRSI_/levies etc. over the years to get something back. The original poster is perfectly entitled and, in my opinion, correct to research what, if any, entitlements are legitimately available to them.


 

I do not have any issue with that and if you were unemployed: of course you are going to claim. That is why we pay taxes so that if one day we are in a situation where we need a bit of help/assistance it is there. 
Also, claiming what you are entitled to, let's say such as rent relief or whatever it is: again, no pb. 

Where I had a pb, is that the poster clearly set out in her post that although she was going to work part time: she had no intention of working! That is what made me react!


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## outtotime (20 Sep 2011)

*Entitlements*

Mongola, that is your decision then, not to claim benefits you are entitled to. If you want to get annoyed with someone get annoyed with the friend you mentioned. You say you wanted to ring social services so obviously you think she was not entitled to them. I will once again say that I am only inquiring about what I might be entitled to. So I am nothing like your friend. 

Not wanting to work has nothing to do with being lazy. I will get a job if I have to, but I hoped if just for once in my life, I could claim something back after always having worked while in school and college, while others got grants and money from parents and could therefore spend more time studying. I had to work too much I believe I could have done better with more time. This time I want to dedicate more time to studying. 

The chances are I probably won't be entitled to anything at all, as most people have advised. But it would have been nice for a change, if I was.


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## outtotime (20 Sep 2011)

*Entitlements*

And by the way Mongola, I didn't I say I have "had no intention of working". I said: "I would rather try not to work but rather concentrate on the course", which is quite a different thing. And I won't be looking for work when I first return. But if I'm not entitled to anything I will have no choice but to work, and this will probably affect how well I can do in the course, which, by the way, is only 9 months long. I just wish I could concentrate on study for once. 

I also never said anything about being female. You make a lot of assumptions.


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## Ann1 (20 Sep 2011)

outtotime said:


> Hi All. I am moving back to Ireland in October having lived in Germany for the last 3 years. When I come back i will be doing college course and so I would rather try not to work but rather concentrate on the course. I'm wondering what social welfare payments would I be entitled to. My problem is that I presume I can get job seekers because I won't be looking for a job then and also I'm not sure if I've been away too long to be entitles to that. How do they deal with circumstances like mine?


Hi outtotime
These links may have some information that might help you....good luck with your study.

http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/education/university/financial/index_en.htm


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## Guest105 (20 Sep 2011)

Mongola said:


> I am sorry, I am getting quite annoyed abt this post as a girl I knew did that a few years ago...The circumstances were a bit different but while we were all working long days, getting cuts and the whoel thing, she was able to study at her leisure for 3 years while being supported by the government! I was so close to ring Scl Services...so close!



I understand your annoyance to an extend but this girl you are referring to was most likely on the BTEA  so she would have been perfectly legitimate in what she was doing. Why on earth were you tempted to ring Social Services?? you only do that if you suspect someone is claiming dole when they are working.

 Don't assume studying is a bed of roses, it ain't, you got to work damn hard to pass exams and to get assignments etc in on time.


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## Infoneeded (29 Sep 2011)

[QUOTE Don't assume studying is a bed of roses, it ain't, you got to work damn hard to pass exams and to get assignments etc in on time.[/QUOTE]

Studying is hard, there is no denying that but loads of people espec mature students choose to study doing evening courses.. which need just as must effort and study in less time while still working full/part-time jobs and having family commitments aswell. 

Good luck with your studying outtotime.. maybe a part-time job in the area your studying in might be an option. As you will be getting some experience aswel.


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