# Returning to work and im screwed!



## bluloa (21 Nov 2008)

I have been unemployed for the past 2 years,

I have just been contacted and offered a position starting this monday. The position is salary and paid monthly.

However I have been told I wont receive a wage untill the end of January because of early christmas payments for existing staff. 

Ive just spoken to welfare, and they have informed me I can apply for Back to work allowance which pays 75% of my current benefits. However I have to apply for this.

*My Question here is how long will I have to wait for this to actually be paid? And what will I require my new employer to do? I dont really want to start a new job on Monday and give my new employer a long list of welfare forms! That looks really proffesional!*

Also I receive at the moment around 425 euro per week unemployment, which covers myself, the wife and kids. If I take this job my income drops to 318 per week with the BTW allowance until Feb next year! I also will loose my heating allowance of 18 euro per week, which equals to a loss of 125.10 per week! I will also need petrol each week to travel which will cost me around €60 per week! so in total I will be left with just €258 a week to live off! Now I could maybe manage this, but with Christmas coming up there is no way I can live on that! 

It just seems so unfair, that having tried to find work over the past 2 years, I finally get something but I have so many obstacles against me! It seems it maybe be better to just stay unemployed but I dont want that for myself or my family.

Does anyone else have any idea if there is any further help out there?

Thanks in advance!


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## gipimann (21 Nov 2008)

Contact your CWO based at the local health centre and make an application for Supplementary Welfare Allowance.  It's not an automatic entitlement, but you may be allowed an emergency payment while awaiting wages / Back to Work Allowance.


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## Welfarite (24 Nov 2008)

You will retain your secondary benefits such as Fuel allowance for three years while on BTWA. Download the application form here. I don't think that you will have to wait for a decision on iot as it's a straight forward change over from JA to BTW payment. It's not a complicated form-filling exercise. Your employer certifys that he's employing and then bring it in to the SW office.


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## busymam (25 Nov 2008)

Welfarite said:


> You will retain your secondary benefits such as Fuel allowance for three years while on BTWA. Download the application form here. I don't think that you will have to wait for a decision on iot as it's a straight forward change over from JA to BTW payment. It's not a complicated form-filling exercise. Your employer certifys that he's employing and then bring it in to the SW office.


 
Just to add that to qualify for the retention of secondary benefits, the household income has to be less than €317.43 a week.

"You can *also* keep any 'secondary benefits' (see below) for 3 years as long as your *household income** is less than €317.43 gross per week. 
*Household income includes your spouse's or partner's income but allows for PRSI and reasonable travel expenses. Back to Work Allowance ( BTWA) and Family Income Supplement ( FIS) is not taken into account for the €317.43 weekly income limit." 

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW93/Pages/3WhatarethebenefitsoftheAllowance.aspx

Hope this helps


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## theresa1 (25 Nov 2008)

Stay unemployed if your better off financially.


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## Henny Penny (25 Nov 2008)

Congrats on your new job ... 2 years looking for suitable employment must have been soul destroying. I don't have much advice to add to that you've already been given - just wishing you all the best.


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## bren1916 (25 Nov 2008)

theresa1 said:


> Stay unemployed if your better off financially.


 

Or get back into the workforce if you can manage it financially...
Though it may be difficult for a while - you can hold your head up high and set a great example to your kids that you're a man who'd rather work to support his family.
Good on ye mate!


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## dontaskme (25 Nov 2008)

Take the job.

You might have to borrow to tide yourself over the first month but if you are working it should be a bit easier.

If you have a medical card you might be entitled to pay less prsi.

To be honest, it seems a bit fishy that you are starting now and not getting paid until February. I've never heard of anyone having to work for 10 weeks before getting paid. TBH I wouldn't have thought that an employer be allowed to do this.


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