13 weeks work - Re-qualifying for Jobseeker's Benefit

Hi,

My wife lost her job in January 2009 and signed on until February 2010 availing of stamps, she had worked for 15 years. Now she has got some maternity cover for about 14 weeks(part time) and from what i see she has paid the full contribution in prsi. Looking through some websites i see that she might be entitled to re qualify for Jobseekers Benefit, it this true. I dont like asking these questions, but times necessitate.

I am sceptical as it was February 2010 when she finished signing on and its now 2011.

any thought much appreciated.

Kind Regards
Fred.

Fred, I am in a similar situation, in that I was claiming, but my claim was just about to run out.
I managed to get a years work on a CE scheme and have 41 stamps in 2010 and 11 in 2011. I was in an interview in SW this morning and I got the woman to double check as she told me at first I wasn't entitled to anything, then told me I was only entitled to claim what was left on my "old claim" Only after persisting and telling her I had at least 9 months of credits in 2010 did she check and confirm that I could start a new claim, though I have to take in my p60 as their records do not show anything yet for last year.

I presume your wife will get a p45 showing 14 credits at the end of the work so she should be able to requalify from that as I was told that if my p45 had 13 PRSI contributions on it that would have sufficed for me to requalify.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/JobseekerSupports/JobseekersBenefit/Pages/jb.aspx#Rules2

She should re-qualify as long as she:

- has the 13 PRSI contributions since exhausting her benefit
- has now lost at least one day's employment
- has sufficient contributions in the General Contribution Year (ie, 2009)