Can I check if my partner's ex-wife is claiming SW Back to school allowance?

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reb30

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Hi Just wondering if there is any way of checking if someone gets the back to school allowance. My partner ex wife wants half school fees for their child but she gets Family income support so I assume that she gets the back to school allowance which is 180? I have checked criteria and she meets it so my partner shouldn't have to pay out half when she is not paying out anything?
 
Re: Back to school allowance

I certainly hope and assume not - i.e. that one private individual can poke their nose into the private (e.g. SW) affairs of another! Is there any court order on maintenance in this situation which should clarify matters?
 
Re: Back to school allowance

Just because she gets FIS, she doesn't automatically get the back to school allowance.

You have to fill out a long form and get it stamped by your employer and submit it to a government department in Longford for FIS. It can take a number of months to hear back from them depending on their backlog.

The back to school allowance is paid out by your community welfare officer. You have to call to them and apply for it. They more or less tell you there and then if your entitled to it and your cheque is issued almost straight away if you are.

Two seperate places issue these payments so they don't go hand in hand.

You could try contact the welfare officer for ex's area and ask if ex is getting the back to school allowance? Depending on who you get, they may tell you.

Alternatively you could ring the welfare officer and ask why your ex was not getting the back to school allowance? For some strange reason they seem to respond to queries like this on the defence (well, hang on a minute! she never applied for it thats why shes not getting it etc. etc.)and give out information without realising!
 
Re: Back to school allowance

Maybe she can get it but does'nt because she thinks its a mother and fathers responsiblity to provide for there kids back to school needs and not the tax payers. Just a thought
 
Re: Back to school allowance

Many mothers and fathers in such situations are or were tax/PRSI payers too.
 
Re: Back to school allowance

True clubman. Im one of them myself. The point i was trying to make is this mother might be entitled to claim it but doesnt because she feels between herself and the child/childrens father they can afford the school costs without any assistance.
 
Re: Back to school allowance


How much is she looking for, I know when I send my child back to school it costs approx €500 and this is still Primary School, and this doesn't take account of school trips, unexpected other school costs during the year etc.

I am presuming that the child lives with the mother in this case, as with all Social Welfare payments whether she gets it or not will depend on her financial circumstances and will more than likely be means tested.

As Clubman rightly pointed out, and I for one hope, it is not possible for you or your partner to be made aware of any payments she is in receipt of, she is entitled to her privacy, all this because he or indeed you would rather not pay half.....
 
Re: Back to school allowance

As payments under the back to school scheme are made by the Community Welfare Officer using the Dept of Social Welfare computer system, it would be a breach of the Data Protection Act to disclose details of payments made to a third party without the written permission of the customer concerned.

Not to mention invasion of privacy! CWOs should not divulge such information, no matter how the questions are worded.
 
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Re: Back to school allowance

thanks for replies, its not a straight forward issue. They are currently going through divorce, she was claiming all sorts, no money etc but it was thrown out as she was given family home and was granted no increase in maintenance she already gets as she is well able to provide for herself. She chooses to work part time in order to qualify for FIS and also get the back to school allowance, she is out to get every penny she can from whoever will give it to her, I have no doubt she gets it, its just proving she does as she is trying to pull the wool over my partners eyes and pocket the money. Divorce is due to be finalised but she is ringing looking for money, so we think she wants to make sure she gets the money before she finally signs off on divorce, its a piddly few hundred euros but its the principal of the thing. She is a lier through and through and we just want her exposed for what she is. I may sound bitter but this is a long story with plenty of history, she can afford 4 foreign holidays a year, new car, extension to home but is claiming FIS and back to school, no justice for people like her.
 
Re: Back to school allowance

reb30 said:
she was claiming all sorts
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How do you know - since the original query was about how you could find out if she was claiming the back to school allowance?
She chooses to work part time in order to qualify for FIS and also get the back to school allowance
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Nothing untoward in that per se.
she is out to get every penny she can from whoever will give it to her, I have no doubt she gets it
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So why the original query then?
Divorce is due to be finalised but she is ringing looking for money, so we think she wants to make sure she gets the money before she finally signs off on divorce, its a piddly few hundred euros but its the principal of the thing.
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Probably best to deal with this through the courts so - i.e. get a ruling on what she and her ex-husband are entitled to so that everything is clear and above board. Of course it's possible that you may not like how the court rules...
She is a lier through and through and we just want her exposed for what she is. I may sound bitter but this is a long story with plenty of history
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Might be a good idea to try and look at the situation a bit more objectively and less emotionally?
she can afford 4 foreign holidays a year, new car, extension to home but is claiming FIS and back to school, no justice for people like her.
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Maybe she's just good at budgeting/saving? There's nothing to say that people legitimately claiming certain SW payments cannot have a decent lifestyle.
 
Re: Back to school allowance

thanks for reply I agree with some of it, there is nothing legitamate about this woman. If being on social welfare enables you to have the lifestyle she does then I think I will give up work. She has students all year round in her house and doesn't pay tax on that income, thats how she affords everything. Sol advised today that partner only has to pay half of whats not covered by the BAck to school allowance but we are depending on her to be honest about it. ha ha
 
Re: Back to school allowance

If it was me then I'd start thinking about getting legal advice on the issue.
 
Re: Back to school allowance

Maybe you should let her and her former husband sort this issue out as the child is theirs not yours?

You are looking out for your partners best interests, but these are the pitfalls of being with somebody who has kids with an ex. It could wind up in arguments between you two and put all your energy into your own relationship and let him work out his own issues with the ex. Otherwise, the ex will end up taking complete control of your life. Conversation around your breakfast table should not be about the ex all of the time.

You will never, ever know what went on between them to let them at it. There are 3 sides to every story - his story, her story and the truth.

Take control of your own life and if she is entitled to claim BTS, FIS or whatever, let her go for it. No matter what, she is still the mother of your partners child and she has to rear him/her and it's an expensive business! Every penny is needed and if she goes on 4 holidays a year, so what. Nothing stopping you two from doing that either.

Leave it be - don't shop her as it will just come up and bite you in the ass. If she doesn't get what shes entitled to, your partner will end up paying for everything and then some.

Just something to think about.
 
Re: Back to school allowance

She is perfectly entitled to earn money from having students in the house without paying tax under the rent-a-room scheme.

I'm sorry you are going through this.
 
Good point! Such income could obviously impact means tested allowances though.
 
thanks for that. I don't get involved really, I am just asking the question on his behalf, we have 2 small children ourselves so I know how expensive children can be. As the second family I am used to having a lower standard of living than she does, but at the end of the day we are happy so no matter what she has doesn't bother me its just all the lying she does. I believe in what goes around comes around so I hope one day it all comes back on her. She lies to her own child, example when she bought brand new car 25k she told child that it was her friends giving a lend, she crashed it a few weeks after getting it and it came out that it was her car. She had to explain to him that it was her car, she looked like such an idiot, not a great way to bring up your child. I feel sorry for him.
 
oh and you can only earn up to 7500 tax free from the rent a room scheme, she earns 3 times that and doesn't pay a penny in tax and claims FIS. I can't stand people who bleed the system.
 
I don't mean to be rude but you sound like you're jealous. She's really nothing to you. Sounds like you're too involved in her life as you know so much about her. But I may have a solution, I don't know about the back to school allowance rules, but if she is not claiming it can your husband claim it instead and then he can give it to her. If he applies, maybe they will turn him down on the grounds that it has already been given for that child and then you'll know if she got it or not.
 
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