Earning Money seasonally while on SW and RA

[howrowh]

my friend was offered seasonal work.
She declared it to the DPSP


She earned 505. She gets job seekers and an RA payment.
In sum she is 257 euro rich every week

Before she went to do the work, she
called up the RA people and asked them how this would
affect her claim. She also told them of the nature of the
temp work which she was about to take on, on a self employed
basis. She was told to get a form filled in by the
employer. She waited for that form to come in the post,
it arrived around 14 days later. She then FAXED the DPSP
( her local office ) with a *to whom it may concern* declaration
of the fact that she was about to take on five days work.

So she did the work, and when Tuesday came around, she
found that her claim had been *suspended*.
She called into the office to ask why and was told
* the system cut ye off*
Her claim was then unsuspended,and she collected on the
Friday of that week.

She worked 4 days in one week, and
1 day in another. Has been overpaid 257 + 40 =
307.

She signed off online. Closing her claim. Because the
DPSP are not forthcoming with their BA details so
that she can repay the overpayment forthwith. So
this week, no payment, and next week presumably
a reduced payment, but she is not assured of this.

She has an appointment for Monday pending the
production of about 6 forms, one a tax clearance
cert, and bank details.



It seems grossly unfair that although she will only
be in receipt of ( so far ) less than 14000 this year,
that she cannot keep her 500 quid without 2/3 of it being docked.


Any thoughts?

 

[TTI]

Does the ~14000 include the social welfare?
How many days a week typically is she expecting to work during the summer?
The 505 is for five days? Net of tax?

 

[gipimann]

Rent Supplement is a means-tested payment for persons on SW or those working less than 30 hours per week.

If she works more than 30 hrs in any week, there is no entitlement to Rent Supplement regardless of earnings.
If she works less than 30 hrs per week, entitlement will be based on the income earned for that week.
If her SW claim (Jobseeker's) has been closed, the Rent Supplement claim is likely to have been suspended until a review has been carried out.

 

[howrowh]

Lost Post. ( went something like this )

I made this reply already, but It was lost.

q. 3 Does the ~14000 include the social welfare?
q. 2 How many days a week typically is she expecting to work during the summer?
q. 3 The 505 is for five days? Net of tax?


1.The 14000 includes the social welfare and rent allowance.

2. She has no promise of further work. At the time of the original post (20th June) which was lost, the person had no contract.

3. The 505 is for five days and it hasn't been processed for tax yet, as
the assessment wouldn't be until next year.

Someone over on politics dot ie is asking whether " Is it immoral that the state takes 52% of earnings after €32,800? "

In my friends instance, it will be the case that the state will have taken 60% of her earnings from short term employment,
where her income at this point in the year hasn't even reached even €8,000.

 

[howrowh]

So to update, and conclude somewhat. My friend was 108.50 euros better off for having gone to work.

Her Rent allowance was cut off though, as a direct consequence of her dole being suspended. Dole and rent allowance are connected. When a dole payment is suspended, so too is the rent allowance.

She would have been paid rent allowance this week, and last, but because the payments are connected, she is now down the two weeks 69.60 rent allowance.


She did ask to be put on a SWA payment, while her *overpayment* was being processed, but was refused.