Husband let go, advice please

M

melh

Guest
My husband has just been notified he will be unemployed in 4 weeks. He is only with co 15 months and therefore not entitled to redundancy. I am a stay at home mam with 3 children, we hae 300k mortgage, large visa bill, car loan, one child in school another starting in september, and a baby who is lactose and milk protein intolerant (on DPS scheme as her milk is 14euro a tin, needing 3-4 a week!) What would we be entitled to on Social Welfare as he has never signed on before. Has prob 15 yrs contributions.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories

this is a good starting point. You will need to ensure that your hubbie goes to social welfare office ASAP and that you apply for the medical card - which may allow you to get the baby milk for free, back to school allowances and others that you probably will be entitled to. Do it soon as there are many more like you.
 
He'd be entitled to JS Benefit. Depending on his means, he will be entitled to secondary benefits like fuel, telephone, tv license, electricity. Other entitlements depending on means testing will be the GMS (medical card). If he has no other income - your family and the kids will probably qualify for the full GMS card. If there are means - you may qualify for the GP only visit card. I think you can claim rent/mortage from the department - check this one out at the citizens information services. If your child needs special food - you can get this via exceptional needs payments from the community welfare officer in your local HSE office. There is a school clothing and footwear allowance as well. When he is made redundant - he can make an application for supplementary welfare allowance to the community welfare officer in the local HSE clinic - while his is waiting for his Jobseekers Benefit application to be processed... This is a means tested payment. Citizens Information Services are very helpful - and will provide you with all the info you need. They'd be able to tell you the forms, docs, statements from banks you'll need to have ready when making the job-seekers application and those for the secondary benefits.
 
Check if your husband has a mortgage protection policy. And talk to the bank sooner rather than later about your new situation. There is no point martyring yourselves trying to keep up the mortgage repayments at existing levels if the bank is prepared to review the timing and amount to be paid.
On another point completely, in this climate he may be out of work for some time. He should plan a new daily routine that keeps him occupied constructively outside the home, something which is enjoyable but a challenge at the same time, so that when a job interview does come up he appears ready to make an impact by being energetic and interested in life. I remember a lot of friends who lost jobs in the 1870s and 1980s. Those who bounced back quickest were those who did exactly this.
 
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