Interview with Fas

Hi,

I'm on unemployment benefit, and am being called for an interview with fas. What will they ask me, and what will happen? If they say they will send me on a course will they pay me for childcare?

Thanks

Mal1 said:

What will they ask me, and what will happen?

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I think that they may discuss your employment/training needs/goals. I'm not sure if they will review your recent attempts to find work or if they leave that to Welfare.

If they say they will send me on a course will they pay me for childcare?

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I doubt it. I suspect that continued unemployment payments may be contingent on you taking up some form of training if you don't find work. I'm not aware of additional payments that can be made. If you are not actually available for and seeking work because you are actually looking after your children full time then I don't think that you should be claiming UA/UB in the first place. There may be other welfare payments that you can legitimately claim in such circumstances.

Just curious - did it take them nearly 10 months before they called you for interview?

Some previous discussion of FAS interviews here.

Re the child minding, I'd assume it's as Clubman said, you should be available for and seeking work so childminding shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks for that. Yes Clubman, its taken them almost 10 months to get back to me. Is that not the usual?

I just thought that it was usually closer to 6 months and maybe even sooner in the last few years. Wasn't there some push to make sure that people were interviewed after something like 3 months a while ago?

Mal1 said:

Hi,

I'm on unemployment benefit, and am being called for an interview with fas. What will they ask me, and what will happen? If they say they will send me on a course will they pay me for childcare?

Thanks

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Hi Mal1,
I was just at a FAS interview last Friday.
It was really easy the woman didnt ask me any questions about my attempts to secure employment. She's basically a career guidence agent.
She told me to goto the FAS website and look at and note all cources of interest to me. And she will refer me to the colleges, employers etc.
You have an option to refuse fas's help but if you do they will refer you back to the SW office and you may have you payment cut.

That's all its quite simple
But I dont know if they will pay for childcare you'll just have to ask.
You wnt just be interviewed once I think, the first interview is only a ''hello,how are you?'' type one. If u know what i mean, it only lasted me 20mins. Then they ask about you're prospects later on the next day or whatever.

ClubMan said:

I just thought that it was usually closer to 6 months and maybe even sooner in the last few years. Wasn't there some push to make sure that people were interviewed after something like 3 months a while ago?

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CubMan, yes you're right she woman told me it was 3 months of unemployment that ppl were contacted.
But I think that's just a ballpark figure.
It was 6 months for me. I think it's whenever your initial of you're last name comes up, its alphabeticle I think

I was unemployed for a few months this summer. I was called in for interview at the SW office after 3 months. I asked if I needed to register with FAS. The interviewer told me that if I was still unemployed after 6 months I'd be referred to FAS.