JB & planning for the future

Hi,

Hoping I can get some guidance/advice from you well-informed folk!

I will be leaving work at the end of February on a voluntary basis after 30 years service and an unbroken PSRI record over that period.
I have plans for some travel during the spring and also secured 5-10 days work a month on an ongoing basis - this will be 'legit' and I will be making the appropriate PSRI contribution based on whatever I earn in this new role.

While I expect I will have to await 9 weeks without Jobseekers Benefit in any case (as I will get a termination payment) I'm not really planning on making a JB claim immediately; not just because I will be travelling and therefore unavailable for work in the following month or two, but also there appears to be a financial benefit for me in leaving it till after 1st April with the new rules coming in - I would get a far higher payment under the new rules.

So to my queries:

• Based on previous threads on here with similar queries, I'm judging that I dont have to register unemployed immediately, but a few weeks into the summer but in doing this, am I not storing up future issues (pension entitlements etc) by having a 'broken PRSI record for 4-8 weeks?
• If the new work commences in March (a possibility) can I just make immediate PRSI payments and continue doing so until the casual work finishes up, then drawing down on the JB? It is very likely that work will be piecemeal, 2-5 days per week
• I understand that the qualifying year in which my income will assessed for a pay-related payment for JB claimed in 2025 will be 2023 - is this correct? If it would be assessed on the 'most recent' employment, that would mean the casual work and seriously impact on its value - surely this is not the case
• I will reach 60 y/o in July and can access a small pension at that stage, but hope that I can continue the casual work for the next 4-5 years - not sure if that is important to mention, or not

I've been the squeezed middle all of my life and not received a cent of S/W in the past 31 years, so all of this is new to me and - admittedly selfishly, I want to ensure that I do not disadvantage myself in how I take these next steps.

thanks in advance for any guidance

Parakeet said:

I understand that the qualifying year in which my income will assessed for a pay-related payment for JB claimed in 2025 will be 2023 - is this correct?

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This is the rule for the existing Jobseekers scheme.


The new Pay related Jobseekers scheme is different.

Parakeet said:

If it would be assessed on the 'most recent' employment, that would mean the casual work and seriously impact on its value - surely this is not the case

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Conditions for receipt
68KD. (1) The contribution conditions for jobseeker’s pay-related benefit are that the claimant—
(a) has employment contributions or optional contributions paid in respect of not less than 104 contribution weeks in the period
between his or her entry into insurance and the beginning of an
applicable period,
(b) has employment contributions paid in respect of not less than 4 contribution weeks in the period of 10 contribution weeks
immediately prior to the week in which the application for benefit
is made, and
(c) has employment contributions paid in respect of not less than 26 contribution weeks in the period of 52 contribution weeks
immediately prior to the beginning of an applicable period.


(4) Subject to subsection (6), for the purpose of this section, a person’s reckonable weekly earnings shall be calculated based on the person’s reckonable earnings in the 52 week period ending 8 weeks before the first date of unemployment divided by the total number of qualifying contributions in that 52 week period.


The first date of unemployment will be the date you cease your new part time employment.

If your recent earnings before the claim date for the new pay related system are reduced you might get a higher payment from the existing system.

Both systems will operate and you will get a JB payment from the system which gives you the higher amount.

Parakeet said:

and also secured 5-10 days work a month on an ongoing basis - this will be 'legit' and I will be making the appropriate PSRI contribution based on whatever I earn in this new role.

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From a previous @S class post I understood the JSB system allowed multiple 'refreshing' of 9 months JSB after 13 weeks paid employment plus credits (39 PRSI contributions paid from employment or credited in the governing contribution year. At least 13 of these contributions must be paid from employment in the governing contribution year, the two years before this, the last year or the current tax year. - https://www.gov.ie/en/service/1221b0-jobseekers-benefit/)

If you were to find yourself in that position then you could potentially keep rolling through JSB until reaching O65 and COAP?

Parakeet said:

Based on previous threads on here with similar queries, I'm judging that I dont have to register unemployed immediately, but a few weeks into the summer but in doing this, am I not storing up future issues (pension entitlements etc) by having a 'broken PRSI record for 4-8 weeks?

Click to expand...

If you are not working and not registered as unemployed you will have a gap on your Prsi record.

Is a gap of this size critical to you ?

If you can manage to get part time employment of 38 euro per week during this period you could fill this gap.

You could ask about signing on for Jobseekers credits for the 9 weeks.

You could also apply immediately for Jobseekers benefit. I would presume that this will give you credits for the 9 week payment delay period. You could then suspend the Jobseekers claim.

You could then at a later date with extra employment contributions cease employment again and make a new JB claim.

If you then meet the terms you could qualify for either of the 2 systems of JB.

Hi @S class - thanks for the really detailed replies. I will have part time employment of 38 euro per week during this period. From what you suggest, is it fair to assume that I will get sound advice and guidance from the team at the Intreo centre to maximise my benefits - I'm really keen to make it clear that I am absolutely not looking to game the system here, just to make the right decisions for me that doesn't disadvantage my access to these benefits
thanks again

With the employment your Prsi will continue. So no need for JB credits to fill any gap.

You are always free to take up and cease employment.
You are also free to arrange your working life to best suit your requirements.

Provided you meet all the rules you are fully entitled to claim JB during the periods when you are unemployed.

Available for and seeking employment and have the required Prsi contributions will allow you to qualify.

If you comply with these rules you are not gaming the system.

The Intreo staff are helpful but they are not going to give you advice on how to maximise your JB. Their job is is assist you during periods of unemployment and assist you to regain employment.

@S class - one clarification that you might be able to assist me with?

If I have any chance of re-qualifying for JB in the future (ie in a year or two, after the coming unemployment followed by a period of casual work) how is the "break" between periods of unemployment assessed? ie I get immediate casual work for a month or two as my full time employment ends and then apply for JB and get occasional on and off work for a period following having lodged a claim - I gather that JB will be paid for 234 days during that period; is it only after that period expires that the clock starts on accruing PSRI contributions and perhaps requalify for JB at some point in the future, assuming I meet both the conditions laid out? Or are PRSI contributions from casual work after the end of my full time employment (now ) reckonable for the below.

Hope that isnt too confused ! thanks

Condition 1​

You must have paid at least 104 PRSI insurable employment contributions at Class A, H or P,
or
You must have paid at least 156 PRSI self-employment contributions at Class S.

Condition 2​

You must have either:
39 PRSI contributions paid from employment or credited in the governing contribution year. At least 13 of these contributions must be paid from employment in the governing contribution year, the two years before this, the last year or the current tax year.
The governing contribution year is the second last complete tax year before the year in which the claim is made. For example, for claims made in 2025, the governing contribution year is 2023.
or
26 PRSI contributions paid in the governing contribution year and 26 paid in the year immediately before this.

@Parakeet

Is this what you are asking ?

When you have used up all your 234 days, you would then need to get 13 weeks of employment in a single year to requalify if you again become unemployed.

During the linking claims period the JB payment amount remains the same.

There is no distinction between casual work or permanent work regarding qualification for a Prsi contribution.

Provided you have minimum earnings of 38 euro per week you get 1 class A contribution. This has the same value as 1 class A contribution if you had earnings of 5000 euro for 1 week.

The amount of JB payment you qualify for will be based on your class A earnings during the governing year.

This all applies to the present Jobseekers Benefit scheme.


"Linking claims.

If you claim Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) for a period, sign off and then claim JB again within 26 weeks, your claim may be linked to the earlier claim. This means that your claim is not treated as a new claim and:

• You do not have to wait for 3 days before getting your payment
• The cumulative total of days from the previous claim is continued (so, for example, if you have used up 100 days of your total JB entitlement of 234 days you have 134 days remaining on your claim)
• The rate of JB is the same rate payable as on the previous claim, unless there has been a budget increase or change in family circumstances (such as a new child dependant).
• If your JB claim does not link to a previous claim, it is treated as a new claim. You must wait for 3 days before getting a payment and your cumulative total of days starts from the first day of payment.
  
  You can read more about linking claims including information on linking to a different scheme (such as Illness Benefit) and linking to an earlier JB claim through a different scheme or period spent in training or on an employment scheme."

Thanks for the clarification, @S class much appreciated