Job seeker benefit

I am in the process of organising my relocation to Waterford.

I am currently working but the contract is up in October. A job opportunity has arisen in Waterford for something I really really want to do and I have put myself forward for it. I hadn't really thought of how difficult it would be to organise interviews etc when you factor in getting time off (which is very difficult in my current job) and train journeys etc so I am now considering moving down to Waterford as soon as possible, signing on and doing interviews and finding a job as quickly as possible.

My question is how likely is it that I would be entitled to full social welfare benefit given my situation. There are a few different jobs in Waterford that I am interested in but I have been advised by the recruitment agency that it might be more encouraging for employers if I was already living in Waterford, as regards interviewing etc.

I am just worried that I will move down and not be entitled to full social welfare entitlements and given the current economy it may take a little while to find a job.

Also, I will be moving in with my boyfriend when I move down to Waterford but that will just be a temporary measure until I find a job, then I will be getting my own place.

Any help appreciated.

Read the keypost giide at top of forum about conditiosn for reciept of JB. If you are on JB, living with boyfriend will not affect rate of JB payable.

Welfarite said:

Read the keypost giide at top of forum about conditiosn for reciept of JB. If you are on JB, living with boyfriend will not affect rate of JB payable.

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My boyfriend's best friend is out of work and claiming benefit while living with his girlfriend. He gets €35 per week and this is because he lives with his girlfriend, the social welfare office told him that he is basically her dependent because he lives with her.

The situation may not be the same, it sounds as if your friend is on Jobseeker's Allowance which is means-tested. As Welfarite said, if you qualify for JB (benefit) it is not means-tested so won't be affected by your boyfriend's income.

Ah okay, that makes sense then. I didn't understand that there was a difference between the two of them, as regards means tested and not means tested.

Thanks for your help.

If you 'decide' to leave your job before your contract is up you may well be disallowed from getting Job seekers Benefit for 9 weeks as you will have chosen to end your employment.
Do you not have any annual leave that you can use to attend interviews? I'd go that route and keep your current job until the contract is up, the bird in the hand and all that.

Thanks Derek that's what i was concerned about.

I only started this job the last week of May and I am a temp person, I cover annual leave and sick days so for me to then get time off is very very difficult. As you all know you might get a call for an interview tomorrow and you're obviously going to want to get in for an interview as quickly as possible but I need as much as two weeks notice for time off (also factor in that there is a two hour train journey each way so it wouldn't really be possible to just take a half day as there is so much travel involved) so that is why I'm considering leaving this job to move down there to do interviews.