job seekers allowance question

my wife has moved over to jobseekers allowance from jobseekers benifit she has recieved a letter this morning stating that because i her husband is receiving a social welfare payment her weekly rate has been cut to 154.60 she used to recieve 217.80 this is a drop of 63.20 .is this letter correct as we will not be able to survive on this payment. thank you for any help recieved

Hi there
The rules for JA rates are different as it is a means tested payment. It seems your wife was receiving an adult rate plus a qualified child rate. The maximum allowed to an adult, a qualified adult and a qualified child is €188 plus €124.80 plus €29.80, a maximum of €342.60. If 2 adults are both receiving payments the same maximum usually applies although there are exceptions (training schemes is an example).
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...loyed_people/jobseekers_allowance.html#l62fd2

hi tanx for your reply i am currently on illness benifit and recieve 217.80 which is made up of my own personnel rate plus and half an allowance for our 2 children ,when u add this to my wifes payment this adds up to 372.50 well over the maximum u stated.

The rate that Kkma quoted is for 2 adults and one child.

Because one of you is on a means-tested payment, the total income that you receive cannot be greater than the maximum payment of that means-tested scheme for your family size.

The rate for 2 adults and 2 children is €372.40

If you were both on a means-tested payment, this rate would be divided evenly in two. Because you are on a benefit payment, you receive the full personal rate (€188) plus half-rate for the 2 children. Your wife's personal rate is reduced accordingly and she receives the half-rate for the 2 children as well.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...ents/means_test_for_jobseekers_allowance.html
As you are on illness benefit you and your wife are not allowed exceed the maximum payment due to one adult plus one qualified adult and 2 children, this is €372.40. Jobseekers benefit is not means tested so you were getting more prior to this.

thank you for your help.