Post Grad claiming Jobseekers Benefit or Allowance?

Originally posted this in the Welfare and State Benefits Forum and discovered that it was the incorrect forum for such a thread.

My daughter has just completed 5 years in Uni, the last four of these were in the UK, she has worked part-time both here and in the UK over these 5 years, she is now returning home while looking for work. Her PRSI payments if any would have been small.

Does she have any entitlement to an allowance or benefit?

it's doubtful she would have enough 'stamps' to qualify for jobseekers benefit but can apply for jobseekers allowance which is means tested.

dereko1969 said:

it's doubtful she would have enough 'stamps' to qualify for jobseekers benefit but can apply for jobseekers allowance which is means tested.

Click to expand...

Re. the stamps that's what I thought, any idea on what the means test for the JA includes? Is it means tested on the individual or the family?

hi there, well as far as I know it will be tested on the individual (as long as she is over a certain age- 25 I think) It does nt matter if she s living at home. The means test is a fairly simple affair: an interview with one of the social welfare officers. She will probably have to show her bank statement. I m not sure of the amount of savings you re allowed to have. Its quite high I think though.

Hi there


The main payments for people looking for a job are Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance. The application form (called the UP1) is the same for both Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance. This should determine if your daughter has enough PRSI credits to qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit.

If she does not, she should qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance, subject to a means test. As chembot said, the means test is different if the person is under 25 years of age and living with her parents. To qualify for JA you also need to be "habitually resident" - because your daughter has been studying in the UK (ie within the Common Travel Area) this shouldn't be an issue.

There is information on the means test for Jobseeker's Allowance on the welfare.ie site: http://www.welfare.ie/syndicatedcon...payments/means-test-for-jobseekers-allowance/

They also have a good overview of other payments available: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Pages/unemployed.aspx

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Thanks for the replies, will do some reading on those links, ta again.