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Guest
I am looking for advice about how much to tell the social welfare office! Sounds dodgy but its not. Its just that sometimes I think honesty is not the best policy when it comes to trying to claim anything from the state!.
Basically I was working for 7 yrs with same company until 2007. I was on maternity leave when redundancy was offered and I accepted it. I took unpaid leave and my redundancy date was the date when I would have been due to go back to work. I then signed on for approx 3 mths until I got a new job in Aug. I worked until May 2008 when my contract ran out. I was 7 mths pregnant so I started my maternity benefits 16 weeks early, this ment that it ended when baby was 2 mths old (oct 2008) I knew I wouldnt be looking for work while baby so young so I saved money to cover me for a few months. This has now run out and I am looking for a job. I signed on and was told I didnt have enough credits in 2007. I realised this is bec I didnt claim my credits for the 12 weeks I was on unpaid leave, this is now being backdated and I will have enough to claim JB.
What Im wondering is this...I didnt sign on in Oct bec I wasnt looking for work so I thought I was being 'honorable' and doing things by the book bec I dont particularly like being on dole. I have now realised I will be missing credits for these months. I know there is a homemakers scheme where you can be awarded credits if you are staying home to mind children but if I claim this for the few months I was at home through choice, Im afraid they will just thinK Im a housewife looking for money through the dole and I will be put through the ringer. I just never realised credits were important and that gaps could mean less pension etc.
Should I just tell them the truth or should I play dumb and see if they can backdate my credits to oct? Im not looking for extra money, just for my prsi to be up to date.
Basically I was working for 7 yrs with same company until 2007. I was on maternity leave when redundancy was offered and I accepted it. I took unpaid leave and my redundancy date was the date when I would have been due to go back to work. I then signed on for approx 3 mths until I got a new job in Aug. I worked until May 2008 when my contract ran out. I was 7 mths pregnant so I started my maternity benefits 16 weeks early, this ment that it ended when baby was 2 mths old (oct 2008) I knew I wouldnt be looking for work while baby so young so I saved money to cover me for a few months. This has now run out and I am looking for a job. I signed on and was told I didnt have enough credits in 2007. I realised this is bec I didnt claim my credits for the 12 weeks I was on unpaid leave, this is now being backdated and I will have enough to claim JB.
What Im wondering is this...I didnt sign on in Oct bec I wasnt looking for work so I thought I was being 'honorable' and doing things by the book bec I dont particularly like being on dole. I have now realised I will be missing credits for these months. I know there is a homemakers scheme where you can be awarded credits if you are staying home to mind children but if I claim this for the few months I was at home through choice, Im afraid they will just thinK Im a housewife looking for money through the dole and I will be put through the ringer. I just never realised credits were important and that gaps could mean less pension etc.
Should I just tell them the truth or should I play dumb and see if they can backdate my credits to oct? Im not looking for extra money, just for my prsi to be up to date.