Redundant and very very confused

Hoping someone can help me out here, I'm pretty desperate, not to mention confused!

Here's my story. I was made redundant after four year on Friday the 15th. Signed on, on Wednesday the 18th. They told me in the dole office that I wouldn't receive any benefit for four to five weeks because of backlog. Went to see the community welfare officer and he gave me an emergency payment of 269e. Since then I seem to be doing nothing but filling in forms!
My two eldest kids (17 and 19) are both heading to college in October, one into second year and once starting off. So, we've had to fill in grant forms, which in itself is a nightmare!
Then, I had to fill out forms for the cwo for back to school allowance and for the lone parents allowance which, though I've ben a single parent for 8 years I've never claimed.
First thing I need to know is this, the grant people want a letter from the cwo telling them how much I'm getting but he says he needs a form and won't write a letter, they say they don't have forms and want a letter. The grant application closes on Friday and I'm dancing in circles with both of them. He's hard to reach by phone but keeps refusing me. Grant people say they won't go ahead with the grants until they get the letter, they can wait till I get benefits from unemployment but that'll put back the grant for up to three months and I can't pay the reg fees due in September.

Second question, or series of them.
CWO says I may qualify for back to school allowance but my eldest lad doesn't qualify because he's too old, despite the fact he's in college and qualifys as a child for unemployment benefit. He also says same for lone parents.
CWO told me today that my weekly benefit from him will be 69e because my ex pays maintenance of 200pw (which I use for bills) I've supplied him with my court order for the maintenance but he says that means nowt. I also have substantial debts and a few bank loans, one of which is 199per week!!
My question is, how do I cope dropping from almost 700e pw to 69??!! Does the social welfare have anything to do with the banks? Is there anything I can get from them that will bring this 69 up to more? Why won't he accept my eldest lad as a a qualifying child?? (I'm trying to get a letter from his college saying he's a student but they are busy and say it'll be a couple of weeks but cwo says he won't accept that either)

Next question. I phoned my bank and explained that I'd lost my job and please could they reduce my payments till I get sorted, they basically told me to s** off!! I kid you not, the manager was shouting at me, she was saying there'd be legal letters and everything unless I pay the money, but sure if I havent' got it, how do I pay it, and whats worse is, my maintenance payment is court ordered to go in the bank and it pays the esb and all the other bills, so if the bank takes it, I'm stuck. Is there any way to stop them.

Next question, do I actually qualify for any of the stuff he's asking me to fill out forms for?? If they take my means as 200pw plus the 69 from them, then am I over the ceiling for medical card, back to school allowance and lone parents.

Next questions, if I get one of the above, do I get the other?

Next questions, If they have my rsi pps number on file, why do I have to fill out so many forms, why is it so hard and soul destroying??

Oh, on the matter of redundancy, I didn't know I was due it, and have requested it, but the company said they'd look into it, but I havent' heard anything back yet, so yet another brick wall to climb.

I'm really sorry for the long post, I'm really hoping someone out there can answer some of my questions, I've been trawling the net for info, and whilst there's some, it's patchy at best, I don't know what the ceilings are, which departments see maintenance as means and which don't. I did read somewhere that if it's court ordered then it's not counted but I can't find that again, was I dreaming.

Thanks in advance
Sha

hiya,
sorry to hear about your situation.
if you were made redundant, you should have received a payment the day you finished work. there is a calculator below which will help you calculate what you should be due. did you get a form/ letter from your employer about the redundancy, you will have to give this to the social also.

[broken link removed]

Not a thing,no forms, not even a mention of redundancy! I phoned up the office I used to work for and the girl who was always so helpful and knew everything about taxes for the last four years seems to suddenly forgotten who I am and what I'm entitled to, she said she'd 'look into it' and I've not heard anything back from her since

who mentioned redundancy? are you sure you were not just let go?

50 of us were let go due to lack of work, from what I can gather once you've worked over two years your entitled to redundancy, to be honest it would be really good to have it while I'm waiting for my benefiit but my immediate concerns are whether or not I qualify for any of them. No-one got redundancy and a few people have been in contact with me saying they're going to chase it.

do you have a contract?
were you directly employed or with an agency?

http://www.entemp.ie/employment/redundancy/guide.htm
What happens if an employer fails to pay a redundancy lump sum?

Employers are obliged to make redundancy payments in accordance with the statutory requirements laid down under the Redundancy Payments Acts. In situations where the employer is unable to pay the employees their entitlements, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment pays the full amount direct to the employees from the Social Insurance Fund (S.I.F.). The employee fills in Form RP50 and sends it into the Department (for useful details on this procedure, see section on Redundancy Forms below). The Department usually treats these applications as a priority, and later seeks reimbursement from the employer via its Redundancy Recoveries Section).

I was directly employed, no agency involved, I never signed a contract, just got an interview, started working three days later and four years and four months later told no longer required, no work, bye bye

sounds very strange alright. i would go and speak with your employer directly. contact the employment rights people first and they will tell you what your rights are, then go see the employer.

Regarding the amount of money the CWO is paying you - SWA is means-tested and all income must be taken into account, even if that money is committed elsewhere (in your case to bills/bank loan). If you qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit (based on your PRSI contributions), that is not means tested. When the Local Office have decided on your Jobseeker's Benefit claim, they will refund the SWA paid to the HSE and pay the balance of arrears due to you.

SWA is paid for children up to 18 years, unless that child is in full-time education (then it can be paid up to age 22). At this moment, your older child is not in full-time education, so you are not eligible for payment for him.
The rules for Jobseeker's are slightly different, as far as I recall - your son is considered a student for 3 months after his leaving certificate, so does qualify as a dependant of yours.

It's the same with the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Scheme - as things stand right now, he doesn't qualify because he's over 18 and not a student. That scheme ends on 30th September, so if you get the relevant papers from the college before then, you can make another application for your older son. You are entitled to apply, and if the CWO refuses to take an application with a college letter, I would send it directly to the Superintendent CWO.

In order to qualify for Back to School, you must be in receipt of a DSFA or HSE payment (or on certain training/work courses), and be under the income limit for the scheme - for one child it's €347.30, and for two children it's €371.30, so you should be ok.

If you're in difficulty with loans and bills, talk to MABS (www.mabs.ie) who may be able to assist with a budget plan and renegotiation of loan arrangements.

Regarding the grants office/CWO impasse, you could make contact with the Superintendent CWO office for your area and explain the urgency of the situation with him/her.

Re your One Parent Family Payment - it's also a means tested payment, however Maintenance is treated differently by that section than it is by SWA (it's not a € for € deduction) - you can even work part-time and you might still be entitled to some One Parent Family Payment.

Yes, there are lots of different departments, and every one of them has an application form with very similar information and questions, sadly it's just the way it is for the moment.

Your local Citizens Information Centre might be able to help you follow up on the redundancy issue, and might even be able to knock some heads together on the conflicting requirements from the different agencies.

You should definitely contact MABS (as per gipimann's suggestion) to help follow up with the bank regarding your mortgage. There is a social welfare scheme that will help cover mortgage interest for an interim period.

Try and separate the issues you are dealing with at present. Your priority should be a weekly payment for you and your kids, then you can tackle the issues of redundancy payment and the once-off Back to School payment.

Firstly, the €69 per week from the CWO is a temporary payment while you await your Jobseeker's Benefit (JB). As JB is not means-tested, you should be entitled to €245.80 (with the €200 maiantenance that will improve your income). I would suggest calling to your local office and explaining to them how little you have been allowed on SWA and asking them could they fasttrack your claim, under the circumstances. Be reasonabel and unemotional with them ("I know you're very busy with backlogs but I'm in dire starits for money...." It should be a straightforward claim if your have PSRI paid for four years and have been let go because of lack of work. Also explain how your claim for the grant is in jeopardy due to JB not being awarded yet. Be reasonable and logical when talking to them, not emotional. If they refuse to deal with your claim ahead of others, ask for the manager. When the OFP comes through, you will still be entitled to half your personal rate on JB as well as whatever OFP is awarded (this is means-tested).

Next, visit MABS, as Gipimann suggests above. They will help you to deal with your debt issues.

Thank you everyone for your help. The cwo is gone to ground, just can't get him on the phone and don't know where his office is. Citizens advice have been very helpful and mabs very reassuring and just waiting on an appointment from them now (another backlog due to the rate of unemployment rising so fast) Heading into the dole office tomorrow to speak to them and see what they say. Will let you know how I get on
Sh

It wouldn't do any harm to talk to your local TD as well re the "impasse". Best of luck.