Refused JSB. Reason: substantial loss of employment

Started working in 2006 (paye worker), aged 26, renting, single, no dependents.
Over the past 10 months, hours and days reduced due to seasonal work of employer.
Applied for JSB and had a meeting in the social welfare office. My employer said I would be able to get 1 or 2 nights per week ( 3 hours per night). I got a form to fill out and hand end to office every week so been doing that for last 8 weeks. I also got a letter from employer who said my hours were reduced due to seasonal demand and handed it into the social officer at the time of our meeting.
Been getting 2 nights work for a couple of hours so I marked it down in the form and handed it in every week.
I’ve earned about €800 in the last 2 months, so €100 a week (minus €50 for rent).

I was told I would be paid for the forms I handed in after processing so approx 6 weeks. Today I have just been refused JSB or any payment. The reason stated is that my income has not been affected since 2006 although I worked 5 days a week for the past 4 years earning €300+ avg'ed over a year so it makes no sense.

I simply cannot understand what’s happened (and what to do next).

Any help appreciated. Heading into the social office on Monday but the letter came from Dublin appeals office so not sure what to do next. I’m going to prepare all my payslips and P60’s from the years gone by and see why this officer thinks that €100pw is the same as €300+pw.

Sounds like you are not considered to suffered a substantial loss of employment (your post says youve been getting 2 nights work for a couple of hours,,...should this read years?) Best chat to thme this morning to calrify

Thanks for the reply. No, I've gotten 2 nights work recently with the same employer. Its about 3 hours each night at min wage so it just about pays for the taxi to and from work but it gets me out of the house with something to do.

Did'nt head into the office today because of the weather and could'nt get in early to avoid the queue's.

Headed into the Social office yesterday, told that if I'm not happy with the deciding officers decision I must write a letter to the duiblin office.

Can someone help me here. My hours are cut, my take home on the my current hours for the past 2 months is less than €100 per week and it would seem that nothing is available. Do I need to stop working altogether to get the dole (which is twice what I get at the moment), none of it makes sense to me and the people in the social office dont want to help. Pls help

It's hard to figure out from the information provided why you have been turned down.

It sounds as if you have been advised to make an appeal. Before doing this, if it hasn't been done already, you should formally ask for a review of the deciding officer's original decision.

Thanks Fullback, I wish I could provide more detail but thats all I have. 4 years working, all good, hours started to get less and less and now down to 9 hours (max) over 2 or 3 nights (2 or 3 hours per night to a max of 9 hours a week but averged 6 for the past 3 weeks). Paid minimum wage so thats between €60 and €90 a week so getting a letter saying that there was no substantial loss of employment since 2006, I'm at a loss for words. Heading into the local social office with the appeal form I received last week to find out what the sorry is.. am I best to stop working, there can be no excuse with them if that happens.

Obviously your employer when he filled out the forms you had to return to SWO said you u were getting paid the same amount of money for the job you were doing so there foreyou did not suffer a substantial loss of employment... you should ask your employer what he put down on the form

Will do. I got a letter the first time I went to the SWO and employer said that the hours were reduced because the work was seasonalso I dont know why they would have changed there minds. Will follow up with that too. thanks

hiya.... if you are still paid the same money for the same hours you do not have substantial loss and if you get paid the same money for less hours there def not substantial
loss

Hi GInvestor, I don't mean to sound patronising but is there any chance you may gave filled in the weekly forms incorrectly? I presume you're referring to weekly casual dockets where you mark an 'x' on the days you're not working and an 'o' on the days that you are? if they were marked wrong, it would look like you were working five days per week instead of two?

Thanks, not sure if I made it clear, I'm still on the same hourly rate but with much less hours. I went from 40+ hours per week to a max of 9 and an average of 6 hours per week.

Hans17 said:

Hi GInvestor, I don't mean to sound patronising but is there any chance you may gave filled in the weekly forms incorrectly? I presume you're referring to weekly casual dockets where you mark an 'x' on the days you're not working and an 'o' on the days that you are? if they were marked wrong, it would look like you were working five days per week instead of two?

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thanks for the reply Hans17. No, I filled them correctly, going to back them up with the small payslips that confirm the hours I put down and do all I can to proof a loss of income, hopefully sort this out before the holidays.