Lost your job and looking for advice on where to go for information? This booklet aims to handle the most frequently asked questions from learners contacting the AONTAS Information Service. However since the time of printing we have identified that since December many of the individuals contacting us are seeking to access unemployment supports. In the first quarter of this year just over 3000 people have contacted the AONTAS Referral Service. The majority of those who have contacted the service have indicated that they have recently been made unemployed. Men constituted over half of those who made contact with the service. This handout is particularly aimed at individuals who have recently been made unemployed and are looking for advice on training/upskilling, grants, social welfare entitlements and supports. Entitlements If you are made unemployed legally you are entitled to be given a P45 and you may also be entitled to notice and holiday pay not taken. Your employer is responsible for giving you your proper notice. If you have difficulty in securing your entitlement you should consult with your trade union (if any) or you may refer your case to the Employment Appeals Tribunal. Employment Appeals Tribunal Davitt House 65a Adelaide Road County: Dublin 2 Country: IRELAND Tel: (0)1 631 3006 Locall: 1890 220 222 Web: http://www.eatribunal.ie/ If you are let go or if you are on short-time working or reduced working hours so that you are unemployed for at least 3 out of 6 consecutive days you may be entitled to Job Seeker’s Benefit or Job Seeker’s Allowance. It is also possible to get Family Income Supplement if you have a family and your pay or hours are reduced. To get either of these payments you must apply at your Social Welfare Local Office. When you apply you declare you are unemployed an actively looking for work. This is also known as signing on. To sign on you must go to your Social Welfare Local Office. When you get there you may have to take a numbered ticket and join a queue. When it is your turn you go to the desk and wait to speak to a member of staff.
You may be able to make an appointment to attend your Social Welfare Local Office. However, not all Social Welfare Local Offices have an appointment system. You must go to the Social Welfare Local Office usually every month and declare you are still unemployed and looking for work. Your Social Welfare Local Office will give you a date and a time to sign on each month. Depending on what part of the country you live in, an appointment can take up to two week, however extra staff are being put in place to handle the increase in people signing on. You will be required to bring a range of documentation with you for your appointments these include; a P45, P60, proof of identity and residence, and an RP50 form if you have been made redundant. You will also be expected to provide proof that you are making efforts to seek work. For a full list of documents required visit www.welfare.ie Processing time for applications varies throughout the country. However while you are waiting for a on your application you can apply for a means-tested supplementary welfare allowance payment. You can make an application for this by contacting your local Community Welfare Office which is generally located within your local health centre. When you application has been accepted you are required to sign on every month and also to collect your payment every week. If you not sure what your PRSI record is at present, you can contact the PRSI section within the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) at 01-7043000 If you lose your job you are entitled to claim either jobseekers benefit or jobseekers allowance from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Job Seekers Benefit You can qualify for jobseekers benefit if you have paid 104 PRSI contributions, or “stamps”, since first starting work. A total of thirty-nine payments must have been paid in the relevant tax year. It is important to note that this benefit is not means-tested. Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) is a social insurance payment. It is paid by the Department of Social and Family Affairs on the basis that you are unemployed, that you meet the general qualification criteria. Job Seekers Allowance If it’s the case that you have not built up enough “stamps” you can apply for jobseekers allowance. This allowance is means-tested. Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) is a means tested social assistance payment. To qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance you must: Be habitually resident in Ireland Be unemployed Be over 18 and under pension age (66) Be capable of work Be available for work Be genuinely seeking work Satisfy a means test Prove unemployment in the prescribed manner
In order to qualify for a Jobseeker's Allowance payment you must prove that your 'means' are below the maximum rate of Jobseeker's Allowance for your family size. If it is decided that you do have assessable 'means', you may receive a reduced JA payment based on the amount of assessed means. See www.welfare.ie for more information. Please refer to the final page of this supplement for contact details for your local welfare office The Back to Work Allowance Revenue Job Assist is an additional tax allowance for people who have been unemployed for a period of 12 months or more and who are now returning to employment. The scheme offers an alternative to other employment schemes, such as the Back to Work Allowance scheme. It was announced in the Supplementary Budget that The Back to Work Allowance scheme is now closed to new applicants from 1 May 2009. Also note you cannot avail of both options. However an extra tax allowance can be claimed for each qualifying child. The tax allowance can be claimed for 3 tax years and may begin with either the tax year in which the employment commences or the following tax year. To apply for this allowance you will need to complete Part 1 of form RJA1 at the end of the Revenue leaflet IT58. For further information on this allowance contact your local welfare office. Please refer to the final page of this supplement for contact details for your local welfare office. Family Income Supplement (FIS) This is a weekly tax-free payment available to married or unmarried employees with children. It gives extra financial support to people on low pay. To apply for this supplement you must have at least one child who normally lives with you or is financially supported by you. The child must be under 18 years of age or between 18 and 22 years of age and in full-time education. You cannot get FIS if you are taking part in a Community Employment Scheme or any other Fà S schemes except Job Initiative Also you cannot get FIS if you are already receiving Jobseeker’s Benefit or Job Seekers Allowance, State Pension (Transition) or Pre-Retirement Allowance. To find out more detailed information about the eligibility criteria with regards to this payment contact your local welfare office or your local Citizens Information Centre. Please refer to the final page of this supplement for contact details for your local welfare office or visit www.citizensinformation.ie
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) Scheme was introduced for persons whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. It can consist of a basic payment and/or a supplement in respect of certain expenses a person may not be able to meet.
This scheme is also means tested. This means that any extra income you or your partner have could affect how much you receive. The main aim of the scheme is: To provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes; To guarantee a standard basic minimum income; To provide people with low incomes with a weekly supplement to meet certain special needs (e.g. rent and mortgage interest payments) or a payment to help with the cost of any exceptional needs they may have; To help those whose needs are inadequately met under the major schemes and those confronted with an emergency situation.
Since November 2005, EU citizens may be able to claim a payment from this scheme, and access Rent Supplement and other SWA payments, if they have recently lost their job and have been employed in Ireland.
Support
The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed These have produced an invaluable document “Working for Work” – this booklet details all the information an individual needs to familiarize themselves with in terms of social welfare payments, coping with poverty, income tax and social insurance and training and education. The INOU works at local and national levels on issues affecting unemployed people. They support local groups through services such as training, information and analysis of Government policies. The INOU also participates in Social Partnership through their membership of the Community and Voluntary Pillar. The INOU also has a Northern Ireland division, the Organisation of the Unemployed Northern Ireland (OUNI). The INOU aims to: Seek to represent the interests and views of all unemployed people and their dependents at a national level; Campaign for an acceptable standard of living for all unemployed people and their dependents; Campaign towards the achievement of full employment at an acceptable rate of pay; Assist the establishment and development of local unemployed groups; Develop close liaison with the Trade Union movement while ensuring the autonomy of the INOU; Build on the common interest between the unemployed and employed; Build links with other national and international bodies that share the same interests. The INOU also provide an information service which is free, impartial and totally confidential. You can speak, in complete confidence, to an information officer in the Welfare to Work section directly at 01 - 856 0088, Monday - Friday 9.30 am to 5.00 pm. The INOU has recently launched a website dedicated to people who have been made redundant, it includes the forms you will need
and information on your social welfare entitlements, redundancy calculator and lots of other useful information please click on to www.redundancy.ie
Money Advice and Budgeting Service -MABS Experiencing Financial difficulties ? Problems paying off Debts ?Need Advice on Money Management ? If the answer to one or more of these is yes then you may find MABS very helpful. MABS offer a range of financial advice and support services and they have set up a helpline 1890283438 which is staffed by Helpline Advisers who can assist you deal with your debt problems by: Listening to you in a caring and non-judgemental way Helping you assess the extent and true nature of your debts Helping you explore your options Providing you with the information you need to deal with your debts Providing relevant self-help materials Giving you ongoing support over the phone, as you tackle your debt problems. The service is non-judgemental, confidential and independent. The only cost to you is a 1890 call. After you make the first call, the adviser can call you back if needed. MABS advisers are available 9 a.m - 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, there is also a facility to leave a message with an advisor outside of these hours. If you don’t want to talk to an advisor you can e-mail the service helpline@mabs.ie
The Citizens Information Service The Citizens Information Board is the national agency responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice and advocacy to the public on the broad range of social and civil services. They have a website which details information on social welfare entitlements and other supports www.citizensinformation.ie Recently the service also developed a website aimed at individuals who are unemployed or facing an unemployment situation. This site is called www.losingyourjob.ie. This website also gives the addresses and phone numbers of all Social Welfare Offices around the country. This is a one stop shop of information and is worth a visit by any body that is unemployed and seeking support. Alternatively you can contact the Citizens Information Board by post or telephone at: Citizens Information Board Ground Floor George's Quay House 43 Townsend St Dublin 2 Telephone: (01) 605 9000 Fax: (01) 605 9099
Training FÁS FÁS is the National Training and Employment Authority. It operates educational and training schemes which offer people an opportunity to develop or upgrade their skills in the commercial and industrial sectors if they are unemployed or have been made redundant. If you are unemployed, redundant or out of full-time education, you are eligible to take part in a FÁS course. To apply for a place on a FÁS training course, first you must register with your local FÁS Employment Service Office. You will be interviewed in order to identify the course that will best suit your needs. Unfortunately due to the increase demand and pressure on the service and some courses, you may not get a place immediately on the course of your choice. For more information on FAS courses visit www.jobseekers.fas.ie The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is an educational opportunities scheme for unemployed persons. Courses are designed to meet the education and training needs of unemployed people. The Back To Education (BTEI) Initiative provides part-time Further Education programmes for young people and adults. The aim of BTEI is to give people an opportunity to combine a return to learning with family, work and other responsibilities . See pages 13 and 15 of the Information Booklet for information on VTOS and the BTEI schemes which are particularly aimed at those on benefits. All of the information detailed in this Information Booklet may help you in terms of choosing a course or changing career; alternatively visit www.aontas.com for further information on these initiatives.
The Supplementary Budget Impact on Training The Back to Education Allowance The objective of the Back to Education Allowance scheme is to equip people on social welfare payments with qualifications that will enable them to obtain employment in the modern labour market. It is a second chance educational opportunities scheme for people on welfare payments who wish to participate in full-time education and who would not otherwise be able to do so. In the Supplementary Budget April 2009 it was announced that the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) will be changed to allow earlier access to the scheme. From 1 May 2009, to qualify for the second level option, the length of time you must be getting a qualifying social welfare payment will be reduced from 6 months to 3 months. To qualify for the third level option, the length of time you must be getting a qualifying social welfare payment will be reduced from 12 months to 9 months in line with National Employment Action Plan when recommended by a Facilitator from the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA). Since 2008, the qualifying period was removed for people who are awarded statutory redundancy.
For more information on the BTEA please see page 41 of the Information Booklet Third level An additional 6,910 places for unemployed people in the further and higher education sectors was announced in the Supplementary Budget. In the third level sector, the Supplementary Budget provided 2,000 places for unemployed people on full time third level courses starting this autumn. Admission to full time undergraduate courses is primarily through the CAO but there are also opportunities for direct entry through individual institutions admission offices. Redundant Apprentice IoT Scheme The new Redundant Apprentice (Institute of Technology) IoT training scheme announced in the supplementary Budget is an initiative to provide an opportunity to redundant apprentices who cannot otherwise secure the job placements required in order to complete their normal apprenticeship programme, to acquire additional certified skills in the education sector. The curriculum for the programme is being developed by Limerick Institute of Technology on behalf of all of the Institutes of Technology in collaboration with FAS, the HEA and FETAC. The programme will focus on developing core skills in maths, ICT and business skills in order to facilitate students progressing to other higher education programmes or to completing their apprenticeship at a later stage. Students will take six modules totalling 30 credits over an 11 week period on a full time basis and will receive an award at FETAC level 5. The programme which will commence on a pilot basis in September 2009 will be administered by participating Institutes and will be targeted at apprentices who have been made redundant before being able to complete the on-the-job training required at phase 5 of their apprenticeship. No fees will be payable by participants. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will fund the payment of a training allowance to participants in lieu of income support. For contact information for IoTs please see page 67 of the Information Booklet Part Time Third Level Education Places 1,500 places to enable persons who are unemployed to pursue third level certificate or degree programmes on a part time basis were announced in the Supplementary Budget. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will provide funding of â‚Ź4 million to support this initiative and arrangements for the operation of the programme are being developed jointly by the Department of Education & Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with a view to implementation from September 2009. For updates on the implementation of this scheme visit www.entemp.ie Part Time Transition Courses Institutes of Technology are utilising spare capacity to provide over 900 places on a range of newly developed part time transition programmes. These programmes have been developed to assist
unemployed people who may be some time out of the formal education system to find out more about the type of third level courses that may be suited to them and to build their confidence to return to education by developing some of the necessary skills for studying at third level. Courses are free of charge to participants. It is hoped that a significant number of participants on these courses will be encouraged to apply on a direct entry basis for a range of third level certificate and degree programmes commencing in September 2009. The programmes are being run on a parttime basis, with participants remaining available for opportunities to re-enter employment. The courses are being delivered over a period of 10 to 15 weeks with participants committed to between 6 and 10 contact hours per week. These programmes are currently running in the Institutes of Technology in Blanchardstown, Carlow, Cork, Dun Laoighaire, Galway-Mayo, Letterkenny, Sligo, Tallaght, Tralee and in DIT. Please refer to page 67 of the Information Booklet for contact details for each of these institutions. Post Leaving Certificate Courses 1,500 additional PLC places were announced in the Supplementary Budget for September 2009 PLC courses are full-time and generally of one year’s duration. PLC courses cater for school leavers and adults who want to return to education, including those who are unemployed and those at risk of becoming unemployed. For more information on how to enroll on a PLC course please see page 12 of the Information Booklet Training Initiatives Strategy The additional 12,015 ten week and 1,833 twenty week training courses announced in the supplementary Budget will be funded by Fà S, the National Training and Employment Authority. The ten week and twenty week training courses are typically for the development of occupationspecific skills courses with accreditation at either Levels 4, 5 and 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications or with recognised industry accreditation bodies. The precise details of the roll-out of these additional activation places, including allocation, qualifying criteria and the types of courses covered will be finalised over the coming weeks. This is to ensure that the additional places created will be targeted to deliver the maximum positive benefit to the diverse needs of the unemployed.
Employment & Additional Training The Community Employment (CE)programme This programme was designed to help people who are long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged people to get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs based within local communities. Participants are also able to seek other part-time work during their placement. Once the placement is completed, participants are encouraged to seek permanent part-time and full-time jobs elsewhere based on the experience and new skills they have gained while in the Community Employment scheme. There are a limited number of Community Employment places available. For further information on criteria and current vacancies contact your local Fà S office or visit www.losingyourjob.ie Pilot Training Scheme for Workers on Short Time The pilot scheme for short-term workers will provide training and income support to 277 workers considered to be in vulnerable employment. Under this pilot training programme workers who are on a three-day week and receiving social welfare payments for the days they are not working will receive 2 days on the job training/upskilling a week for a period of 52 weeks. The Work Experience Scheme This is being established to provide 2,000 six-month places to individuals who are unemployed and it will also include the placement of graduates. This scheme will provide work experience to individuals who are unemployed, who have just left college or have very limited experience of the workplace. The places will be created on a cost neutral basis, as the State’s payment will be equivalent to social welfare Job Seeker Benefit/Allowance weekly rates. Further details on these 3 Additional Training Schemes mentioned above will be available in the coming weeks following consultation between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
Additional Resource David Michael Jones recently published a book: Oh no, I've lost my job. What am I going to do? The Survivors Guide to Unemployment. This concise book cost only â‚Ź4.99 and is available in all good book shops and gives you some advice on how to cope after being made unemployed. You can also access all of the information contained in this book on www.joblessandproud.com.
For help with your rent or mortgage There are various supports, as well as points of advice and help, available to people who are finding it difficult to pay their rent or mortgage. These include; Rent Supplement Mortgage Interest Supplement Housing Associations Local Authorities Homelessness Agencies Visit http://www.losingyourjob.ie/help-with-your-rent-or-mortgage/ or contact your local Citizens Information Centre For a full list of social welfare offices visit: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/ContactUs/Pages/default.aspx or alternatively phone 1890 66 22 44 (Lo Call)