C0-habiting family and education?

[Nugget]

Hi all,

Wondering if i someone could clarify for me as I have received contradicting advice in two different social welfare offices.

I have been accepted to do a masters, paid a deposit and have applied for a student grant. I have been unemployed for 9 months, while my partner has just had our first child 6 months ago.She became unemployed shortly before she was due to go on maternity leave. She is polish, the child and I are Irish. We are both over 30.

We moved this week to a new residence closer to the college.
I was claiming as a family (partner as a dependent) with split payments between the two of us up until Friday. I stopped my social welfare claim, ( on advice of old social office) and made a new claim(in the new office) under her name for a couple with myself as a dependent(and the child). I was told that I would not be able to claim social welfare benefit if in full time education. I was told that we could reapply for Job-seekers Allowance, as this is a means tested payment and that we would receive the same amount, only with my partner as the main claimant.

We we were told yesterday( in the new office) that we would probably not be able to make this claim now as my partner was only available for part time work (due to parenting if I am at college) and she is not avalible full time employment, also she had not yet registered with fas. She was registered with fas prior to the birth.

I am worried now as I have no claim, can we still get rent allowance etc. , we were planning on making the application as a couple for the new place in her name as she now has the social payments in her name. In reality all we are doing is changing all to her name and main applicant for all payments, so I can return to study. We were assured this was possible.

Can anyone clarify, how dependent and how education is effected. We have no other source of income or property. What are the options ? Can you not be a dependent and study at the same time. Is this not the same as a student named as a dependent on an unemployed parents social?

 

[Welfarite]

I am finding it difficult to read/understand your query ( a lot of irrelevent info there) but here goes, I'll try and summarise/advise ....
You are a dependent on your partner's new claim to JA but she won't be entitled to JA as she is not looking for/available full-time work. You stopped your own claim as you are in full-time education and not entitled to JA either.
But is it not the case that you are not in F/T education yet? Until September maybe?
You won't qualify for BTEA anyhow as you are doing a Master's rather than Undergraduate/H Dip degree.
Apart from the Master's issue, you won't qualify for BTEA as a dependant on your spouse's claim even if she qualifys at al on the F/T work conditionl, as she won't have the required duration on JA to allow you qualify for BTEA as a dependant of hers (9 months)
The bottom line is, if I'm reading it correctly, you won't get SW/BTEA while doing your Master's and your spouse won't get JA unless she is available for F/T work.

 

[Tessi]

Hi I don't have any knowledge of social welfare entitlements etc. However I do know my sister in law has gone back to college full time under the Social welfare Back to Education allowance and her husband is on a ce scheme. Again your situation is different. My suggestion is to go into the "Social welfare web site and go to the contact details where you can send a detailed email to them. Sometimes an actual written explanation of ones situation allows the person reading it to get a clearer, more accurate picture of the problem etc. I have gotton answers to some of my queries this way and have found they are very good at returning my emails. If you do get an answer in the mean time you havent lost anything.