DW Allowance recipient getting divorce

M

Mumha

Registered User
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A family friend who is now 62 and who has been receiving the DW Allowance for the last 20 odd years, has been contacted by her estranged husband requesting a divorce. She is not averse to agreeing to the divorce but is worried how being divorced would affect her DW allowance as this is her only income.

She has about 3 years to go, to getting her pension anyway, but worries what happens if she is divorced then she would obviously not be "deserted" any more.

Someone has suggested going ahead with the divorce and just not saying anything to the Social Welfare, however she would be concerned that someone would inform on her.

Any help to clarify where she stands would be greatly appreciated.
 
You mean One Parent Family payment? Deserted Wife's Benefit was abolished/renamed a while back if I recall correctly.
Someone has suggested going ahead with the divorce and just not saying anything to the Social Welfare, however she would be concerned that someone would inform on her.
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Claiming payments to which one is not entitled is welfare fraud. The onus is on the individual to apprise Welfare of any material changes in circumstances.
 
ClubMan said:
You mean One Parent Family payment? Deserted Wife's Benefit was abolished/renamed a while back if I recall correctly.
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The problem with that, is that being 62, all her kids have grown up and moved out of the house so she is on her own. So strictly speaking she would not qualify for this payment ?

ClubMan said:
Claiming payments to which one is not entitled is welfare fraud. The onus is on the individual to apprise Welfare of any material changes in circumstances.
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I understand why you have said this but in fairness, life is never black and white.
 
Mumha said:
I understand why you have said this but in fairness, life is never black and white.
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When it comes to welfare fraud it is to me. If a change in circumstances means that an individual no longer qualifies for a particular payment then the onus is on them to inform Welfare. Failure to do so and to continue to claim the payment when not qualified is welfare fraud. Plain and simple. At the very least it's imprudent for individuals to engage in welfare fraud or for others to recommend it as a course of action.
 

As a country, we're more than happy to see our mega wealthy pay feck all tax (cute hoor etc ), yet hammer a social welfare recipient who could or would have nothing especially as The Welfare are so nailed down as to what is and isn't allowed. Compassion is alien. We've built a great "Let them eat cake" society .

In anycase, I did find the answer

http://www.welfare.ie/foi/dwb.html#conds_det

Divorce

A person who is divorced from her husband ( being a divorce that is recognised as valid in the State) and has not remarried, continues to be regarded as a deserted wife and qualifies for continued payment of Deserted Wife's Benefit, provided all other qualifying conditions are satisfied for receipt of benefit.
 
Please take rants to Letting Off Steam. Turning a blind eye to potential welfare fraud is not synonymous with compassion.
Good. Hope my directions to the SW website helped.
 
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