Jobseekers Benefit after Illness Benefit

L

lcdposter

Registered User
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Hello,
I am on Illness Benefit for the year and half and feel better now, thinking of going back and look for work soon. Was just wondering if I can get Jobseekers Benefit, I have enough contributions for relevant tax year 2015. If I was on Illness Benefit for the last 18 months, is it possible I used all my contributions and can only apply for Jobseekers Allowance or that doesnt matter? Not sure, how does that work.
 
You can apply for Jobseekers Benefit based on your PRSI contributions. Here are the requirements:

To qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit, you must pay Class A, H or P PRSI contributions. Class A is the one paid by most private sector employees. Class H is paid by soldiers, reservists and temporary army nurses, who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit until they have left the army. To qualify you need:

At least 104 weeks of PRSI paid since you first started work
And
39 weeks of PRSI paid or credited in the relevant tax year (a minimum of 13 weeks must be paid contributions*)
Or
26 weeks of PRSI paid in the relevant tax year and 26 weeks of PRSI paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year.

*If you do not have 13 paid contributions in the relevant tax year, you must have paid 13 contributions in any of the following years:
  • The 2 tax years before the relevant tax year
  • The last complete tax year
  • The current tax year.
The relevant tax year is the second-last complete tax year before the year in which your claim is made. So, for claims made in 2017, the relevant tax year is 2015.

Note that in January, the relevant tax year will change to 2016.

Your local Intreo office will take an application for both Jobseekers Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance when you call in - if you don't qualify for the benefit, they will process the allowance claim (the allowance claim is means-tested).
 
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