Qualifying for JSA and additional benefits

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Hells_Belle

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My husband holds an Irish passport although he was raised in the UK and had never lived here before we moved over 18 mos ago.

He has not been able to find work in his field so far, so I would like him to sign on because the finances are getting pretty tight. Will the fact he's never been employed in Ireland be a problem? Is the application process hideous and what kind of interview and means testing will we have to undergo? (I'm making about 1K a month so we for sure qualify.) Finally, I have always wondered how one proves they are looking for work.

I would like to also apply for medical cards. I know these are also means tested, so I'm confused as to if we should wait to apply until after he is recieving JSA as that will change the amount of "means" we have each month. Obviously I don't want the card if we don't legitimately qualify.

Thanks!
 
I had read that thread, but cheers. It says over there that:

You have to be claiming the benefit for at least 4 weeks in the first country and there may be other terms and conditions.
Click to expand...

In this case, that would mean that he would have had to be claiming JSA in the UK for at least four weeks before we moved. He was not; he's never claimed benefit in either country before.

This would be a brand new, first time application in Ireland for Irish JSA. As it is means tested, we qualify on paper, I'm just unsure if the whole "previous employment in the UK" thing would be a barrier.
 
"Previously employed in UK" will not make any difference to his application for JSA here. The process is that he presents himdswlef at hios local SW office. THey will ask him to prove his ID, complete an application form for JS (or JSA as you call it), fill another form to process means-test.

The means test will determine his entitlements and will take account of your income (he may be asked how he managed to live without claiming before now!). Separately, he may be asked to prove that he is genuinely seeking work (and this will include lookign for work outside his own field if ther are no jobs available in his area), which is proved by producing letters of rejection from jobs he applied for, names, dates phone numbers of jobs applied for and he will be asked to register with FAS after about four weeks.

All this may sound "hideous" but it is not as bad as it sounds, when dealt with one step at a time. Step one, call to the office....
 
I forgat to add that the Medical card application is to the HSE and not SW. So it will be a separate means test for that.
 
Thank you, Welfarite, that's very helpful and I appreciate it. As our family means will change if the JS works out, do you think I should wait to apply for the medical cards until that is sorted?
 
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