Changing to JSB, claim not gone through...

I'm full of queries, easy known I'm up since 3 this morning with insomnia! I was just wondering if someone could help me with the following: I signed onto JSA last September and was was claiming €70.80 per week. Then DH's wages changed so I contacted SW and was cut to €62.80 per week. I have been in and out since the beginning of January as they told me I would be entitled to claim my 'stamps' this year because of the years I worked. (I graduated in 2009 and got a teaching job in September 2009, was employed by dept of ed until end of August 2011 so I paid 104 weeks of PRSI). Anyway, in January they told me I still wasn't entitled to claim my stamps, which I knew was incorrect and I kept researching and I rang the local SW office that I go to 2 weeks ago and I was tlaking to a lovely lady. She sent out a form that the dept of ed had to fill in and when I brough it back to her I was told that I am in fact entitled to claim my stamps. She mentioned that the claim (or something) is dated back to Jan 2012, and that it would take a few weeks for the money to come to the post office. In the meantime, my usual 62.80 will be there(she said), which is better than nothing. What I'm wondering is, I was talking to a lady in the office this morning and she said that all that was on the system was my JSA claim, and that there was nothing on it for my stamps(or JSB). I was then talking to my mother who said that it won't be on the system until my claim is processed and get my money. Is this correct? I am just worried that the lady in the office last week might have lost the forms or something, and that my claim isn't being processed. I know I'm not the only one in this position, and that they're not all running around like headless chickens trying to get me my 188 a week, but is this the norm? That there is no record on the system of my claim for JSB until I actually get the money?

I seem to be following you around today! I'm in a similar situation to you. Qualified teacher, out of work but subbing so have a casual claim with social welfare. If I were you I'd go into the office. My claim was horrendous to sort out! When I changed from allowance to benefit it took them over three months to sort it and any time I rang I was fobbed off. I became a bit of a fixture at the SW office but I eventually got sorted in the end. Can't give you any advice on the stamps as mine was different but I highly recommend going to the office in person to make sure that everything is sorted.

Hiya, Thanks for your reply. I was planning on going to the CWO on Wednesday to see if I can get Supplementary Welfare Allowance, do you think I should go ahead with this? I realistically can't afford to wait a couple of months for backpay, so I was planning on going and asking him/her (not sure!!) about applying for it. I know it's fairly straight forward to get SWA, just hoping the CWO is in a good mood when I go in! My JSA claim was processed in 4 weeks last September so I wasn't left waiting for too long. I was expecting the full 188 though so was expecting about 700 in the post office, the day before I went to collect it, I was told there would be 280 euro in the po for me to collect as that was all I was entitled to. Hoping I will qualify for SWA as the money is needed. I'm not getting any subbing whatsoever, and the 62 euro a week barely covers petrol and job applications. Those SAF are a killer, especially having to print off 3 of them each time!

I say you go down there and get everything you're entitled to! You're obviously trying your best to get work. It's so hard to find something isn't it? I feel utterly useless some days.

Oh it's horrible not having work, I feel totally useless. It wrecks my head when I meet people on a week day, during school time, and they ask if I've got a job yet. DUHHH. It's so annoying, sure if I had a job I wouldn't be in buying a newspaper in the middle of the day! Also, when I'm asked if I'm applying for jobs. It's hard to give a civil answer sometimes!I will go down to my CWO on Wednesday and see what he/she can do. It will no doubt be taken out of the back pay I'm owed anyway from SW so I'm only trying to get what I need. It's really demeaning having to queue up on the footpath outside the SW office, I swear passing cars slow down so they can have a good gander at all us ''spongers''!!