Here are the answers to some of our most commonly received questions and enquiries.
1. I am thinking of moving to London: Can you give me some advice?
Anyone thinking of coming to London for the first time needs to bear the following facts in mind before making their decision:
Identification:
Photo Identification, preferably a passport, is very important: The days of producing a birth or baptismal certificate as identification are long gone. More than one item of identification is recommended.
Employment:
If you are hoping to find employment in London be prepared to spend some time and energy looking for a job. Don’t expect to find work in a few days. If at all possible, try to make some contact with an employer before you emigrate. Use the internet to search for job vacancies or visit your local Fás/ careers office or jobcentre to get advice on opportunities.
National Insurance Number:.
You will need to obtain a National Insurance number once you arrive. This is similar to your PPSN number and is necessary if you wish to gain employment, or apply for benefits. Theoretically, your employer can apply for a National Insurance number for you, but very few employers can be bothered and simply employ those who already have one. National Insurance numbers can be applied for at most Jobcentres. The applicant undergoes an interview to determine eligibility and identification is required. Obtaining a National Insurance number can take up to 6 weeks.
Accommodation:.
Accommodation is very expensive in London: The cost of a room in a shared house is between £80 and £120 per week. A months deposit and a month in advance are usually required.
A shared room in a backpacker’s hostel will cost £70-£100 per week in advance but usually no deposit is required.
Studio flats start at £160; again a deposit and rent in advance will be required.
Social or council housing is generally not an option for people arriving from Ireland and we strongly recommend that people already living in social or council accommodation in Ireland do not abandon it, in the belief they will be eligible for similar housing here, they will be deemed intentionally homeless and therefore ineligible.
The London Irish Centre can advise on housing. We have limited referral rights to some accommodation for single people but do not have any properties of our own.
Banking:
It is very important to open a U.K. Bank account once you arrive in the U.K. To open an account it is necessary to have photo identification such as a passport or full Driving license with photograph. Two proofs of address are also generally required. Generally employers will only pay wages or salaries into bank accounts. Welfare Benefits are also paid into accounts although the Benefit agencies usually allow time for an account to be established.
Benefits:
If you are on Unemployment Benefit in Ireland this benefit can transfer to the U.K. If you want to transfer your Unemployment Benefit out of Ireland you should contact:
The European Injuries and Unemployment (EIU)Department of Social,
Community and Family Affairs,
Osian House,
Pearse Street,
Dublin 2.
Tel:01 704 3861.
Only Unemployment Benefit can be transferred, any means tested benefit such as Unemployment assistance cannot transfer and a new claim for Jobseekers allowance must be made once you arrive in London. It is important to note that Welfare Benefit rates are far less generous in the U.K. than in Ireland: Jobseekers Allowance, both contributory and non contributory, amounts to only £60.50p per week for people over 25 years of age. It amounts to only £47.95p for those aged under 25. For more information on how to claim Jobseekers Allowance, please see question 2.
Health:
Healthcare through the National Health Service (NHS) is free to all eligible residents in the U.K. To obtain your NHS number, simply register with a local G.P., Identification is required. All Doctor’s visits and hospital treatment is free. There is a charge for prescriptions. People on a means tested benefit can get their prescriptions free. Dental fees are reduced for NHS patients and those on means tested benefits get a limited amount of dental procedures free of charge.
2. I am unemployed/about to be made redundant, what help is available?
Being unemployed or about to be made redundant can be a very stressful time, however, if you do not have adequate savings to cover costs in the interim period before your next job, then it is important that a claim for Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) is made as soon as possible, as the process from claim to payment can take up to four weeks.
The initial stage for claiming this benefit is completed by calling the National Claim Line number on 0800 055 6688, (open between 9am – 6pm Monday to Friday.) Giving your address, (or care of address if of no fixed abode,) you must undergo a telephone interview with a DWP representative. A paper statement is sent following the call for you to sign. If the details are correct, or amended by you and then signed, it is to be taken to your local Job Centre Plus, (JCP.) An initial interview at the JCP is then arranged a few days after the phone call where the statement is submitted and you have the opportunity to talk through your circumstances with a JCP New Claims Adviser, who also verify ID, arrange a signing on time on a fortnightly basis and discuss the sort of work you are looking for.
The Job Seeker’s Agreement that is entered into during this interview has many benefits and the Job Centre and its staff can serve as a useful tool in finding work when you sign on every two weeks.
JSA is known as a ‘passport benefit,’ which means that once a claim is made it can also entitle you to various other welfare benefits, which we will be happy to advise you of. Please note that if you break the Job Seeker’s Agreement, (by missing a signing on date for example,) your benefit can be sanctioned, (reduced) or suspended/shut down.
3. I have been on sickness based benefits (Income Support / Incapacity Benefit) for a number of years and my conditions have deteriorated, can I get any extra help?
If your physical or mental, (or both,) health conditions mean; that you find carrying out certain tasks/activities difficult and you require or receive assistance from family/friends with these tasks, or that you have difficulties walking and you are under sixty five you could make an application for Disability Living Allowance.
Disability Living Allowance is made up of two components; the mobility component and the care component. The mobility component is paid at one of two rates: lower and higher rate and the care component is paid at one of three rates: lower, middle and higher rate.
If you have difficulties walking e.g.: you cannot walk far without experiencing pain and discomfort, or get out of breath very easily, or you need to have someone with you when you are outdoors you may be entitled to the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance.
If tasks such as; washing, dressing, getting in and out of bed, taking your medication, communicating with others, preparing or eating a meal are problematic for you as a result of your health conditions, then you may be entitled to the care component of Disability Living Allowance.
We are able to assist you with completing the application forms, however, as this form requires a lot of information about your conditions and how they affect your daily life, this is something that is completed over a few visits. Once the form has been returned to the Disability and Carers Service it usually takes twelve weeks to receive a letter informing you of the outcome of the application.
In certain circumstances if you are unable to leave your home it is possible for a representative from the Department for Work and Pensions to come out to your home and complete the form with you. If this is something that would be beneficial for you then you should contact the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00 for further information about this service.
4. I haven’t been back to Ireland since I emigrated/for a long time, is there any help with returning?
Wanting to return to your home place can be a powerful feeling, which can also include trepidation if you have not been home for a long time. We can offer advice on your entitlements to health/welfare services in Ireland.
With regards to a permanent return to Ireland, if you are over sixtyyears of age and do not own your own home or do not have savings to assist you withsecuring accommodationin Ireland, then we can assist you with making an application to the Safe Home Programme. Safe Home, (www.safe-home-ireland.com) is a programme that helps older Irish emigrants to return to Ireland.Safe Home assists with securing housing in the voluntary sector.
To make an application to the Safe Home programme you must be “older Irish born emigrants, aged close to or over 60 years, must be living in rented accommodation and must be seeking to return to their county of origin or a county they have close, verifiable links with”.
Unfortunately, for those of you that are under sixty years of age who want to return to Ireland the move has to be done independently and there are lots of factors that have to be considered – Housing, Income, and Health being the main ones. As far as accessing local authority housing in Ireland is concerned, you should be aware that the local authority has no obligation to provide accommodation for anyone who has voluntarily left local authority housing in Britain. Also, you must be resident in Ireland before you can get onto a housing list and there is a waiting list of several years. We can provide advice about income, what UK benefits will transfer over with you and which ones do not, as well as information about accessing health services.
If you wanted to visit Ireland on an assisted trip, to see relatives, or to assess a more permanent move home, we are able to refer to an invaluable project called Aisling, (www.aisling.org,) which provides supportive holidays to various counties four times a year for long term emigrants. Aisling also provides an outreach welfare service to their clients who are isolated and/or vulnerable.
5. Can I get help with my rent?
You may be entitled to Housing Benefit (Social housing tenants) or Local Housing Allowance (Private tenants) depending on your circumstances. It is paid through your Local Authority/Council.
You can get Housing Benefit (HB) or Local Housing Allowance (LHA) if you have a rental obligation which is either a tenancy, lease or license. Agreements between close relatives are not considered. It may be a written or verbal agreement.
To get HB or LHA you must demonstrate that you are of limited means. You do not need to be in receipt of any benefit to qualify. If you are on a benefit such as Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) or Income Support (IS) you will automatically qualify for maximum benefit, but this may still be short of your rent figure.If you are working and on a low wage, you can claim. You may qualify for a partial payment towards your rent. How much you get will depend on your household circumstances and the amount the law says you need to live on, this is also referred to as your Applicable Amount.
Any savings or investments of £6,000 or less are disregarded when calculating entitlement. The upper limit for savings is £16,000 unless you are over 60 and in receipt of pension credit where different rules apply.
There are two ways to make a claim: -
Obtain and complete a standard housing benefit application from your local authority. Each authority has its own version: These can be obtained from your council, or in most cases, downloaded from your local authority’s website. You must provide proof of tenancy and income.
You can also file a generic NHB form at your local Job centre. Your local authority will be notified and send you their standard application form. This is not the most reliable way to apply.
If successful, payments are paid every 4 weeks in arrears. If you are a tenant of a social landlord, payments can be made directly to them. If you are a private tenant payment will be made directly into your bank account.
Please note, an application for HB includes a claim for Council Tax Benefit (CTB).
6. Am I entitled to an Irish Pension?
If you have worked in Ireland you may well be entitled to a pro rata Irish Pension and you are legally obliged to claim this if you are on a means tested benefit. Applying for an Irish Pension is a straightforward process. It involves submitting two forms to the International Pension Service, (part of the Pension Service). We hold a stock of them here for clients and can post them on request, alternatively, you can initiate a claim by calling The International Pension Service on 0191 218 7777 or log on to www.thepensionservice.gov.uk.
Please note that Irish Pension payments cannot be made to Post Office Accounts and so a Bank/Building Society account must be set up for this purpose if you do not already have one.
The process can take up to four or five months, as the Pension Service must forward the forms to the Irish Pension Service in Sligo, who then run a search for contributions based on the details given. If no contributions can be traced, the application can be reviewed.
7. Can I get a passport from the London Irish Centre?
We keep a stock of the passport application forms and can assist with completing these forms, however, we are unable to sign or witness the form and photographs. This has to be done by a professional practicing in the UK and not related to you. Valid witnesses are:
Magistrates/ Judge
Elected Public Representatives
Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths
Solicitor
Police Officer
Members of the Clergy
Teachers
Accountants
Bank Official
Medical Doctor
Dentist
Once the form has been completed and the relevant documents have been included, they are to be posted or handed in to the Passport Office and your passport is sent by post to you within three to four weeks. The Passport Office contact details are as follows:
Embassy of Ireland
Passport Office
Montpelier House
106 Brompton Road
London
SW3 1JJ
T: 020 7225 7700
