Top Tips
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Would your job search benefit from some professional advice? Let the Surviving Redundancy team help you
Speak to your mortgage lender immediately
Apply now to re-schedule your mortgage. Practices vary, but lenders are understanding and will try to help you. At the least, you can expect to have the term of your mortgage extended, so that the monthly payments are reduced. Or you may even be given a complete payment holiday for 3 months.
Don't wait until you fall into arrears. It is much easier to talk to your lender and to negotiate a good deal while you are up to date
If you are pregnant, the date of your redundancy is critical to qualify for Maternity Benefit
It is really important that you try to qualify for Maternity Benefit - it is higher and it is not taxable. And you can get probably JB after the maternity benefit ends.
To qualify for maternity benefit, you must have been working within 16 weeks of the end of the week your baby is due. So if you are made redundant before you are 23 weeks pregnant, then make sure to get some other PAYE work within 16 weeks so that you will qualify for maternity benefit.
Jobseekers Allowance is reduced by your savings, so consider using your savings to reduce your mortgage.
If you have savings your rate of Jobseekers Allowance will be reduced, so consider using any savings to reduce your mortgage so you will qualify for the maximum JA.
Note - Don't confuse this with Jobseekers Benefit which is not affected by your savings.
If you pay tax on your redundancy payment, don't forget to claim Top Slicing Relief
After the end of the tax year, you can claim back some of the tax you paid on your lump sum payment. Put this in your diary for next January.
Don't be too embarrassed to tell people you have lost your job!
In fact, you should be advertising the fact. And you should be asking people you know to keep you in mind if they hear of any vacancies. This is a time to use your school, college or social network.
Be careful about how you appear on Bebo or Facebook
Potential employers do check it and might not be impressed by some of your social antics! Google yourself to make sure that there isn't anything on the net which would damage your image or reputation.
You should have two versions of your CV. One for printing and one for websites such as Monster
They should be formatted differently. CVs should always be saved in a Word Doc, not a PDF.
Use your free time productively to do all those things you have not had the time to do
- Write that book
- Read Ulysses
- Learn Web Design
- Visit all the tourist attractions in your locality
- Get fit
- Learn Irish
- Learn to play the guitar
And, this will increase your chances of getting a job.
