Jun 11, 2008 · Expatriator
Wow. 3 years??? Time to move on perhaps?
What does "sign on the dole" mean?
What does "sign on the dole" mean?
signing on in spain?
Jun 11, 2008 · jolaucar · 5 replies · 4442 views
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I have lived in spain for 3years and its been almost impossible to find work.
Does anyone know if there is a place to sign on the dole here? I have residence ect...
Jun 11, 2008 · sallok
'Sign on the dole' means go on the unemployment in Brit!
As far as I know you have to have paid into social security for 365 days (not necessarily consecutive) before you get any unemployment benefits. At that point it is about 75% of your average previous salary though, so it's quite a good sum. Once registered you'll be referred for jobs / courses and if you don't accept you get a black dot and don't receive the money any more.
As far as I know you have to have paid into social security for 365 days (not necessarily consecutive) before you get any unemployment benefits. At that point it is about 75% of your average previous salary though, so it's quite a good sum. Once registered you'll be referred for jobs / courses and if you don't accept you get a black dot and don't receive the money any more.
Jun 11, 2008 · Expatriator
Ah, hehe, I figured it was something like that, in brit speak.
I think you're right sallok. You have to have paid into social security for some time (I thought it was six months actually).
I'd like to think we expats are more resourceful than to have to sign on the dole in our adoptive country however...
I think you're right sallok. You have to have paid into social security for some time (I thought it was six months actually).
I'd like to think we expats are more resourceful than to have to sign on the dole in our adoptive country however...
Jun 13, 2008 · sallok
I agree - I never had to sign on in the UK and thought I never would in Spain. However... for all the English teachers out there who are working on a legal contract for 9 or 10 months of the year, it's an option. I only did it once (thankfully I'm past the temporary contract situation now) and it was time-consuming bureaucratic to do, but it meant that I didn't have to go the UK and work all summer as well as working all year round. It took 3 visits to the unemployment office, hours of queuing and mountains of forms to fill in, but after that I was free for the summer and received at least a percentage of my salary. Luckily I live in a small town where everyone knows each other so the guy at the unemployment office said - oh you work in such and such school. Are you going back in September? As I was he put the review date for the unemployment benefit down for the beginning of October, by which time I was back at work. This meant I was left alone over the summer and didn't have to consider taking on any job. I'm not sure other offices would be so accommodating. ;-)