Rights to payments from the funds of Efling in the event of a loss of employment and useful recommendations for social and financial assistance

Are you unemployed – are you entitled to a grant?

– Guard your rights and make use of services and the funds which Efling has to offer.

The members of Efling who find themselves out of work and collecting unemployment benefits will have to continue paying their union dues to Efling from their unemployment benefits. Thus, they maintain their earned rights to payments from the funds of the union and can continue to apply for grants from the fund for sickness benefits and education and book a vacation house.

Sickness benefits fund

• You maintain your right to apply for grantsif you have paid your dues to Efling for six consecutive months from your wages before you became unemployed.
• You maintain your right to apply for sickness benefits if you have paid your union dues to Efling from your wages for six consecutive months before you became unemployed.
• If you become ill while you receive unemployment benefits you may be entitled to sickness benefits for up to three months.

Further information

Educational fund

• You are able to apply for a grant if you have paid your union dues for 6 of the last 24 months and been a union member as you attended your school/course.
• After employment ends and you’ve stopped paying your union dues you have 3 months after you’ve stopped contributing to the union to submit an application.
• If you are registered with the Directorate of Labor, then you must submit a confirmation of the sum of the grant along with the application, regardless of whether a grant from the Directorate of Labor or not.

Further information

Recreational fund

• You will be able to purchase cards, gift cards and have your payments for lodgings inside Iceland subsidized if you have paid your union dues to Efling for six consecutive months.
• If you are receiving unemployment benefits then you will have to keep contributing to Efling to maintain your right to book a vacation house.

Further information

We also remind everyone to make use of the services which Efling is offering.

These include:

• Legal services for members of Efling on Tuesdays at Guðrúnartún 1, tel.no. 5107500.
• The wage affairs division assists you if you believe your rights have beeb violated.

---

New in Iceland – Ráðgjafastofa innflytjenda

Are you new in Iceland? Or still adjusting? Do you have a question or need assistance?

At New in Icleand immigrants can get assistance to feel safe, to be well-informed and supported while living in Iceland. The counselors offer information and advice with respect to privacy and confidentiality.
Tel: 456 7555

Are you having financial difficulties?

We are getting more and more requests from Efling members because of delays in the process of applications for unemployment benefits at the Directorate of labour, many people have lost their jobs because of the pandemic and are experiencing financial trouble. We would like to do what we can to help.

Even though we can do little about the delays at the Directorate of labour we can help in other ways. If you suspect that your rights or collective agreement is broken and your workplace owes you wages you should contact Efling office (Kjaramál)

We want to point out that the municipality you live in is required by law to assist people in urgent need financially and you can apply for social benefits if you don´t have the right to unemployment benefits.

Financial Aid

---

Let’s take a stand together against violence – the home is supposed to be a safe place

Are you in a situation where you feel that your health or safety are under threat because of the violence of a family member? In Iceland, people who suffer violence are offered various kinds of counseling and support to escape from such circumstances.

Violence can be of various kinds and in each instance, there is often more than one type of violence. The violence can be physical, psychological, sexual, economic and digital as well as diverse types of conduct which contain intimidation, threats, manipulation and/or coercion. Violence in intimate relationships is a process which is often described as a certain cycle of violence where the tension in the relationship builds to an explosion of some sort where the violence gets worse, only for everything to become calm as the perpetrator apologizes and even promises never to do it again. This is often followed by a period of tranquility. Then the tension again begins to build up and the cycle continues.

There are numerous ways to receive assistance, many of which are available without charge. All you need to do is contact one of those places and tell them that you need help. It’s possible to call too seldom but never too often.