A selection of Welfarite's posts

In the light of the current economic climate and the increasing queries around jobseeker’s payments, I’m posting the following as a layman’s guide to what to do when becoming unemployed; please don't post individual queries in this thread as they won't be seen or replied to.



What do I do when I become unemployed?

• Download the http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Pages/jajbapplications.aspx (relevant form), print it off and complete it.
• Attend your local Social Welfare office. Some office have appointment times for new claims now so you could ring to check before calling in. Details of addresses are on www.welfare.ie
• Bring two forms of identification with you, one being photo ID (passport, driver’s licence), the other being proof of address (ESB bill, phone bill, etc.).
• Other relevant documents such as p45, redundancy notice should be brought in as well but if you haven't got these, go in anyway. You can supply them later when you get them.
• When your claim is registered, they may be a waiting period due to backlogs of claims. If you have no other income (i.e. no spouse/partner working), you can go to the Community Welfare Officer at your local Health Centre to apply for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment, which is means tested.
• If you are paying a mortgage or rent, you may be entitled to Mortgage Interest Supplement or Rent Supplement. Again, this is paid through the Community Welfare Officer at your local health centre.

If you have been made redundant, see here for more information.

How do I qualify for http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/JobseekerSupports/JobseekersBenefit/Pages/jb.aspx (Jobseeker’s Benefit)(‘stamps’) payment?



First of all, you must have 2 years PRSI paid: 104 weeks contributions. Then, you must have at least 39 weeks paid and/or credited in the governing year; in 2011 this is 2009. For every week that you work you get a 'paid' contribution. If you don't have 13 paid contributions in the relevant tax year, you must have the 13 contributions paid in any of one the following years:

• The 2 tax years before the relevant tax year (2007 and 2008)
• The last complete tax year (2010) or
• The current tax year. (2011)

For every week you claim a Social Welfare payment you get a 'credited contribution'. You must also be looking for full-time employment, as well as being capable of and available to work to claim Jobseeker's.

Another way of qualifying is if you have 26 weeks PRSI paid in the relevant tax year (this year 2009) and 26 weeks PRSI paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year (2008).

How long does payment of benefit last?

If you have at least 5 years paid contributions (260), you will get benefit payments for 12 months (312). If you have less than the 5 years paid, you will get benefit for 9 months (240 days).

How do I re-qualifying for Jobseeker's Benefit

If you have used up your entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit (JB), you may re-qualify by working and paying the appropriate PRSI contributions for at least 13 weeks. If you are working and getting JB, as in the case of systematic short-time workers and some part-time workers, the 13 weeks paid contributions can begin once you have claimed JB for 156 days.

You must have suffered a substantial loss of employment to re-qualify for JB, unless you are a casual worker. If you have lost your job you will have suffered a substantial loss of employment. If you are a part-time or systematic short-time worker DSP will look at your pattern of employment over the last 13 weeks or another representative period to find out whether you have suffered a substantial loss of employment.

For example, if you are getting JB and working 3 days each week as a systematic short-time worker or a part-time worker and your employment pattern has not changed during the course of your JB claim, you will not have suffered a substantial loss of employment and will not re-qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit.
However, if your JB claim ends and your 3 day week working week is then reduced to a 2 day week, you will have suffered a substantial loss of employment and may re-qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit. There is more information here:
[broken link removed]

Will the amount of my redundancy payment affect my rate of benefit?


If you are 55 years or over there is no disqualification from receiving JB irrespective of the amount of the redundancy payment. If youa re under 55, you are disqualified from receiving JB for a period of up to 9 weeks from the last date of employment and have received a payment in excess €50,000. You will be disqualifed from receiving benefit for the following periods, depending on the amount over 50k you receive in redundancy payment;

• €50,000.00 - €55,000 1 Week
• €55,000.01 - €60,000 2 Weeks
• €60,000.01 - €65,000 3 Weeks
• €65,000.01 - €70,000 4 Weeks
• €70,000.01 - €75,000 5 Weeks
• €75,000.01 - €80,000 6 Weeks
• €80,000.01 - €85,000 7 Weeks
• €85,000.01 - €90,000 8 Weeks
• €90,000.01 and over 9 Weeks

Remember, if you take voluntary redundancy, you may be disqualified for leaving your job voluntarily even if the amount you get is below the figures above. For more details about redundancy and its effect on JB, see this link.

What happens if I don’t have enough PRSI (‘stamps’) paid to qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit?

You can apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance ('dole'), which is means tested. Details of how means are assessed are here, but basically, any other income is assessed as well as value of second property, savings, shares, etc.. There is no limit to how long you can claim Jobseeker’s Allowance. Evenm if you don't qualify for a payment, you should continue to sign to get 'credits' so that your future Sw entitlements are preserved, including SW pensions. This is very important.

I am self-employed but my income and work has drastically reduced in the past six months. Can I claim Jobseeker’s Allowance?

If you were previously self-employed, you can claim Jobseeker’s Allowance even if you are still partly self-employed. Your reduced income will be assessed as means.
Generally, the means assessment of a self-employed person will look at his/her earnings in the preceding 12 months and these would normally be used to project estimated earnings in the coming 12 months. However, in the current economic climate past earnings may bear little or no relationship to future earnings. The Inspector will take all circumstances into consideration when conducting the means test.

What other benefits or allowances could I claim?

You may be entitled to a [broken link removed]. If your spouse/partner is in employment over 19 hours a week, and you have children, you may qualify for Family Income Supplement (FIS). If you are having difficulty keeping up with bills, loans payments, you should contact MABS for advice. See here for a full list of supports for jobseekers.

How much can I get paid on Jobseeker's?

The amount you will get depends on how much your earnings were in the governing year and what age you are. From 31st December 2009 the rates for persons over 24 for both benefit and allowance claims are a weekly personal rate of €196.00 (and increases for a Qualified Adult €130.10 and Qualified Children €29.80 if payable). The rate of Jobseeker's Allowance is €150 per week for those aged 22-24. The maximum personal rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance for all new claims for persons under 22 years is €100.00. Note that the age-restricted amounts relate to the means-tested jobseeker's ALLOWANCE, not the PRSI-based Jobseeker's BENEFIT.
If, married or living with a partner, you get a personal rate and may get an increase for an qualified http://www.welfare.ie/syndicatedcontent/en/irish-social-welfare-system/claiming-a-social-welfare-payment/claiming-an-increase-in-your-social-welfare-payment-for-an-adult-dependant (adult dependant) and qualified http://www.welfare.ie/syndicatedcontent/en/irish-social-welfare-system/claiming-a-social-welfare-payment/claiming-and-increase-in-your-payment-for-a-child-dependant (child dependant). Your average weekly earnings do not affect the amount you get for a child dependent but will affect the qualified adult rate.

How often will I have to sign?

Initially, you may be asked to sign weekly. After first payment is made, you will generally be asked to sign on once every four weeks if you live within 10k of your local office or once every three months if you live more than 10k from the office.

Is the procedure that same if I am only reducing my hours worked?

Yes. The same form applies to all types of Jobseeker's claims (Either download UP1 or UP6 (if you have claimed in past 2 years)). You should also bring a letter from your employer about what days/ hours you will be working in the future. The amount payable for any day of unemployment (Monday to Saturday) is one-sixth of the weekly rate, except for systematic short-time workers (i.e. those reduced to working the same set days each week), when it is one-fifth of the weekly rate. In 'short-time working' cases the total number of days worked and on Jobseeker's Benefit cannot be more than 5 in any working week.
Any three days of unemployment (excluding Sundays) in a period of six consecutive days (called the '3 in 6' rule) form a period of interruption of employment (PIE). Any two PIEs not separated by more than 26 weeks are treated as one PIE, and 'linked' to older claim's qualifying conditions. In other words, the 'old' claim's qualifying conditions apply to the 'new' claim if its within 26 weeks.

Who pays for Bank Holidays when I am working reduced hours?

Casual or part-time employees must have worked at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks ending on the day before the public holiday to establish a statutory entitlement to pay in respect of a public holiday. Part-time or casual workers are not entitled to Jobseeker's Benefit or Allowance in respect of paid public holidays.
NOTE: Good Friday is a bank holiday not a public holiday therefore employers are not legally required to pay in respect of that day. If the employer does pay in respect of Good Friday, JA/JB is not payable.

Will I be entitled to any other benefits now that I am unemployed?


A http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/FuelAllowance/NationalFuelScheme/Pages/NationalFuelScheme.aspx (Fuel Allowance)of €20.00 per week is payable for 32 weeks (from September to May) to those receiving Jobseeker's Allowance for 15 months or more, but you ust be living alone or only with a qualified dependant or other eligible adults. A http://www.welfare.ie/syndicatedcontent/en/social-welfare-payments/extra-social-welfare-benefits/smokeless_fuel_allowance/ (Smokeless Fuel Allowance)(€3.90 per week) is payable to those on Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance who satisfy the following conditions:

• Have exhausted at least 78 days JB
• Be resident in one of the specified urban areas
• Not have other income over €100 per week or household savings of €58,000 or more.
• Be unable to provide for their heating needs
• Live alone or only with a qualified dependant or other eligible recipients.

Payment of these allowances is limited to one per household.

If your hours (and income) have been reduced, you should check whether you now come under the earnings threshold for FIS.

I need more information for my particular situation. Where can I get it?

This is a link to more specific answers on the www.welfare.ie site. Another site is www.citizensinformation.ie .You can also Email the department for more information.

THIS POST IS INTENDED AS A GUIDE ONLY. No responsibility is accepted by the author or AAM for any errors, omissions or misleading statements or any site to which this post connects.

Key posts by Welfarite

Many posters are familiar when looking for information of Social Welfare schemes that the official site to access is www.welfare.ie. However, that site is not very user-freindly and, very often, the information given on the schemes is sparse and ambigious, if you can navigate to it in the first place!

Here is a tip.

The 'real story' of how these schemes are operated is 'hidden' in the 'operational guidelines' link which is usually found down the right-hand side of the scheme page you are accessing; these ire the guidelines that staff use when deciding claims and they cover all aspects of dealing with applications, the 'nitty-gritty' of how decisions on all claims are made.

To help posters, below is some of the more popular schemes, with 'Operational Gudielines' links:

One-Parent Family Payments (formerly Unmarried Mother's Allowance)
Family Income Supplement
Child Benefit (formerly Children's Allowance)
State Pension (Contributory) (formerly Old-Age Pension)
State Pension (Non-Contributory) (formerly Old age Pension)
Illness Benefit (formerly Disability Benefit)
Disability Allowance

Back to Education Schemes:

Back to Education Allowance: Second Level and Third Level education option for jobseekers.
Back to College Initiative: 2,500 free part-time college places were made available to certain jobseekers from Sept 2009.
Part-time Education Allowance: Same as above, but for part-time students.

Key posts by Welfarite

Here is a list of some support schemes that are there to help people get back to work , with links from www.welfare.ie:

Getting work as an employee:

Work Placement Programme; Programme that brings employers and the unemployed together for a nine month work experience placement.
Revenue Job Assist: Additional tax allowance for people iwho have been unemployed for 12 months or more and who are now returning to employment.
Part-time Job Incentive Scheme: Allows persons who are long-term unemployed (15 months +) to take up part-time employment for less than 24 hours per week and receive a special weekly income supplement.
Family Income Supplement: If you have a child, and you and/or your partner is working. Should also be checked out if your income has reduced as you may now come under the income threshold to qualify.

Self-employed Scheme:

Back-to-Work Enterprise Allowance; To help people go self-employed and retain SW entitlements for 2 years.
Short-term Enterprise Allowance: There is no qualifying period for this new scheme. You can get immediate access to the allowance but you must meet the qualifying conditions.

Education Schemes:

Back to College Initiative: 2,500 free part-time college places were made available to certain jobseekers from Sept 2009.
Back to Education Allowance: Second Level and Third Level education option for jobseekers.
Part-time Education Allowance: Same as above, but for part-time students.

All the schemes are open only to people on certain SW payments, or with an underlying means-tested entitlement to such schemes as Jobseeker's Allowance. Rules have been relaxed in some instances for those made redundant who can qualify immediately or after a short period of time. Watch future budgets for any changes to qualifying condiitions for these schemes.

Key posts by Welfarite

I'm a lone parent. What are my entitlements on Social Welfare?

The main scheme for lone parents is called the One-parent Family Payment (OFP), which used to be called Lone Parent's Allowance and Unmarried Mother's Allowance. This is a payment for men and women who are bringing children up without the support of a partner. It's payable to an unmarried person, a widowed person, prisoner's spouse, a separated or divorced person, or one whose marriage has been annulled.
To get this payment you must meet certain conditions and you must satisfy a means test. If you are divorced or unmarried, you must also have attempted to get maintenance from the child's other parent (father or mother).

How do I go about claiming?

You can download and fill in the application form. Social Welfare Local Offices now process most OFP claims so you can also send/drop in the completed application to them. Alternatively, you could send it with the relevant supporting documents to the Department of Social and Family Affairs, Pension Services Office, College Road, Sligo.

How do I get paid?

You can have your payment paid directly into your bank account or collect your money at your local post office.

What are the main conditions for getting OFP?

You must satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in the state. You cannot be cohabiting (that is, living with someone as husband and wife).
If you are separated or divorced you must have been separated for at least three months, have made efforts to get maintenance from your spouse or be inadequately maintained by your spouse.
If you are unmarried you must seek maintenance from the other parent of your child(ren). Be aware that you will have to provide evidence of these efforts to get maintenance and Social Welfare may contact the father of your child(ren) when investigating your claim.

What is involved in the claim investigation?

Most claims are investigated by an inspector calling (usually unnotified) to your home. They will ask questions regarding your means, your efforts to get maintenance, the members of your household and investigate for evidence of co-habitation. This might entail more than one visit.

What do I do for money while I'm waiting for a decision on my claim?

You can go to your local Community Welfare Officer and apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

Are there any other benefits or allowances I can claim?

The Household Budget Scheme can help you manage your bills. You may also be eligible for Fuel Allowance. Also, you may be entitled to a medical card,

I'm working full-time. Can I still get One-parent Family Payment?

Yes, provided your earnings are under €425 per week. The first €146.50 of your gross weekly earnings is not taken into account as means so you can earn up to €146.50 per week and qualify for the full One-Parent Family Payment. Half the remainder of your gross earnings up to €425 per week is assessed as means. If you earn between €146.50 and €425 per week you may qualify for a reduced payment (Social insurance contributions, health contributions, superannuation contributions and trade union subscriptions are not taken into account in the assessment of earnings.) If you are already getting OFP and you find a job earning over €425 per week, you can retain your OFP for 6 months after you start work. You may also have an entitlement to Family Income Supplement if you are working over 19 hours a week.

What about help in paying my rent or mortgage?

You can apply to your local community Welfare Officer for Rent Supplement or Mortgage Interest Supplement.

THIS POST IS INTENDED AS A GUIDE ONLY. No responsibility is accepted by the author or AAM for any errors, omissions or misleading statements or any site to which this post connects.

Message for The Beach, Welfarite and Ozmik. An update re the Irish Pension. It's come through! Though the pension is small (40 Euro per week - I think!), it will be backdated from 2003 (when I would have been 66), a lovely Christmas present and it means that, along with my UK pension, I will be in a much better financial position

Ozmik, if your mum has not already claimed, tell her that though it can be daunting, it is worth the effort. I couldn't recall all the places I had worked, but I sent an accompanying letter explaining this and giving as many details as I could remember, ie, the name of the companies, street names, VERY approximate dates, etc. From your message it appears your mother worked in Ireland for about the same amount of time as I did. With regard to whether it will affect any other benefits, I shouldn't think so; obviously there will be tax to pay if the combined pensions and salary from the part-time job are above the tax allowance.

Thank you all for your help, this forum was the only place that I got any information about claiming a pension. Such a shame as i am sure there are a lot of Irish people in my age group who emigrated in the 50's who won't have this help.

Thanks for the feedback, Monsterrace! It's great to hear successful outcomes!

This is a selection of his key posts which really goes to show how valuable he was and continues to be...