Early retirement and Jobseekers Benefit

Here's the scenario - 56 year old who has just been made redundant. Qualifies for Jobseekers Benefit. She has a small fund in her former employer's Occupational Pension Scheme - around €3,500.

Rules of the scheme say she can take early retirement and will get the bulk of the fund as a tax-free lump sum. The balance of fund will be small and can be taken as a taxable lump sum also, under trivial pension rules.

Question - she hasn't started claiming Jobseekers Benefit yet as her official date of leaving is early August. If she chooses the early retirement option, will it have any effect on her entitlement to jobseekers? Bear in mind she won't be getting any ongoing pension from the scheme.

Thanks.

Got further information - tax free lump sum is €2,887.50 and balance of fund is €520.27 which can also be taken as a lump sum under trivial pension rules, subject to 10% tax.

Anyone know if taking these early retirement benefits might affect her Jobseekers entitlement?

Thanks.

i'm confused, how can she take early retirement when she's been made redundant?
if she's entitled to benefit then her means will not be assessed it's only for allowance that means are assessed.

The Occupational Pension Scheme rules allow any member over the age of 50 to take early retirement with the agreement of the scheme trustees.

As Derek said, if she's eligible for Jobseeker's Benefit, it's not affected by anything else she may have.

That only lasts for a max of 12 months, after that, if she's still unemployed and seeking work, she will be assessed for Jobseeker's Allowance which is means-tested. The first 20 000 in savings/investments is disregarded when assessing means, so the amounts she's getting from the pension fund are okay in themselves.

Many thanks.