Key Post Supports for getting back to work

Welfarite

Registered User
Messages
3,053
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.
 
Last edited:
What I cant understand about all these allowances, is why do you have to wait at least 12 mths before you quailfy. A lot of recently unemployed people would have good business idea's or knowledge to start a business earlier than 12 mths So for a person in this situation it would seem to make more sense for them to be able to work and collect some kind of allowance while the business is taking off
 
A lot of these schemes are in place from Celtic Tiger days and are aimed at the long-term unemployed; being in reciept of a long-term SW payment is seen as a barrier to getting back to work. The qualifying periods have been reduced in some as the economy deteriorated.
The Short-term Enterprise Scheme was introduced and has no qualifying period; it is basically paid in lieu of JB so what you suggest is indeed possible! Although it's part of the general BTW Enterprise Scheme, I have added it to the keypost as a link.
 
Last edited:
Its a great new scheme I think. Thanks for posting the link. Its exactly the type of thing I'm interested in. Can't get a job, and i'd much rather try my hand at self employment then keep sponging.

However, "You will also keep any secondary benefits (apart from Rent or Mortgage Interest Supplement) "... The Interest Supplement is the only thing that is keeping a roof over my head at the moment. If i lose that. I'd only have a month or so before i'd be unable to pay my mortgage.

These all seem to give an allowance, Is there anything that will just let me try make some money myself without penalizing my current allowance if i fail?

The first link in the education section needs to be fixed.
 
Back
Top