Jobseeker’s Benefit
Jobseeker’s Benefit is a weekly payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to people who are out of work and are covered by social insurance (PRSI).
Jobseeker’s Allowance
If you are unemployed, you can apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA). You can apply for JA, if you have been on Jobseekers Benefit and your payment has ended. Jobseeker’s Allowance is a means-tested payment, so your income must be below a certain amount to get JA.
Claiming for an adult dependant
If you qualify for a social welfare payment you get an amount for yourself, which is called the ‘personal rate of payment’. You may also get an extra amount for your adult dependant (called a qualified adult like a spouse, adult child, civil partner or co-habitant) which is paid as an increase to your personal payment.
Claiming for a child dependant
If you qualify for a social welfare payment you get an amount for yourself, which is called the ‘personal rate of payment’. You may also get an extra amount for your child called an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC).
Signing on for the first time
If you lose your job, are made redundant, laid off or if your working hours are reduced you may qualify for a social welfare payment, either Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit. When you apply for a jobseeker’s payment you declare that you are available for work, fit for work, genuinely seeking work but unable to find work. This is also known as signing on.
The Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme allows employers to continue to pay their employees during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) will give employers impacted by COVID-19 a subsidy per employee to help keep them in employment. The EWSS will replace the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS).
Redundancy payments
Where you lose your job because your employer is closing the business or reducing the number of staff, this is known as redundancy. You have a minimum entitlement to a redundancy payment after you have two years’ service. This is known as a statutory redundancy.
Lay-off, short-time working and redundancy
Your employer may lay you off or reduce your working hours (put you on short-time) for a number of weeks. This can happen if there is a lack of work available or changes to the financial circumstances of the business.
The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is no longer available. You may be interested in the new Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP).
Community Employment helps people get back to work by offering part-time placements in jobs based within local communities.
Tús is a community work placement scheme for unemployed people who are selected to participate by the Department of Social Protection.
JobsPlus is an incentive to encourage employers to employ long-term unemployed people. The incentive is paid monthly in arrears, over a 2-year period.
The Programme supports community businesses to provide local services to their communities and to provide employment to unemployed people.
The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and fishermen/women who are getting certain social welfare payments.
The new Work Placement Experience Programme gives people who have never had a job or who have lost their job a chance to get work experience.
The medical card scheme entitles certain people to free public health services. This document explains the medical card and how to apply for it.
How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are under 70 years of age.
How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are over 70 years of age.
Family doctors (GPs) provide certain services to medical card holders free of charge.
Unless you have a medical card or GP visit card, visits to family doctors are not free. What is a GP visit card and how can you apply?
Children under 6 are entitled to free visits to participating GPs. Find out how to register for the GP visit card for children under 6.
In certain emergency situations, a healthcare professional can apply for you to get a temporary medical card known as an emergency medical card.
Information about Illness Benefit, a payment made to people under 66 who are unable to work because of illness.
Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment that may be paid to people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability.
A weekly payment to people that have an injury, illness or disability which is expected to last more than a year. Find out how to qualify and rates of payment.
The Blind Pension is a means tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people normally living in Ireland. Find out more about this social welfare payment and how to apply.
The Treatment Benefit Scheme is a scheme run by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that provides dental, optical and aural services to people with the required number of PRSI contributions.
The Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme provides a range of benefits for people injured or incapacitated by an accident at work or while travelling directly to or from work.
Injury Benefit is a weekly payment made to employees who are unfit for work as a result of an accident at work or because they have contracted a disease due to the type of work they do. Find out more.
Disablement Benefit may be payable to you if as a result of an accident at work or a prescribed disease contracted at work, you suffer a loss of physical or mental faculty.
If you are an insured employee and are injured at work or contract a prescribed occupational disease you may be entitled to a refund of medical costs.
Information on how work or training can affect your disability payment and any extra benefits you are getting.
A Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment made to the carer of a child with a severe disability who lives at home. Find out more.
Partial Capacity Benefit is a scheme to support people on Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension who want to return to work.
All female employees are entitled to maternity leave from work immediately before and after the birth of their child.
People who adopt children may be entitled to leave from employment. This leave is called adoptive leave. Find out what this means and how to apply.
Information about statutory paternity leave, which is available since September 2016.
Social Welfare Supports
Unemployment
Employment Support Schemes
Medical Cards and GP Visit Cards
Illness and Disability Allowances
Maternity and Paternity
Unemployment
Jobseeker’s Benefit
Jobseeker’s Benefit is a weekly payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to people who are out of work and are covered by social insurance (PRSI).
Jobseeker’s Allowance
If you are unemployed, you can apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA). You can apply for JA, if you have been on Jobseekers Benefit and your payment has ended. Jobseeker’s Allowance is a means-tested payment, so your income must be below a certain amount to get JA.
Claiming for an adult dependant
If you qualify for a social welfare payment you get an amount for yourself, which is called the ‘personal rate of payment’. You may also get an extra amount for your adult dependant (called a qualified adult like a spouse, adult child, civil partner or co-habitant) which is paid as an increase to your personal payment.
Claiming for a child dependant
If you qualify for a social welfare payment you get an amount for yourself, which is called the ‘personal rate of payment’. You may also get an extra amount for your child called an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC).
Signing on for the first time
If you lose your job, are made redundant, laid off or if your working hours are reduced you may qualify for a social welfare payment, either Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit. When you apply for a jobseeker’s payment you declare that you are available for work, fit for work, genuinely seeking work but unable to find work. This is also known as signing on.
The Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme allows employers to continue to pay their employees during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) will give employers impacted by COVID-19 a subsidy per employee to help keep them in employment. The EWSS will replace the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS).
Redundancy payments
Where you lose your job because your employer is closing the business or reducing the number of staff, this is known as redundancy. You have a minimum entitlement to a redundancy payment after you have two years’ service. This is known as a statutory redundancy.
Lay-off, short-time working and redundancy
Your employer may lay you off or reduce your working hours (put you on short-time) for a number of weeks. This can happen if there is a lack of work available or changes to the financial circumstances of the business.
Employment Support Schemes
The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is no longer available. You may be interested in the new Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP).
Community Employment helps people get back to work by offering part-time placements in jobs based within local communities.
Tús is a community work placement scheme for unemployed people who are selected to participate by the Department of Social Protection.
JobsPlus is an incentive to encourage employers to employ long-term unemployed people. The incentive is paid monthly in arrears, over a 2-year period.
The Programme supports community businesses to provide local services to their communities and to provide employment to unemployed people.
The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and fishermen/women who are getting certain social welfare payments.
The new Work Placement Experience Programme gives people who have never had a job or who have lost their job a chance to get work experience.
Medical Cards and GP Visit Cards
The medical card scheme entitles certain people to free public health services. This document explains the medical card and how to apply for it.
How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are under 70 years of age.
How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are over 70 years of age.
Family doctors (GPs) provide certain services to medical card holders free of charge.
Unless you have a medical card or GP visit card, visits to family doctors are not free. What is a GP visit card and how can you apply?
Children under 6 are entitled to free visits to participating GPs. Find out how to register for the GP visit card for children under 6.
In certain emergency situations, a healthcare professional can apply for you to get a temporary medical card known as an emergency medical card.
Illness and Disability Allowances
Information about Illness Benefit, a payment made to people under 66 who are unable to work because of illness.
Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment that may be paid to people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability.
A weekly payment to people that have an injury, illness or disability which is expected to last more than a year. Find out how to qualify and rates of payment.
The Blind Pension is a means tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people normally living in Ireland. Find out more about this social welfare payment and how to apply.
The Treatment Benefit Scheme is a scheme run by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that provides dental, optical and aural services to people with the required number of PRSI contributions.
The Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme provides a range of benefits for people injured or incapacitated by an accident at work or while travelling directly to or from work.
Injury Benefit is a weekly payment made to employees who are unfit for work as a result of an accident at work or because they have contracted a disease due to the type of work they do. Find out more.
Disablement Benefit may be payable to you if as a result of an accident at work or a prescribed disease contracted at work, you suffer a loss of physical or mental faculty.
If you are an insured employee and are injured at work or contract a prescribed occupational disease you may be entitled to a refund of medical costs.
Information on how work or training can affect your disability payment and any extra benefits you are getting.
A Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment made to the carer of a child with a severe disability who lives at home. Find out more.
Partial Capacity Benefit is a scheme to support people on Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension who want to return to work.
Maternity and Paternity
All female employees are entitled to maternity leave from work immediately before and after the birth of their child.
People who adopt children may be entitled to leave from employment. This leave is called adoptive leave. Find out what this means and how to apply.
Information about statutory paternity leave, which is available since September 2016.