Jobseeker's Allowance

Introduction

If you are unemployed and aged 18 or over you may be paid either Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) or Jobseeker's Benefit (JB). Both payments are paid by the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

You may get Jobseeker's Allowance if you don't qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit or if you have used up your entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit. In some cases, if you are only entitled to a reduced rate of Jobseeker's Benefit you may be better off on Jobseeker's Allowance. However, Jobseeker's Allowance is means-tested and your means must be below a certain level to qualify.

You must be unemployed to get Jobseeker’s Allowance. You must also be capable of, available for, and genuinely seeking work to qualify for Jobseeker’s Allowance – and you must be able to show evidence of this to the Department of Social Protection. However, you may get a proportion of your Jobseeker’s Allowance if your days at work are reduced or if you can only get part-time or casual work. Income from work affects the amount of Jobseeker's Allowance you get. Find out more about how income from work is assessed for Jobseeker's Allowance.

Budget 2013

Work on a Sunday will be taken into account from 20 February 2013. From 20 February 2012 you must have suffered a substantial loss of employment (defined as at least 1 day of insurable employment) in any period of 7 consecutive days (instead of 6) to qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance. A person must also be fully unemployed for at least 4 days in any period of 7 consecutive days.

Intreo - the integrated employment and support service

Intreo is a new service from the Department of Social Protection which will provide a single point of contact for all employment and income supports. Currently Intreo is available in 4 Department of Social Protection offices. More Intreo centres are due to open by the end of 2012. Details of new locations will be published on welfare.ie and Intreo will be available in all offices by 2014.

Rules

To get Jobseeker's Allowance you must:

• Be unemployed (you must be fully unemployed or unemployed for at least 4 days out of 7)
• Be over 18 and under 66 years of age
• Be capable of work
• Be available for and genuinely seeking seek work
• Satisfy the means test
• Meet the Habitual Residence Condition.

Unemployed

To get Jobseeker's Allowance you must be unemployed. However, there are circumstances in which you can do some work and get Jobseeker's Allowance.You can also take up to 2 weeks holiday in a year and continue to get your payment.

Part-time or casual work

If you get part-time or casual work (up to and including 3 days per week), you may still be paid a proportion of your Jobseeker's Allowance. However, you must show that you are trying to get full-time employment. If you have been getting long-term Jobseeker's Allowance (15 months or more) and you take up part-time work for less than 24 hours a week you may be eligible for the Part-time Job Incentive Scheme. This scheme allows you to take up part-time work and get a special weekly allowance instead of your jobseeker’s payment.

Reduced days at work

If your employer reduces your days at works to 3 days week or less, you may get Jobseeker's Allowance for the other days. You must meet the other conditions that apply to Jobseeker's Allowance, for example, you must satisfy a means test.

Lay off

A lay-off situation arises where your employer is unable to provide work for you, but believes this to be a temporary situation and tells you this before the work finishes. If you are laid off work you may get Jobseeker's Allowance. You will not get Jobseeker's Allowance for any day you are getting Holiday pay.

Self-employment

If you are self-employed, you may be entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance, depending on your income from your business. You can find out more about self-employment and unemployment on selfemployedsupports.ie. Self-employed farmers on a low income should apply for Farm Assist.

Voluntary work

You may be able to do voluntary work and continue to get Jobseeker's Allowance. You must continue to satisfy the conditions of the payment, which means that you must be available and looking for work. You must also get permission from a Deciding Officer at your Social Welfare Local Office. Find out more about voluntary work and social welfare payments.

On strike

If you are on strike, you will not be considered unemployed and will not get Jobseeker's Allowance. However, if you are out of work as a result of a strike, for example, you have been laid off because of the strike, you may get Jobseeker's Allowance. You may get Jobseeker's Allowance if you are "not participating in or directly interested in the trade dispute which caused the stoppage at work".

If you are on strike your family may get Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

Capable of work

You are capable of work unless you can produce medical evidence to prove that you are not able to work. If you have spent some time ill and incapable of work you must produce a final medical certificate to prove that you are now fit for work. If you are ill and incapable of work you may be entitled to Disability Allowance or Illness Benefit.

Available for and genuinely seeking work

You must be available for work and actively looking for work to qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance. You may be asked to show evidence that you are actively seeking work. For example, letters showing job applications or failure to get a job.

Available for work

The Department of Social Protection’s Operational Guidelines state that you are considered available for employment, if:

• You state that you are available for work
• You do all that is asked to show compliance with this availability condition
• There is no evidence to suggest the contrary

Essentially the Department of Social Protection considers that you are available for employment if you are prepared to accept any offers of suitable employment immediately.

However you can be regarded as not being available for work and therefore not entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance if you put unreasonable restrictions on the following:

• The nature of the employment
• The hours of work
• The rate of pay
• The duration of the employment
• The location of the employment

If a Deciding Officer thinks that that you have placed unreasonable restrictions, you will be interviewed and given the opportunity to respond. Note that if you refuse a suitable offer of work you can be disqualified from Jobseeker’s Allowance.

If you are looking after a sick or elderly person you may be entitled to Carer's Allowance.

You can read more about the available for work condition in the Department of Social Protection’s Operational Guidelines.

Means test

Jobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested payment. Your means must be below a certain level to get Jobseeker's Allowance. A means test looks at all your sources of income including your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant's income. (A cohabitant is a person living in an intimate and committed relationship with a person of the same or opposite sex who is not that person’s spouse, civil partner, or a close relative.) However, some income may not be taken into account.

Your total household means is then deducted from the maximum payment (usually this is the personal rate including any increases for adult and child dependants) to find the actual amount of Jobseeker's Allowance you are entitled to. Find out more about the means test for Jobseeker's Allowance.

Your means are halved if your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is getting a social welfare payment in his or her own right* or is on a FÁS or VTOS course and getting an allowance. If your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is getting a payment in his or her own right you will not get an increase for a qualified adult but you will get a half-rate increase for each qualified child.

*Except for Child Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Disablement Pension, Guardian's Payment, Supplementary Welfare Allowance and half-rate Carer's Allowance.

If you are 24 years of age or under and you are living with a parent or a step-parent in the family home, some of your parents' income will also be taken into account in the assessment for Jobseeker's Allowance. This is called an assessment of the 'benefit and privilege' you get from living with your parents. More information is available on how living with your parents is assessed in the means test.

Spouse, civil partner or cohabitant working

If your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant works it can affect your Jobseeker's Allowance. Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant's earnings from insurable employment are assessed in the same way as your earnings from part-time or casual work. More information is available in our document about work and Jobseeker's Allowance.

Disqualification from Jobseeker's Allowance

You may be disqualified from getting Jobseeker's Allowance for 9 weeks if you:

• Left work voluntarily and without just cause
• Lost your job through misconduct
• Refused an offer of suitable alternative employment or suitable training.

Suitable employment does not include the employment in a job that is vacant because of a trade dispute. In addition, the employment must be suitable, having regard to your age, sex, physique, education, normal occupation, where you live, rate of pay offered and your family circumstances.

Reduction in payment

The Social Welfare Act 2010 provides that your payment can be reduced if you:

• Refuse an appropriate offer of training by an officer of the Department of Social Protection or FÁS
• Decline an intervention under the Employment Action Plan (EAP), do not attend EAP meetings with a FÁS officer under the EAP or drop out of the EAP process

Community Employment Schemes are not considered to be FÁS training opportunities.

If you are:

• Age 25 or over, your payment can be reduced to €144
• Age 22-24, your payment can be reduced to €111
• Age 18-22, your payment can be reduced to €75

Students

If you have just left school you can not get Jobseeker's Allowance. To get Jobseeker's Allowance you must be out of school for three months and be at least 18 years of age.

Short-term employment or training

The Department of Social Protection operates a fast-tracking system for people who sign off a jobseeker's payment to take up work for a short period (up to 8 weeks) or to go on a short training course (up to 8 weeks). This ensures that your payment is re-instated without delay. It is important that you inform your local social welfare office in advance that you are taking up work or training.

Work experience for jobseekers

JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme provides work experience for people who have been getting a jobseeker’s payment or signing for credits for at least 3 months. You can read more about JobBridge. The Work Placement Programme provides 9 months’ work experience for graduates and other unemployed people. For more information contact your local employment services office.

Rates

Jobseeker Allowance rates in 2013

Exceptions to age related Jobseeker's Allowance payments for people under 25

The reduced age related personal and qualified adult rates of Jobseeker's Allowance for claimants under 25 years of age do not apply in the following cases:

• Claimants with dependent children
• People transferring to Jobseeker's Allowance immediately after finishing their entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit
• People transferring from Disability Allowance to Jobseeker's Allowance
• Where an existing Jobseeker's Allowance claimant is assessed at the higher rate of allowance gets work but loses that job and is back on Jobseeker's Allowance within 12 months
• People under 25 participating in a course of education, training or Community Employment. However, when the course ends you will return to an age related JA payment, if you were getting one before you started the course.
• You were at least 20 years of age on 30 December 2009 and became unemployed on or before 30 December 2009
• You were 18 or 19 on 30 December 2009 and you became unemployed on or before 29 April 2009
• You are 22 to 24 and taking part in the Work Placement Programme run by FÁS.

Certain children in the care of the HSE during the 12 months before reaching 18 years of age will also be assessed using the JA rate for people aged 25 or over.

Payments for dependants

If you qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance you get an amount for yourself, which is called the 'personal rate of payment'. You may also get an increase in your payment for an adult dependant and any child dependants you may have.

Child dependants

A 'child dependant' is usually a child up to 18 years of age who lives with you. If your child is under 18 years of age and working you can still claim an Increase for a Qualified Child. You will not get an Increase for a Qualified Child if your child has a social welfare payment (except Supplementary Welfare Allowance) in their own right.

If your child is 18 years of age or over, you can continue to get an Increase for a Qualified Child for three months after he or she leaves second level education or finishes the Leaving Certificate.

If you are getting a Jobseeker's Allowance for at least 156 days and your child is in full-time education, an Increase for a Qualified Child will be paid up to 22 years of age or up to the end of the academic year in which he or she reaches 22.

You get a half rate Increase for a Qualified Child if you and your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant are each getting a social welfare payment. You each get a half-rate Increase for a Qualified Child.

Adult dependants

You may get an Increase for a Qualified Adult for your adult dependant (this is usually your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant). If you are single, widowed, divorced, separated, a former civil partner or not living with your civil partner, and living with a person aged 16 or over, you can claim an increase for them but only if he or she is caring for a child dependant of yours.

You will not get an increase for a qualified adult but you can get a half-rate increase for each qualified child if your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is:

• Getting a social welfare payment (except Child Benefit and Disablement Pension)
• Getting a HSE payment
• On a FAS or VTOS course and getting an allowance.

Getting paid

You can collect your Jobseeker's Allowance payment weekly from your nearest Post Office.

You must bring valid photographic identification with you to collect your payment. The following is considered to be valid photo ID:

• Driving licence
• Passport
• GNIB card.
• EU/EEA nationals may use a National Identity Card.

Staff working in the Post Office may ask to see your photo ID before giving you your payment.

How to apply

You should apply for Jobseeker's Allowance the first day you become unemployed.

It is important to apply on the first day you become unemployed because you will not get paid for the first three days of your claim.

Jobseeker's Allowance application form is available online. You can also get an application form at your social welfare local office. You will need to bring certain documents to prove your claim. You may find this list of documents you need when you apply for Jobseeker's Allowance useful.

You can get help to fill in your application form at your social welfare local office or nearest Citizens Information Centre.

More information about applying for Jobseeker's Allowance and the extra benefits you may get is available in our document about signing on for the first time.

Where to apply

Apply for Jobseeker's Allowance at your Social Welfare Local Office.

If you think you have been wrongly refused Jobseeker's Allowance you can appeal the decision.