Losing your job - overview

If you have just had your pay or hours of work reduced, or if you are faced with the loss of your job, it is not always easy to find the information about your entitlements and the services that are available. Losingyourjob.ie is a website providing information on the different aspects of losing your job including employment rights, social welfare and tax.

On losingyourjob.ie you can find information on what steps you need to take, such as signing on at your local social welfare office, looking at your overall financial situation and considering further training and education and returning to work.

Losingyourjob.ie is based on content from www.citizensinformation.ie, the e-Government public service information website provided by the Citizens Information Board.

To help you find the information you need, the home page on losingyourjob.ie lists 8 broad areas with links to relevant topics in each area. You also can search for the information you want, by typing in a keyword such as ‘notice’ into the Search bar.

Reduced hours or pay

If your employer’s level of business has declined you may be asked to reduce your hours at work. If there is a temporary shortage or lack of work for you to do your employer may lay you off or put you on short time. If you are asked to reduce your hours of work this is a change to your contract of employment. Any change to your contract of employment cannot be made without the agreement of both you and your employer. In this situation you need to know your rights under employment law and there are a number of organisations that can help you to enforce your employment rights.

Leaving work

If you have lost your job when you finish work you have certain entitlements such as notice. Your employer must also give you your P45 form. You may have been made redundant or you may have been dismissed. If it is a redundancy situation you may qualify for a redundancy payment. If you have been made redundant there are certain procedures that your employer should follow. If a number of you have been made redundant it may be a collective redundancy.

If you have been dismissed you should check that your employer had fair grounds for your dismissal. If you are concerned about your dismissal you should find out more about your rights under unfair dismissals legislation.

Getting social welfare

When you lose your job you should register as unemployed by signing on with your local social welfare office. There are specific documents you need to bring with you when signing on. If you have enough social insurance contributions you may be entitled to Jobseeker’s Benefit. You may be able to do some work and get Jobseeker's Benefit.

If you do not have enough PRSI contributions you may qualify for Jobseeker’s Allowance which is a means-tested benefit. If you are 24 years of age or under and you are living with your parents in the family home, your parents' income is also taken into account. In some circumstances you may work and get Jobseeker's Allowance. If you have been self-employed and your level of business has reduced or finished, you may get Jobseeker’s Allowance. If you think that you have been wrongly refused a jobseeker’s payment you can appeal the decision.

Depending on your circumstances you may qualify for a medical card.

Money and tax issues

If your pay or hours of work have been reduced there is help for people on low pay. You may be entitled to a tax refund if you have been out of work for some time. If you are getting a social welfare payment you should check if it will be taxed. You should sign on for credited social insurance contributions so that you do not have a break in your social insurance record.

If you become unemployed or reduce your working hours your pension will probably be affected. You may also find that you can’t keep up payments such as your mortgage or pay your everyday bills. If you are having problems dealing with your debt you can contact the Money Advice and Budgeting Service who can give you advice and information about this.

If you have been made redundant some of your redundancy payment may be taxed.

Help with your rent or mortgage

If you are finding it difficult to pay your housing costs there are a number of supports available. You can apply for assistance with the cost of your rent or mortgage interest under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. If you rent out a room in your own home the rental income may be exempt from income tax.

If you are living a private rented accommodation and you haven’t paid your rent your landlord must follow certain procedures if he or she wants you to leave. If you are a local authority or housing association tenant and you are falling behind with the rent you should talk to your local authority or housing association.

If you are unable to pay your mortgage your lending institutution may decide to repossess your home. If you are in need of housing and can’t afford to buy your own home you can apply for local authority housing or to a housing association. If you think you may lose your home soon you should contact your local authority immediately to find out what housing options there are for homeless people.

Options for education and training

After losing your job you may decide to return to education and training, perhaps changing direction in your career. There are sources of information on returning to education which list the range of programmes offering full-time and part-time courses. You should find out what funding for education is available. If you are on a jobseeker’s payment you may be eligible for the Back to Education Allowance. You may be interested in adult education and community education courses. Other continuing education and training courses include FÁS training.

The Community Employment programme offers long-term unemployed people, among others, part-time and temporary placements in jobs within local communities.

Going back to work

There are a number of sources of information and organisations to help you look for work in Ireland including newspapers, recruitment agencies and websites. You should register with your local FÁS employment service office for information about job vacancies. FÁS also provides career guidance and information about Job Clubs and training courses. Local Employment Services assist long-term unemployed people through training and career guidance to progress from social welfare to work.

When you are starting a new job you should make sure that your tax and PRSI deductions are correct. You may be eligible for extra tax allowances under the Revenue Job Assist scheme. If your income from work is below a certain level and you are supporting at least one child you may get Family Income Supplement.

If you are starting a business you may be eligible for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance.

Leaving Ireland

You may be thinking of moving abroad to look for work. There is plenty of information available on the internet and elsewhere which can give you helpful tips for travelling abroad. As well as your passport there are other documents you may need to bring with you.

If you are thinking of going to work in the EU, (including the EEA and Switzerland) you have certain rights including the right to move to another EU state to look for work. You also may be able to transfer your Jobseeker’s Benefit abroad.

Before you decide to work in a country outside the EU you should contact the embassy or consulate of the country where you are planning to go. You will need to find out about work permit and visa regulations as each country has different rules. If you do run into problems when abroad, your nearest Irish embassy or consulate can give you advice and assistance.