Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment
The Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) is a means-tested payment under the Jobseeker’s Allowance Scheme. If you have been in receipt of One-Parent Family Payment, and the payment is ending because your youngest child will be 7, you may be eligible for this payment. You may also be eligible if you are parenting alone, or are sharing parenting following the end of your relationship, and you have a child aged between 7 and 13 who lives with you. You can apply for JST even if you were not in receipt of One-Parent Family Payment previously.
The payment is designed to support you back into work when your children are older. You will need to meet certain conditions for payment, but you do not have to meet the requirement of being available for, and actively seeking, full-time work.
If you are married but your relationship has ended and you are no longer living together, you will need to be living apart for three months to qualify. This does not apply to unmarried applicants.
The main conditions for Jobseeker’s Transitional payment are as follows:
- You have your child living with you who is aged between 7 and 13
- You are capable of work
- You meet the means test
- You are not cohabiting
- You are expected to engage with the Department with a view to supports needed to prepare for full time work in the future
While in receipt of Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment:
- You do not have to be available for, or seeking, full time work
- You can take part in courses of education and keep your payment
- You do not have to be fully unemployed for 4 out of 7 days; this means you could work part time across more than 4 days and still receive a payment
Payment rate for 2023
- Personal Rate: €220 weekly
- €42 for each dependent child aged 0-12
- €50 for each dependent child aged 12+
Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment and Employment
You can work and earn €165 gross per week before it affects your rate of payment. Half of the remaining amount of your gross weekly earnings is assessed as means and deducted from the maximum weekly payment. If you are self-employed, then the weekly disregard of €165 will not apply to you. All of your net profit is assessed as means.
With this payment you do not need to be available for full-time work, or genuinely seeking work if you are caring for your children. However, you will be expected to meet with the Department from time to time, at their request, to consider what options may be available to you, in order to plan for work in the future. You may also be required to take recommended courses of education or training.
How to Apply
You can apply for the payment at your local INTREO centre. You can also download the application form and return it, with the relevant documentation, to your local INTREO centre. Information on the Department’s website, including the application form, is here.
Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment and Maintenance
Maintenance paid by the other parent of your child or children is assessed as means. If you receive maintenance for yourself and your children, then both are taken into account. If you are receiving maintenance from more than one person, the total of these payments will be considered in the assessment.
Half of all maintenance received is taken into account in assessing the rate of your JST payment.
Ninety-five euro and 53 cent (€95.23) of maintenance received (per week) can be offset against your housing costs such as rent or mortgage repayment, if you have such costs. Half of the remainder will then be assessed as means. Proof of rent and mortgage payments will be requested.
If you are working and receiving maintenance then the incomes are assessed separately, as above and then the means from each are added together to determine the rate of JST.
Once your total assessable means has been calculated, this amount is deducted from the maximum weekly payment.
Page last modified 22 March 2023.