Other Social Welfare Payments
Carer’s Allowance
In order to receive Carer’s Allowance, the person you are providing care for must be under the age of 16 and you must be in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance for them; or the person is over 16 and is incapacitated to an extent that they need full-time care and attention. The person must be living with you or you need to be in a position to provide the necessary full time care and attention to the person you are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance for.
Carer’s Benefit
Carer’s Benefit is payable to people who are insured, having made PRSI contributions, who leave the work place to care for someone in need of full time care and attention. A person can receive 104 weeks in total, in order to care for the person. This can be taken all at once or in any number of separate chunks, up to 104 weeks.
Child Benefit
Child Benefit is a universal payment for parents or guardians with children aged under 16 or under 18, once they are in full time education. It is a monthly payment of €140 per child.
Disability Allowance
Disability Allowance is a weekly social welfare payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) for a person with a disability. This may be an injury, a disease or a physical or mental disability and means that a person is ‘substantially restricted’ in participating in employment that would be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Jobseeker’s Allowance is the primary social welfare payment for someone of working age, who is unemployed, (or working less than 3 days a week) and is seeking work. It is a means tested weekly payment.
Maternity Benefit
Maternity Benefit is a payment made to those who are on maternity leave from work and covered by social insurance (PRSI). A half-rate payment may be payable if you are already in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including the One Parent Family Payment.
Parent’s Benefit
Parent’s Benefit is paid to eligible parents during the period of parent’s leave. Parent’s leave entitles each parent to 7 weeks leave during the first 2 years of a child’s life.