Four little-known social welfare payments you could be…

Four little-known social welfare payments you could be eligible for - worth up to €220 a week

The cost of living crisis is continuing to put pressure on Irish families across the country and there’s no doubt that many people are feeling the pinch.

However, thousands of families could be eligible for lesser-known social welfare payments that can help ease the financial burden.

The government announced a variety of additional supports as part of Budget 2023 with changes to social welfare and other government supports.

Here's everything to known about four social welfare payments and how to claim them.

One-Parent Family Payment

The One-Parent Family (OFP) Payment is a payment for men and women who are bringing children up without the support of a partner. Those who are working full time can still qualify for this payment.

The maximum weekly rate is up to €220.

To qualify for the One-Parent Family Payment you must:

Be aged under 66
Be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a child under a certain age - see ‘Age limit for a child’ below
Be the main carer of at least one child under the age limit. The child must live with you. OFP is not paid if the parents have joint equal custody of a child or children.
Pass a means test – a means test looks at any income that you have – see ‘How your income is assessed for the One-Parent Family Payment’ below
Live in Ireland and meet the habitual residence condition – find out more about exemptions from the habitual residency condition.
Not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting

You can find out more here.

Back to Work Family Dividend

The Back to Work Family Dividend is available to support lone parent and long-term jobseeker families with children to find or return to work.

If you qualify for this scheme, you will receive a weekly payment for up to 2 years with rates ranging from €21 to €200 a week, depending on how many kids you have and their ages.

The payment means that you will be paid the equivalent of any Increase for Qualified Children that were being paid on your jobseeker or one-parent family payment, up to a maximum of 4 children, for the first year in employment.

For more information on this visit gov.ie

Living Alone Increase

The Living Alone increase is a payment for those on social welfare who are also living alone.

The current weekly rate is €22 which amounts to €1,144 over a year.

If you are 66 years or over and live alone, you will qualify if you are getting one of the following payments: State Pension (contributory/non-contributory), incapacity benefit, widows, widowers or civil partners payment.

The full list can be found here.

Homemaker's Scheme

The Homemaker's Scheme makes it easier for you as a homemaker to qualify for a higher rate of State Pension (Contributory) when you reach pension age. A homemaker, under the scheme, is someone who provides full-time care for a child under 12 or an ill or disabled person over 12.

To qualify, the applicant needs to:

Be aged under 66
Have started insurable employment or self-employment on or after the age of 16 and before the age of 56
Not work full-time but you can work and earn less than €38 gross a week
Care full-time for a child under 12 or an ill or disabled person