The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2015 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €3.01 billion.
A jobseeker’s payment is paid for days of unemployment where the person is not in receipt of holiday pay and satisfies the conditions of the scheme. School bus drivers who are employed on a temporary basis and who have already been in contact with the Department are issued with a repeat jobseeker’s application form and holiday form in advance of the school holiday periods. This facilitates an efficient service to these customers. However, it is important to note that they are still required to sign on for each period of unemployment.
Initially when a person makes an application for jobseeker’s benefit, 3 waiting days apply and payment is from the 4th day of the claim where there is no accrued holiday entitlement. If a person makes a repeat claim for jobseeker’s benefit with 26 weeks of their previous claim, the repeat claim links to the earlier claim and no waiting days apply.
Employers are obliged to deduct employee and employer PRSI based on the employees’ earnings in respect of each week in which the employee is in insurable employment.
To qualify for a state pension (contributory) a person must-
- have at least 520 paid contributions and
- satisfy a yearly average condition (a yearly average of 48 contributions paid or credited is required for a full rate State pension (contributory), and reduced rates of payment may be payable for pensioners with lower averages).
Once over 16 years of age, the date a person enters into insurable employment is the date used for averaging purposes.
For those with insufficient contributions to meet the requirements for a State pension (contributory), the State pension system provides alternative methods of support, they may qualify for a means tested State pension (non-contributory), the maximum personal rate for which is €219, which amounts to just over 95% of the maximum rate of the State pension (contributory).
Alternatively, if their spouse or civil partner is in receipt of a State pension (contributory) they may instead qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult of up to €206.30, which is just under 90% of the maximum personal rate of the State pension (contributory).
