What do I do when I become unemployed?

• Download the relevant form, print it off and complete it.
• Attend your local Social Welfare office. Some offices have appointment times for new claims now so you could ring to check before calling in. Details of addresses are on www.welfare.ie
• Bring two forms of identification with you, one being photo ID (passport, driver’s licence), the other being proof of address (ESB bill, phone bill, etc.).
• Other relevant documents such as a p45 and your redundancy notice should be brought in as well but if you haven't got these, go in anyway. You can supply them later when you get them.
• When your claim is registered, there may be a waiting period (at summer 2009, this average was 6 to 8 weeks) due to backlogs of claims. If you have no other income (i.e. no spouse/partner working), you can go to the Community Welfare Officer at your local Health Centre to apply for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment, which is means tested.
• If you are paying a mortgage or rent, you may be entitled to Mortgage Interest Supplement or Rent Supplement. Again, this is paid through the Community Welfare Officer at your local health centre.

If you have been made redundant, see here for more information.

How do I qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit (‘stamps’) payment?
First of all, you must have 2 years PRSI paid: i.e. 104 weeks contributions. Then, you must have at least 39 weeks paid and/or credited in the governing year. For 2009, the governing year is 2007. For every week that you work you get a 'paid' contribution. For every week you claim a Social Welfare payment you get a 'credited' contribution. You must also be looking for full-time employment, as well as being capable of and available to work to claim Jobseeker's Benefit.

How long does payment of benefit last?
If you have at least 5 years paid contributions (260 weeks), you will get benefit payments for 12 months (312 days). If you have less than the 5 years paid, you will get benefit for 9 months (240 days).

Will the amount of my redundancy payment affect my rate of benefit?
Not if you are entitled to Jobseeker's Benefit. However, if you are aged under 55, you may be disqualified from receiving benefit, depending on the amount over 50k you receive in redundancy payment;

• €50,000.00 - €55,000 1 Week
• €55,000.01 - €60,000 2 Weeks
• €60,000.01 - €65,000 3 Weeks
• €65,000.01 - €70,000 4 Weeks
• €70,000.01 - €75,000 5 Weeks
• €75,000.01 - €80,000 6 Weeks
• €80,000.01 - €85,000 7 Weeks
• €85,000.01 - €90,000 8 Weeks
• €90,000.01 and over 9 Weeks

If you take voluntary redundancy, you may be disqualified for leaving your job voluntarily even if the amount you get is below the figures above.

What happens if I don’t have enough PRSI (‘stamps’) paid to qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit?
You can apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance ('dole'), which is means tested. Details of how means are assessed are here, but basically, any other income is assessed as well as the value of a second property, savings, shares, etc. There is no limit to how long you can claim Jobseeker’s Allowance.

I am self-employed but my income and work has drastically reduced in the past six months. Can I claim Jobseeker’s Allowance?
If you were previously self-employed, you can claim Jobseeker’s Allowance even if you are still partly self-employed. Your reduced income will be assessed as means.

Generally, the means assessment of a self-employed person will look at his/her earnings in the preceding 12 months and these would normally be used to project estimated earnings in the coming 12 months. However, in the current economic climate past earnings may bear little or no relationship to future earnings. The Inspector will take all circumstances into consideration when conducting the means test.

What other benefits or allowances could I claim?
You may be entitled to a tax refund. If your spouse/partner is in employment over 19 hours a week, and you have children, you may qualify for Family Income Supplement (FIS). If you are having difficulty keeping up with bills, loans payments, you should contact MABS for advice. See here for a full list of supports for jobseekers.

How much can I get paid on Jobseeker's?
The amount you will get depends on how much your earnings were in the governing year. If you earned less than €150.00 per week, you'll get €91.80 per week. If you earned between €150 and €200 you'll get €132.00, between €220 and €299.99, you'll get €160.10 and if you earned over that amount per week, your personal rate would be €204.30, which is the full rate.

You get a personal rate and may get an increase for an adult dependant and child dependant. Your average weekly earnings do not affect the amount you get for a child dependent but will affect the qualified adult rate.

There is also a new age-related reduced rate of payment of Jobseeker's Allowance (note it does not apply to Jobseeker's Benefit) for new claims made from the 1st week in May 2009. If you are under 20 years of age, you entitlement is €100.00 maximum. When a person on the reduced rate reaches the age of 20, if they still qualify for the Jobseeker’s Allowance they will be entitled to the full adult rate. The full adult rate of the relevant scheme will be paid to 18 and 19 year olds who participate in certain training schemes.

How often will I have to sign?
Initially, you may be asked to sign weekly. After the first payment is made, you will generally be asked to sign on once every four weeks if you live within 10km of your local office or once every three months if you live more than 10km from the office.

Is the procedure that same if I am only reducing my hours worked?
Yes. The same form applies to all types of Jobseeker's claims (Either download UP1 or UP6 (if you have claimed in past 2 years). You should also bring a letter from your employer about what days/ hours you will be working in the future.

I need more information for my particular situation. Where can I get it?
This is a link to more specific answers on the www.welfare.ie site. You can also Email the department for more information.

Source: Askaboutmoney.com: edited by Welfarite; 17-04-2009

Additional useful information can be found on the INOU website (Irish National Organisation for the Unimployed). In particular, their downloadable leaflet Know Your Welfare Rights contains a useful overview of what you need to know when you become unemployed.