Changes that can affect your social welfare payment

Introduction

If you are getting a social welfare payment and your personal circumstances change you must contact the Department of Social and Family Affairs.  A change in your circumstances can mean you get an increase or a decrease in your social welfare payment.  You could even be entitled to an extra or different social welfare payment.

Contacting the Department will mean you get your increase faster or avoid repaying overpayments.

A change in your personal circumstances may mean you qualify for a social welfare payment for the first time. For example, if you were working and recently lost your job, you may be entitled to Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance. In this case, if you are in private rented accommodation you may also qualify for Rent Supplement.  Read more about losing your job.

Sometimes, there can be a change in your personal circumstances but you don't qualify for a social welfare payment.  In this case, you may qualify for Supplementary Welfare Allowance.  For example, if your employer will not pay you when you are out of work sick, but you don't qualify for Illness Benefit, you may qualify for Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

Rules

Changes meaning you qualify for additional social welfare payments

A change in your personal circumstances may mean you qualify for an additional social welfare payment. For example, if you are getting a One-Parent Family Payment and working part-time, should you lose you job or are unable to work due to illness you may be entitled to half-rate Jobseeker's  Benefit or Illness Benefit as well as your One-Parent Family Payment.

Changes meaning you qualify for a different social welfare payment

A change in your circumstances may mean you no longer qualify for the payment you are currently getting but qualify for a different payment.  In some cases, you may be financially better off on the different payment. For example, Domiciliary Care Allowance is no longer paid when the person being cared for reaches 16 years of age.  However, the disabled person can apply for Disability Allowance, which is paid at a higher rate than Domiciliary Care Allowance. 

Changes meaning you qualify for extra payments

Some extra payments, such as the Fuel Allowance, the Living Alone Allowance or the Household Benefits Package as it applies to people under age 70, require you to either live alone or with certain qualified people. If you do not qualify because of this rule and your circumstances change, you should contact the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

You may also lose the payment if an 'unqualified' person comes to live with you.

Changes meaning you qualify for a reduced social welfare payment

If you or your spouse or partner take up employment or get income or capital from any other source, it may reduce your payment.

If you or your spouse or partner saves a portion of your State Pension (Non-Contributory) each week, these savings will be taken into account as means. It is important to notify the Department of Social and Family Affairs of these savings to avoid an overpayment and subsequent claw-back.

Changes meaning you no longer qualify for a social welfare payment

A change in your circumstances may mean you no longer qualify for a social welfare payment.  For example, you are not entitled to Widow's/Widower's Pension if you remarry or live with someone as husband and wife.

It is a criminal offence claim a social welfare payment, if you know you are not entitled to it. You can be prosecuted for claiming a social welfare payment that you are no longer entitled to.

Changes automatically made to your social welfare payment

In some cases, the Department of Social and Family Affair will automatically change your social welfare payment to reflect changes in your personal circumstances. For example, if you are getting a social welfare payment, you will automatically get an increase in your payment when you are 80 years of age.  However, in most cases you must contact the Department of Social and Family Affairs when your circumstances change.

Further information

In some cases, if you qualify for more than one payment you will have to choose the one that is of most benefit to you.  For example, though you may qualify for long term Illness Benefit it may be of greater benefit for you to claim Disability Allowance because of the additional benefits, such as, Living Alone Increase and the Household Benefits Package. You can get help and advice on which social welfare payment you qualify for and which is of most benefit to you from your Social Welfare Local Office and your local Citizens Information Service.

Read more information about the different social welfare payments you may be entitled to due to your personal circumstances:
Unemployed people
Families and children
Widows and widowers
Guardians or orphans
Older and retired people
Sick or disabled people
Carers