Social welfare system in Ireland

Information

The social welfare system in Ireland is divided into three main types of payments. These are:

• Social insurance payments
• Means tested payments
• Universal payments.

With all social welfare payments, you must satisfy specific personal circumstances that are set out in the rules for each scheme. For example, to claim the One-Parent Family Payment, you must be parenting alone and therefore not cohabiting or living with someone as man and wife. As well as satisfying the necessary circumstantial criteria, other rules also apply which are briefly explained under the headings for the different types of payments.

Since May 2004, you must be habitually resident to qualify for social assistance payments in Ireland. Find out more about the residency requirements for social assistance payments in Ireland.

Social insurance payments

Social insurance payments are given to people who satisfy specific social insurance contribution conditions (PRSI conditions), in addition to the necessary circumstantial conditions. These conditions vary, depending on the payment you apply for. A summary of the PRSI contribution conditions for each payment is set out in individual leaflets on different payments, which are available on the Department of Social Protections' website. Examples of payments based on your social insurance contributions include Jobseeker's Benefit, Illness Benefit, Maternity Benefit, Invalidity Pension, Carers Benefit and State Pension (Contributory).

Means tested payments

Means tested payments are primarily designed for people who have insufficient PRSI contributions to qualify for the equivalent social insurance-based payments. An example would be a person who becomes unemployed, applies for Jobseeker's Benefit but fails to qualify because he or she has insufficient contributions. He or she can instead apply for Jobseeker's Allowance, which is the means tested equivalent payment.

"Means Tested" literally means that the Department of Social Protection will examine all your sources of income to test if they fall below a certain level. The method of testing your means varies from payment to payment. In some instances, you are allowed a certain amount of money before your entitlement to a payment is affected. The rules that determine how much you can or cannot have depend on the payment you apply for and are often referred to as "income disregards".

Universal payments

Universal payments are paid regardless of a person's income or social insurance record. They are only dependent on the claimant satisfying specific personal circumstances. An example would be Child Benefit (the Children's Allowance is its more common term). A person must simply have a child dependant living with them as defined in the social welfare legislation. (Migrant workers from EEA Member States may get Child Benefit if their dependent child is resident in another EEA Member State.)

Rules

The rules governing social welfare payments are set out in legislation and/or administrative guidelines. Most of the detailed Operational Guidelines governing social welfare payments are available from the Department of Social Protection. 

For most social insurance and social assistance payments, decisions in relation to entitlement are made by Deciding Officers. Deciding Officers are social welfare officials appointed under the social welfare legislation. Other payments such as those available under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme and certain administrative schemes are made by officials of the Health Services Executive (HSE) and officials within the Department of Social Protection, respectively.

Administrative schemes are payments that are not based in legislation but are based on government decisions and administrative guidelines. Examples include the Back to Work Allowance Scheme, awarding of credits, the Fuel Allowance and the Christmas Bonus.

If you are not happy with a decision by the Department of Social Protection, you have a right to appeal decisions in relation to payments that are based in legislation. Appeals are made to the Social Welfare Appeals Office, an independent statutory body. Find out how to appeal a decision of the Department of Social Protection.

If you are not happy with a decision in relation to an administrative scheme, you can ask for an internal review. In this instance, you would put your case to a more senior official within the department requesting an internal review to re-examine your application. You should try to submit as much additional information as possible to help your case.

Fraudulent claims

Penalties for false or misleading statements made to obtain a social welfare payment for you or for any other person, may result in large fines or prison for up to three years.

You can report possible cases of fraud to the Department.

Rates

Rates of payment and dependants

Social welfare payments are divided into payments for the claimant, known as the "personal rate" of payment and payments for any adult and child dependants. The SW 19 Rates of Payment Booklet, published by the Department of Social Protection every year, details the amount of money payable for each scheme and the amount that will be awarded to dependants of the claimant.

Adult dependant

An adult dependant of a claimant is called a qualified adult. A payment for a qualified adult may be paid for a person who is wholly or mainly maintained by the claimant and is either:

• A spouse (a spouse means a husband, wife, cohabiting partner or a divorced husband or wife of the claimant) or
• A person over 16 years of age who is caring for a child dependant of the claimant.

More information is available in our document about claiming for an adult dependant.

Child dependant

A child dependant is referred to as a qualified child. A qualified child must be:

• Ordinarily resident in the State
• Not detained in a reformatory or industrial school
• Satisfy the condition as to age.

Children under 18 years are regarded as qualified children. Payments for child dependants are made for children over 18 in some circumstances.

More information is available in our document about claiming for a child dependant.

How to apply

If you wish to apply for a particular social welfare payment, you should contact your local social welfare office for an application form and an information leaflet. The address and phone number of your local social welfare office is also available in the telephone directory. Some application forms are available from the Department of Social Protection. 

If you are not satisfied with a decision by the Department in relation to a payment you can contact the Social Welfare Appeals Office for an appeals form and details of how to appeal.

If possible, try to obtain some independent advice on how to appeal a decision from your local Citizens Information Centre.