One-Parent Family Payment

Information

One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a payment for men and women who are bringing children up without the support of a partner. For example, it is payable to an unmarried person, a widowed person, prisoner's spouse, a separated or divorced person, or one whose marriage has been annulled.

To get this payment you must meet certain conditions and you must satisfy a means test. If you are divorced or unmarried, you must also have attempted to get maintenance from the child's other parent (father or mother).

If you get a One-Parent Family Payment you can use the Household Budget Scheme to help you manage your bills. You may also be eligible for other benefits such as Fuel Allowance, Family Income Supplement, the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme or a medical card.

If you think you have been wrongly refused a One-Parent Family Payment, or you are unhappy about a decision of a Social Welfare Deciding Officer about your entitlements, you can appeal this decision.

Rules

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

• Be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a qualified child. A qualified child is a child under 18 years of age or aged 18-22 and in full-time education.
• Be the main carer of at least one qualified child and that child must live with you. One-Parent Family Payment is not payable if a couple has joint equal custody of a child or children.
• Have earnings of €425 or less per week
• Satisfy a means test 
• Be habitually resident 
• Not be cohabiting (that is, living with someone as husband and wife).

If you are separated or divorced you must:

• Have been separated for at least three months
• Have made efforts to get maintenance from your spouse
• Be inadequately maintained by your spouse.

If you are unmarried you will:

• Be required to seek maintenance from the other parent of your child and

If your spouse is in prison:

• They must have been sentenced to at least six months in prison or have spent at least six months in custody.

One-Parent Family Payment and EU Regulations

From 5 May 2005, EU citizens, EEA citizens and Swiss nationals, who are employed or self-employed in Ireland and who are paying into the Irish Social Insurance System do not have to meet the habitual residence criteria to qualify for One-Parent Family payment.

If you are an EU/EEA citizen or Swiss national, you can also get One-Parent Family Payment if you become unemployed and are getting Jobseeker's Benefit. You must meet all other qualifying criteria for One-Parent Family Payment.

One-Parent Family Payment and Deserted Wife's Benefit

If you had to transfer from Deserted Wife’s Benefit to One-Parent Family Payment in order to be accepted as a participant on a Community Employment Scheme, you can now apply to have your entitlement to Deserted Wife's Benefit restored. While Deserted Wife's Benefit is closed to new applicants, it is still paid to those who had qualified for it before 2 January 1997.

The maximum weekly rate of payment for Deserted Wife’s Benefit is higher than the maximum weekly rate of payment for One-Parent Family Payment. If you qualify to have your entitlement to Deserted Wife’s Benefit restored you may also be due arrears.

Maintenance

All income from maintenance is assessed as means.  This includes maintenance for you and maintenance to you for any of your children. If you are getting maintenance from more than one person it will be added together and the total will be assessed as means. However, your rent or mortgage repayment up to a maximum of €95.23 per week can be offset against maintenance payments. Half the balance is then assessed as means and your social welfare payment will be reduced by that amount. You must provide proof of rent or mortgage payments. You can get more information on how maintenance is assessed as means.

One-Parent Family Payment and work

If you take up full time work you may be eligible for extra tax allowances under the Revenue Job Assist scheme. If you want to become self-employed, you may qualify for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance. You can work in a FÁS employment scheme and still retain part or all of your One-Parent Family Payment. Contact your local FÁS office for details.

You can return to education through the Back to Education Programme and retain your One-Parent Family Payment, under certain conditions.

Transitional payments

If you have been getting One-Parent Family Payment and you have earnings above €425, you are entitled to a transitional payment that is the same as one-half of your rate of One-Parent Family Payment for six months.

You can only get a transitional payment if you have been getting One-Parent Family Payment for a continuous period of at least 52 weeks.

New applicants with gross earnings over €425 will not qualify for One-Parent Family Payment.

If your pay from work is reduced 

You may be entitled to an increase in your One-Parent Family Payment if your pay is reduced.

To get an increase in your One-Parent Family Payment send a current payslip (showing your reduced pay) with a letter from your employer, confirming your new work situation, to the Social Welfare Local Office dealing with your claim.

If your pay is reduced your Family Income Supplement (FIS) payment will stay the same. If the number of hours you work each week is reduced to below 19 hours (38 hour per fortnight) you are no longer entitled to FIS. You should notify the FIS section if the hours you work fall below the minimum requirement. Find out more in our document about Family Income Supplement.

You may be entitled to an increase in your Rent Supplement. If you rent from a local authority or housing association you should contact them to find out if you are entitled to a reduction in your rent. If you are not getting a medical card or GP visit card you should find out if you now qualify.

Credited contributions

If you are getting a One-Parent Family Payment and take time off work following the birth of a child you will get credited contributions.

Rates

One-Parent Family Payment rates 2010:  

One-Parent Family Payment	Weekly rate (maximum)
Personal rate (under 66)	€196
Child dependant	€29.80

 

Calculation of income from employment for One-Parent Family Payment

The amount of payment you get depends on your weekly means. Income from employment is calculated as follows:

The first €146.50 of your gross weekly earnings is not taken into account. This means that you can earn up to €146.50 per week and qualify for the full One-Parent Family Payment. 

Half the remainder of your gross earnings up to €425 per week is assessed as means. If you earn between €146.50 and €425 per week you may qualify for a reduced payment.

Social insurance contributions, health contributions, superannuation/PRSA contributions and trade union subscriptions are not taken into account in the assessment of earnings. However, your gross earnings must be below €425 before any deductions are allowed. 

You must apply for the One-Parent Family Payment within 3 months of becoming eligible.

One-Parent Family Payment and other social welfare payments

You may be entitled to half the personal rate of another social welfare payment along with your One-Parent Family Payment, for a limited time. You are not entitled to a Fuel Allowance if you are getting half the personal rate of Jobseeker's Benefit, Illness Benefit or Occupational Injury Benefit with your One-Parent Family Payment.

How to apply

To apply fill in a One-Parent Family application form (pdf). Send it with the relevant supporting documents to the Department of Social and Family Affairs at the address below.

If you are widowed, you should apply within 3 months of your spouse's death.

If you are unmarried, you should apply within 3 months of the birth of your child.

If you are separated/divorced, you should apply within 6 months of the date you separated from your spouse. You must be separated 3 months before you are eligible to apply.

If you are a prisoner's spouse, you should apply when your spouse:

• Has been in custody for at least 6 months without being sentenced or
• Starts their sentence, which must be for at least 6 months.

Staff in your Social Welfare Local Office will be happy to help you complete the application form and answer any questions you may have.

You can have your payment paid directly into your bank account or arrange to use your Social Services Card at the post office to collect your money. If you have a Social Services Card, sign the back of it and keep it in a safe place.

Where to apply

The organisations listed below provide support and information to people parenting alone: