Voluntary development work abroad and social insurance

Rules

In order to qualify for VDW credits, you must be a volunteer development worker as defined above. You must also satisfy the following conditions:

• You must be over 16 years of age
• You must have been resident in Ireland immediately prior to taking up the employment
• You must be employed under conditions of remuneration (pay in return for work) similar to the local conditions applying in the developing country
• You must have paid a minimum of 104 weeks social insurance contributions (PRSI) at Class A since commencing employment.

If you have less than 104 Class A contributions paid Comhlámh will pay Class A contributions for you to bring your total up to the required 104. After the outstanding number of contributions are paid, you will be awarded VDW credits for the remaining part of your overseas assignment up to a limit of 5 years. (Different rules apply to some civil servants - see below.)

Where there are 2 consecutive tax years in which no contribution has been paid or credited immediately prior to you going abroad as a volunteer development worker, Comhlámh will pay Class A contributions for the first 26 weeks of your assignment and you will be awarded VDW credits for the remainder of your assignment, up to a limit of 5 years.

Members of religious orders whose work involves pastoral duties are not considered to be volunteer development workers for the purpose of this scheme.

Scheme's 5-year limit

VDW credits can only be awarded for a maximum of 5 years. Different periods of work as a volunteer development worker (VDW) are aggregated for the purpose of calculating the 5 years. For example, if you were a VDW for 3 years previously, and wish to go abroad as a VDW for another 3 years, you will only qualify for VDW credits for 2 years of your second assignment.

Where the period of your assignment abroad exceeds 5 years, you will, where possible, be awarded VDW credits for the period that is most beneficial to you.

Claiming social welfare payments

VDw credits are normally fully reckonable, that is they are treated as paid contributions. Therefore, on your return to this country, VDW credits can help you to qualify for certain social welfare benefits and pensions.

Certain qualification conditions for the payment of Jobseeker's Benefit, Illness Benefit, Maternity Benefit and Treatment Benefit are relaxed for the year of the volunteer development worker's return to Ireland and the relevant succeeding benefit years.

It is very important that you identify yourself as a returned volunteer development worker when making a claim for one of these payments to ensure that the relaxed qualification conditions are applied to your claim. Details of the qualifying conditions applying to returned volunteer development workers can be obtained from the relevant area of the Department of Social Protection.

Civil servants

If you worked as a permanent public servant and paid PRSI at Class B, C or D immediately before commencing your assignment overseas, you will still be entitled to VDW credits for the period of the assignment. Depending on the period of your assignment abroad, these credits may entitle you to claim Jobseeker's Benefit, Illness Benefit, Treatment Benefit or Maternity Benefit when you return.

However, your VDW credits cease to be fully reckonable for benefit purposes if you re-enter employment at PRSI Classes B, C or D.

Comhlámh will pay the outstanding number of Class A contributions if you have less than the required 104 paid prior to the commencement of your assignment.

Career breaks and social insurance contributions

Volunteer development workers who avail of career breaks from their normal employment in order to work abroad should contact their local Social Welfare Office if they are not re-employed immediately after their assignment ceases.

The general rule is that returned Volunteer Development Workers are entitled to claim Jobseeker's Benefit if the period of their career break has expired and there is no work available from their previous employer. However, if the period of the career break has not expired, you will not be entitled to claim.