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Age of child	Relevant social welfare payment
Under 18	All payments
Over 18 but within three months following completing second-level education or the Leaving Certificate, provided s/he does not qualify for a social welfare payment in his/her own right - see Note 1	All payments
Between 18 and 22 years while the child is in full-time education - see Notes 2 and 3	Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Deserted Wife's Benefit, Farm Assist, Invalidity Pension, OIB Death Benefits, State Pension Contributory, State Pension (Non-Contributory), One-Parent Family Payment, Pre-retirement Allowance, Retirement Pension, Long-term Jobseeker’s Allowance, Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory Pension.
Between 18 and 22 years (PROVISION 2) while the child is in full-time education - see Notes 2, 3 and 4	Jobseeker’s Benefit, Short-term Jobseeker’s Allowance, Disability Benefit, Injury Benefit, Health and Safety Benefit, Supplementary Welfare Allowance

Note 1: A person is disqualified for receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance in his/her own right if she/he left school or completed the Leaving Certificate less than 3 months previously. The disqualification is repeated if the student resits the Leaving Certificate exam on a subsequent occasion, and Increase for a Child Dependant can be awarded again for this period.

Note 2:Where a student reaches age 22 during an academic year, the Increase for a Child Dependant is continued in payment for the duration of that academic year, provided s/he remains in full-time education until then and the customer is in receipt of:

(a) a long-term social welfare payment or

(b) a short-term payment for 156 days or has an accumulation of at least 156 days of relevant social welfare payments

Note 3: Payment of Increase for a Child Dependant will continue until the end of the academic year following the child's 22nd birthday where the customer is entitled to or is receiving a short-term payment for a period of not less than 156 days, or a combination of any of the relevant payments (listed below) for a period of not less than 156 days, where not more than 13 weeks (52 weeks for Unemployment Assistance) has elapsed between their current claim and their last relevant payment. All previous periods spent on the relevant payments can be combined, provided that no more than 13 weeks (52 weeks for Unemployment Assistance) has elapsed between any 2 successive claims.

Note 4: Where a customer who in receipt of a short-term payment, does not satisfy the 156 days requirement, a Increase for a Child Dependant is payable in respect of a child who reaches 18 in an academic year up to the 30th June following the child's 18th birthday or until s/he completes the full-time day course, whichever is the earlier.

Relevant Payments

The relevant payments for the purposes of satisfying the 156 days requirement for short term schemes are as follows:

Jobseeker’s Benefit

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Pre-Retirement Allowance

Farm Assist

Disability Benefit

Occupational Injuries Benefit

Maternity Benefit

Adoptive Benefit

Health and Safety Benefit

Invalidity Pension

Retirement Pension

Survivor's Benefit

Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension

Guardian’s Payment Contributory

Deserted Wife's Benefit

Blind Person's Pension

Carer's Benefit

Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension

Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)

Carer's Allowance

Supplementary Welfare Allowance

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