Rural Social Scheme
Introduction
The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is aimed at low-income farmers and fishermen/women. To qualify for the RSS you must be getting a social welfare payment. In return, people participating in the RSS provide services that benefit rural communities.
The Department of Social Protection has overall responsibility for policy in relation to the Rural Social Scheme, including eligibility criteria. The Department monitors the implementation of the RSS and supports the various bodies that manage the RSS locally. The Department may also inspect any Scheme and visit projects. At a local level, the Scheme is managed by implementing bodies such as local development companies and in the Gaeltacht areas, by Údarás na Gaeltachta.
What type of work is carried out by people participating in the Scheme?
The type of work carried out by RSS participants includes:
- Maintaining and enhancing various walking routes (that is, waymarked ways, agreed walks) and bog roads
- Energy conservation work for older people and those at risk of poverty
- Village and countryside enhancement projects
- Social care and care of older people
- Community care for pre-school and after-school groups
- Environmental maintenance work - maintenance and care-taking of community and sporting facilities
- Projects relating to not-for-profit cultural and heritage centres
- Community administration or clerical work
- Any other appropriate community based project identified during the course of the scheme
How many hours' work is involved and how long does the Scheme last?
You work 19.5 hours per week. These hours are based on a farmer/fisher-friendly schedule. This is to ensure participation on the scheme does not affect a your farming/fishing activities. If you get a place on the Scheme, you are offered a contract from your start date up to the following 31 March. You may be considered for a further term following the initial contract, if you continue to meet all the criteria for the Scheme.
The local management decides on your application. While it is not intended that anyone would remain on the scheme permanently, there is no definite time limit for participation.
If you are eligible for the Scheme but don’t wish to participate, your dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may take the available place. However, this is only if neither of you are participating in any other similar scheme, (for example, the Community Employment Scheme.) The Rural Social Scheme operates independently of the Community Employment Scheme (CE).
Rules
The Rural Social Scheme provides a supplementary income for low-income farmers and fishermen/women who are unable to earn an adequate living.
To participate in the scheme you must be getting:
- Farm Assist
Or
If you are actively farming or fishing (this means that you must meet the criteria set out below), you may qualify for the scheme if you are also getting one of the following social welfare payments:
- Jobseeker's Allowance,
- Jobseeker's Benefit (if previously on CE or RSS within the last 12 months),
- Disability Allowance,
- One-Parent Family Payment,
- Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory Pension or Widow's,Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Non-Contributory Pension
- Increase for a Qualified Adult under 66 years of age as part of your spouse, cohabitant or civil partner's State Pension (Non-Contributory).
Actively farming/fishing criteria
Criteria for a farmer
You must provide proof that you are actively farming. To do this, you
must provide a copy of your application for the EU Single Payment Scheme for
the current year, including a valid herd number. If you are actively farming
and have not applied for the EU Single Payment Scheme, you should contact your
local implementing body for advice.
Criteria for a child/sibling of a farmer
If you are a child/sibling of a herd number owner and you can certify
that you are resident and/or working on the farm and you are getting one of the
qualifying social welfare payments, you may be eligible to participate in the
RSS on the basis of your parent’s/sibling’s herd number.
Criteria for a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of a farmer
If you are eligible but do not wish to participate in the RSS, your
dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can take the available place.
Alternatively, if your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is getting one of the qualifying social welfare payments and is actively farming, they can use your herd number to qaulify for the scheme.
Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can participate in the RSS, if he/she is under 66 and you are getting a State Pension (Non-Contributory) which includes an Increase for Qualified Adult for him or her.
Criteria for a fisherman/woman
To be considered eligible to participate on the RSS a fisherman/woman must meet one of the following categories:
-
Self-employed fisherman/woman on a fishing boat, which has been entered in the Register of Fishing Boats.
-
Self employed fisherman/woman whose boat has been issued with a pot fishing licence. The Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources introduced this for small fishing boats such as currachs who traditionally have fished for lobsters and were mainly unlicensed.
-
Self employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a commercial salmon fishing licence from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
-
Self employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a commercial eel fishing licence from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
-
Self employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a dredging licence for shellfish from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
-
Holders of an aquaculture licence issued by the Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources.
-
Permit holders for shell fishing issued by a registered cooperative.
Criteria for a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of a
fisherman/woman
Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can participate in the RSS,
if he/she is under 66 and you are getting a State Pension (Non-Contributory)
which includes an Increase for Qualified Adult for him/her.
Rates
In 2012 the maximum Rural Social Scheme (RSS) weekly payment is:
| Participant category | Total weekly payment |
| Participant without adult dependant | €208 |
| Participant with adult dependant | €332.80 maximum* |
| Each child dependant (full rate) | €29.80 |
| Each child dependant (half rate) | €14.90 |
*The amount of the increase for the adult dependant is assessed by the Department of Social Protection. This means that the rate for a participant with an adult dependant may be reduced if the adult dependant has income, for example, from part-time employment.
If you earn income in addition to farming or fishing you cannot earn more than the income threshold that applies to your main social welfare payment. If your earnings bring you over the income limit you lose your place on the RSS.
If your current social welfare payment includes a reduced rate for an adult dependant, then you will be paid that equivalent on RSS. You are not entitled an RSS payment for your adult dependant if he or she earns over €310 per week.
If you are getting Disability Allowance, One-Parent Family Payment,Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension and Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension you continue to get your payment from the Department of Social Protection, along with a top-up payment from the RSS to bring your overall payment in line with the rates listed above for your family circumstances. This is different to CE.
Widow's/Widower's/Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
In 2012 the maximum rate of the Widow's, Widower's Contributory or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension is €193.50 and the RSS top-up payment is €14.50.
If you are under 66 and are getting an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) as part of your spouse's/civil partner's/cohabitant's State Pension (Non-Contributory) you will get a top-up payment. The amount of top-up you get is the difference between your rate of IQA and the RSS payment. For example, if you are getting the maximum rate of IQA at €144.70 you will get an RSS payment of €63.30 in 2012.
PRSI contribution
If your RSS payment is €38 or more per week PRSI is paid at a Class A1 rate. If your RSS top-up is under €38 per week PRSI may be paid at a Class J. You are not liable for the Universal Social Charge (USC) on your RSS payment.
Tax
Your income is liable for tax although it is likely you will pay little or no tax. Find out more about tax.
Other social welfare and Health Service Executive payments
If you are getting other social welfare payments you should check with your Social Welfare Local Office to find out whether they will be affected.You can retain your medical card while you are taking part in the Rural Social Scheme.
How to apply
As this scheme is administered locally, you should contact your local RSS implementing body for further information or an application form.
You can also read the Department of Social Protection's Guide to the Rural Social Scheme.
Language
Related Documents
- Income supports for older people
Find out about the range of payments available, and link to a broader checklist of entitlements for older people. - Farm Retirement Scheme
Overview of the EU subsidised scheme that provides for a farm retirement pension to be paid to farmers aged 55 and over, encouraging them to retire from farming and make their land available to younger farmers. - Half-rate Carer's Allowance
Half-rate Carer's Allowance is payable with certain other social welfare payments provided you meet the qualifying criteria. Find out how to qualify for half-rate Carer's Allowance.
Contact Us
If you have a question relating to this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0761 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm) or you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre.