Problems getting my redundancy pay

Your employer should pay the redundancy lump sum to you when your employment ends. For example, this could be the last day of your notice period or on your next pay day.

If you do not get your statutory redundancy pay when you are entitled to it, you should contact your employer. You should do this in writing to make sure there is a record. You can apply to your employer for it using form RP77 (pdf).

You must apply to your employer for a redundancy payment within one year from the date your employment ends.

If your employer cannot pay or they are insolvent, you can apply to get the payment from the Government under the Social Insurance Fund.

If your employer is unable to pay your redundancy lump sum, they can apply to the Redundancy Payments Scheme.

Your employer should follow the steps below:

1. Log on to the Welfare Partners service. To access the service, the employer will need a Department of Social Protection Sub-Cert from Revenue (pdf).
2. Complete and submit an online application form (previously the RP50 form).
3. Download the completed Employee Declaration Form and send it to the employee by either email or post.
4. Upload confirmation from the employee that the Employee Declaration Form is correct. This should be a physical or digital signature or an email from the employee confirming the information is correct.
5. Upload the ‘Required’ documents and ‘Optional’ documents.
6. Review the declaration in the ‘Application summary’ and ‘Submit application’.

Employers can get detailed information on how to access Welfare Partners and use this service in the Employers Guide (pdf).

If your employer is in financial difficulty or becomes insolvent a liquidator, receiver or examiner may be appointed by the courts.

They will take the place of your employer and deal with any outstanding entitlements.

If there is no money to make redundancy payments, they will apply on your behalf to the Redundancy Payments Section.

They do this using the Welfare Partners service. There is detailed information on how to access Welfare Partners and use this service in the Employer Representative Guide (pdf).

If your employer refuses to pay your statutory redundancy payment, you can apply for a direct payment from the Social Insurance Fund.

If your employer refuses to pay your redundancy lump sum or if there is a dispute about redundancy you can bring a claim to the Workplace Relations Commission – see ‘Taking a dispute to the WRC’ below.

If your employer refuses to pay your redundancy lump sum or if there is a dispute about redundancy you can bring a claim to the Workplace Relations Commission.

You must use the online complaint form available on workplacerelations.ie. This must be done within one year of the end of your employment. The WRC can extend the time limit to 2 years in exceptional cases.

After the WRC decision

The WRC will make a decision on your complaint. If the WRC adjudicator finds in your favour, your employer can make the payment.

If your employer still refuses to pay your redundancy, you can apply for your lump sum directly to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) for payment under the Redundancy Payments Scheme.

You can apply by completing the following steps:

1. Email redundancypayments@welfare.ie to request an application form (RP50).
2. Complete the RP50 form and sign it.
3. Send the signed RP50 form to the Redundancy and Insolvency Section of the DSP along with a copy of the WRC decision. You must you’re your claim within 52 weeks of a WRC decision being made.

You can get more information about the Redundancy Payments Scheme on gov.ie, on the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU)'s website inou.ie or from the Workplace Relations Commission's Information and Customer Services.

The application for payment from the Social Insurance Fund should be sent to the Redundancy Payments in DSP – see below.

For information on the status of a claim for a redundancy lump sum or rebate which has been submitted for payment you can contact the Redundancy Payments section directly.

The laws on redundancy

The laws on redundancy are set out in the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967–2014.