Home A-ZUnemployment – Social Welfare Benefits

Unemployment – Social Welfare Benefits

There are a range of benefits available to support people who are unemployed and seeking work. For up to date information please see the following webpages:

North

nidirect – Benefits and help when looking for work

South

Citizens Information – Unemployed people
INOU – Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed

Older People & Jobseeker’s Payments

South
In the Republic of Ireland if you are claiming Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance and you are aged 62 or over, you are no longer required to engage with the DSP compulsory job activation process and will not be subject to any penalty or penalty rate payments for non-engagement (all other criteria still apply).
Source: Older people and jobseeker’s payments (citizensinformation.ie)

North
There are no such age-related concessions to the work-related requirements under Universal Credit. Read more on NI Direct

There are also no age-related exemptions to the claimant commitment for New-Style Jobseekers Allowance. Read more on Gov.uk

Cross-border issues

In general, the term cross-border worker refers to any person who resides in one Member State and who works in another Member State. However there are 2 types of workers – cross-border & frontier workers – and different rules apply:

1) Cross-border workers – return home LESS than once a week (they can chose where to claim unemployment benefit)

A cross-border worker resides in one state, but works in another and travels home less than once a week. These workers retain close links with their countries of origin. Cross-border workers may claim in the state of last employment or can choose to return to the state of residence after becoming unemployed and claim unemployment benefits there.

2) Frontier workers – return home at least once a week (they claim unemployment benefit at home)

A frontier worker is any person pursuing an activity as an employed or self-employed person in a Member State and who resides in another Member State to which he/she returns daily or at least once a week.

A wholly unemployed frontier worker must claim in the state they reside in. E.g. when a work contract ends or redundancy occurs.
A partially or intermittently unemployed frontier worker must claim in the state of employment. E.g. still employed but moved to part-time work or hours reduced

Workers can export their social insurance contributions (PRSI or National Insurance Contributions) to help them qualify for unemployment benefit.

Part-time cross-border work and Jobseekers benefit

Q. Can a person living in the South and claiming Jobseekers Benefit take up part-time work in Northern Ireland and continue to claim Jobseekers Benefit in the South?

A. YES. But it is essential to get confirmation from your local welfare office in advance of taking the job in Northern Ireland. Please refer to the following: EU Recommendation No U1 of 12 June 2009 – “Where persons residing in the territory of a Member State are eligible, under the legislation applicable to them, to receive unemployment benefits, they should be allowed to pursue a part-time professional or trade activity in the territory of another Member State, while retaining entitlement to unemployment benefits provided by the State in which they reside.”

If issues arise about payment of National Insurance in the North it can be sorted out by the Special Collections Section which is based in Waterford. The office will forward a Form A1 on which you should cite the above EU recommendation: The Special Collections Section will then consult with the Northern Authorities and issue a certificate to the effect that the person remains subject to Southern legislation.

PRSI Special Collection Section

Phone: 017043000, 0818690690
Email: E101SPC@welfare.ie
Address:Social Welfare Services Office, Cork Road, Waterford X91 EH04