Help when the income stops

What you can claim

Which jobseeker's payment should you claim?

There are three, and which one you get depends on your PRSI record rather than on choice.

• Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit — the newest, and for many people the highest. It pays a proportion of your previous earnings rather than a flat rate, up to €450 a week, with a floor of €125. It steps down over the course of the claim.
• Jobseeker's Benefit — based on PRSI contributions, not means-tested, so savings and a partner's income do not affect it.
• Jobseeker's Allowance — means-tested, and what most people move to when contribution-based payments run out.

You do not have to work out which applies. One application is assessed against all of them.

When should you claim?

The first day you are out of work. Jobseeker's payments are not generally backdated, so every day of delay is money that cannot be recovered, and claiming does not commit you to anything.

Apply even if you think you have too much in savings, are due redundancy money, or expect to be back in work shortly. Redundancy payments do not automatically disqualify you, and a claim that turns out to be worth nothing has cost you an hour.

What else comes with it

The jobseeker's payment itself is often the smaller half. Depending on your circumstances you may also be able to claim:

• Fuel Allowance — €38 (€43 from January 2027) a week for 28 weeks. Jobseeker's Allowance qualifies after 312 days; Jobseeker's Benefit does not, which is another reason the distinction matters.
• Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance — €160 or €285 a child, closing 30 September each year.
• A medical card or GP visit card, assessed on net income with rent, childcare and travel-to-work costs deducted first.
• Additional Needs Payment for essential one-off costs your weekly income cannot cover, decided locally by a Community Welfare Officer.
• Back to Work Family Dividend if you take up work again within four weeks — worth the full Child Support Payment for a year.

Common questions

General information, not financial or legal advice. Rules and amounts change — confirm the current details on the official source (Revenue.ie, Gov.ie, Gov.uk or Citizens Information) before you claim.