Social Welfare - A guide for jobseekers and Workers

Intreo is Ireland’s public employment service of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

This guide gives a brief overview of the wide range of supports and schemes which Intreo provides to you as a jobseeker & for those currently employed.

You can get more information from the web links given.

There are six main parts to this guide:

1. Intreo Service and how it can help you

2. Supports to help you find work

3. Training and education supports

4. Income supports for working people

5. Additional supports for people with a disability

6. Other benefits

This guide was produced by the Employer Relations Division at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.It is intended as a guide only. It is not a legal interpretation of information.

For more information on all the schemes and services in this booklet, please visit www.welfare.ie or call into your local Intreo Centre.

1. Intreo and how it can help you Intreo is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports and is part of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. It offers practical, tailored employment services and supports to you as a person looking for a job (a jobseeker) and employers. As a jobseeker, Intreo provides you with:

• employment services and income supports in one place,

• expert assistance and advice on employment, training and personal development opportunities from a person called a case officer,

• a focus on your individual needs to help you enter or reenter the workforce,

• access to job vacancies using www.jobsireland.ie, and

• information on the full range of income supports provided by Intreo including:

»Jobseekers’ payments,

»Back to Work payments,

»Back to Education payments, and

»One-Parent family payments 2. Supports to help you find work

Introduction

This section tells you about eight helpful jobseeker supports and how Intreo staff can offer support to you.

1. JobsIreland.ie is Intreo’s free online job advertising and recruitment service for job candidates and employers. All jobseekers can access JobsIreland.ie services.

Here you can:

• register and complete your profile (personal and work details) to search for jobs,

• look for the best positions for you,

• get matched with suitable vacancies, and

• apply for them online.

Visit www.jobsireland.ie for more information and to register.

2. European Employment Services (EURES) European Employment Services, or EURES, is a network of advisors who give information and advice on searching for a job in the EU or European Economic Area (EEA).

EURES advisors can:

• help you make contact with European employers,

• supply practical, general information on living and working conditions in another EU/EEA country, and

provide financial support in some cases, for example: »for travelling to an interview,

»to relocate to another country,

»to recognise your qualifications, and

»for language training 3. Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is a work experience placement scheme for young jobseekers. It provides the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a supportive environment.

To apply:

• you must be aged between 18 and 24,

• be unemployed for at least 12 months or face significant barriers to employment, and

• you must also be in receipt of one of a number of qualifying social welfare payments. Find a list of these payments using the link below.

To qualify:

• YESS participants must work 24 hours a week. YESS placements are for 3 months at first, and there is an option to extend this for a further 3 months. This helps young people to gain valuable work experience. 4. Community Employment (CE)

Community Employment is designed to help long-term jobseekers get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs in local communities.

To qualify for Community Employment:

• you must have been getting qualifying social welfare payments for 12 months or more.

Find a list of these payments using the link below.

When you are on Community Employment:

• you work on average 19.5 hours a week, and

• you can take up other part-time work during your CE placement.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/CE

5. Tús

Tús is a community work placement. It provides short-term working opportunities for unemployed people.

The work is designed to help the community, and it is with community and voluntary organisations.

To qualify for Tús you must:

• have been continuously unemployed for 12 months, and

• currently be getting a Jobseeker’s Allowance payment, or

• be in receipt of a Jobseeker’s Transitional payment (JST), no qualifying period applies for JST.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/TUS

6. JobsPlus

JobsPlus is a payment to encourage employers to employ jobseekers who have been unemployed for 12 months or more and who satisfy certain conditions.

See these conditions for jobseekers on the link below.

These payments are either €7,500 or €10,000 and Intreo pays employers directly.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/JobsPlus-Jobseekers.aspx7. Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA)

The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance helps you to start your own business if you are getting Jobseeker’s Benefit. The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance:

• replaces your Jobseeker’s Benefit with a weekly payment of a similar amount, and

• is paid to you for the remainder of your Jobseeker’s Benefit claim period.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/STEA

8. Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA)

Back to Work Enterprise Allowance is a payment that that allows long-term jobseekers to keep their social welfare payment while setting up a business.

• You may get your full social welfare payment in the first year and 75% in the second year. To qualify for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, you must:

• set up a self-employment business that has been approved by a case officer, and

• be in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit with an underlying entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance for at least 9 months or one of the other qualifying payments for at least 12 months. Find a list of these payments using the link below.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/BTWEA

Training and education supports

Introduction

This section tells you about four supports Intreo provides for training and education to help jobseekers to find employment.

1. Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)

This programme allows you to take part in full-time educational courses (at 2nd or 3rd level) to get qualifications that will help you to find a job

.To qualify for Back To Education Allowance, you must be:

• recommended by a case officer,

• meet the age criteria,

• be in receipt of certain social welfare payments, and

• accepted onto a qualifying course.

(Find list of these course using the link here 👇🏽

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/353_Back-to-Education-Allowance.aspx

2. Approved Training Course – Education & Training Boards (ETBs)

Places on approved training courses (ETB) are open to all.If you are receiving a payment and are accepted on an approved training course. You will receive a training allowance from the ETB for the period of the course.

More info : http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Courses-for-the-Unemployed.aspx3. Part-Time Education Option (PTEO)

PTEO allows you to keep your Jobseeker’s Allowance or Benefit while you attend a part-time day, evening or distance education or training course.

• You must request approval from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Office before starting a course.

For further information, visit http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Part-Time-Education-Option.aspx

4. Adult Literacy Services

If you would like to improve your reading, writing, spelling or maths skills, the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) provides information on free courses nationwide.

You can learn in your local ETB or over the phone or online with NALA.

Freephone 1800 20 20 65 for more information, or use the link here.

For further information, visit www.nala.ie

4. Income supports for working people

Introduction

This section tells you about four supports Intreo provides for working people.

1. Benefit of Work Estimator

The ‘Benefit of Work Estimator’ is a new online service that is quick to use and tells you how your income may change if you are on a social welfare payment.

You can’t be identified by using this service.

The Estimator includes the following payments:

• Disability Allowance,

• Blind Pension,

• Partial Capacity Benefit (you must change to this payment from Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension before work ),

• Jobseeker Payment, and

• One Parent Family.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Ready-Reckoner.aspx

To use the Benefit of Work Estimator, visit www.mywelfare.ie

2. Working Family Payment (WFP)

Working Family Payment (previously known as Family Income Supplement) is a weekly tax-free payment.

It is available to employees with at least one dependent child.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Part-Time-Job-Incentive.aspx

To qualify for Working Family Payment:

• your average weekly family income must be below a certain amount for your family size, and

• you must be working at least 19 hours a week or 38 hours every 2 weeks

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/WFP

3. Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD)

This scheme provides financial support to people with children receiving a jobseeker’s payment or One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) and who end their claim to take up employment or self- employment. If you meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme, you will be entitled to a weekly payment for up to two years after ending (closing) your social welfare claim.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/BTWFD

4. Part-time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJI)

This scheme allows long-term jobseekers who take up part- time work - less than 24 hours a week- and get a special weekly allowance instead of their jobseeker’s payment.

You can stay on the scheme for one year, then it may be extended. You must continue to look for full-time work. It is intended to be a stepping stone to get full-time work.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Part-Time-Job-Incentive.aspx

5. Additional supports for people with a disability

Introduction

This section tells you about eight additional supports Intreo provides for people with a disability to help those who want to find employment.

1. Make Work Pay changes Many people with disabilities would like to work and most people who get disability payments find that work pays better than social welfare. Changes introduced in 2017 mean it is easier for people with disabilities to explore work options and maintain key benefits when working. You can keep your free travel pass for as long as you qualify for Disability Allowance or Blind Pension, and for up to five years after you take up work and no longer qualify for these payments. If your main income support is Disability Allowance or Blind Person’s Pension and you start work, you can:

• earn up to a certain amount each week and keep your full payment. Anything other than this amount will be taken into account when we assess your payment.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Make-Work-Pay.aspx

2. Partial Capacity Benefit

We pay Partial Capacity Benefit if you cannot work to your full capacity, but you have permission from the Department to return to work.

The rate of payment is based on the medical assessment of your incapacity to work.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/PCB3.

Personal Reader Grant

This grant provides funding for a personal reader to help a blind or visually impaired person with their work (up to 640 hours a year).

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/PRG4.

EmployAbility Service

The EmployAbility Service can help if you have a disability and wish to take up paid employment or you require assistance to find a job.

The EmployAbility Service:

• provides a professional job matching service to help ensure successful recruitment,

• provides ongoing support for both the employer and employee throughout employment, and

• advises and provides information on additional employment supports.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/EmployAbility-Service.aspx

5. Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS)

The Wage Subsidy Scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to employ people with a disability who work 21 hours a week or more, up to a maximum of 39 hours a week.

An employee with a disability on the WSS has the same conditions of employment as other employees.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/WSS 6.

Job Interviewer Interpreter Grant Scheme

The Job Interview Interpreter Grant provides funding to hard-of-hearing job candidates to allow them to hire a sign language interpreter for a job interview.

You need to:

• ask your interviewer to sign and stamp your Job Interview Interpreter Application Form at the time of the interview.

You can also:

• apply for funding to cover the costs of your employer hiring an interpreter to help you during your induction period.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Job-Interview-Interpreter-Grant.aspx7.

Employee Retention Grant Scheme

This scheme helps keep you in employment if you get an illness, condition or impairment that affects your ability to do your job.

Your employer can use this funding to:

• identify accommodation and/or training to enable you to stay in your current position, or

• re-train you so that they can take up another position within the company.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Employee-Retention-Scheme.aspx

8. Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant

This grant provides funding for an employee with a disability to make their workplace equipment more accessible if they have or develop a disability.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Workplace-Equipment-Adaptation-Grant.aspx

6. Other benefits

Introduction

This section tells you about five other benefits and supports that Intreo provides to help jobseekers.

1. Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA)Supplementary Welfare Allowance is a basic income support to eligible people who are not able to meet their own and their dependents’ needs through no fault of their own.

SWA usually consists of:

• a basic payment, and/or

• a supplement (payment) for certain expenses a person may not be able to meet.If you have claimed a social welfare benefit or pension but it has not yet been paid and you have no other income, you may:

• qualify for SWA while you are waiting for your payment.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Supplementary-Welfare-Allowance.aspx

2. Rent Supplement

If you are having difficulty paying your rent, you may qualify for Rent Supplement if you meet qualifying conditions. Find a list of these using the link below.

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. HAP will eventually replace long-term Rent Supplement.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Rent-Supplement.aspx

3. Keeping your medical card when you return to work If you are unemployed and you are returning to full-time or part-time work, you may be able to keep your medical card for 3 years if you have been getting some full-rate payments for 12 months or more.

For further information, visit www2.hse.ie/medical-cards/

4. Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS)

MABS provides detailed advice on managing your debts. It can advise you during negotiations with creditors, including repayment options. It can also give you information on what to do if you are behind on your rent.

For further information, visit www.mabs.ie

5. Voluntary work optionIf you do voluntary work in Ireland, you may continue to qualify for a jobseeker’s payment providing you are still available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. You must apply for this through your local Intreo Centre.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Voluntary-Work-Option_holder.aspx

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