Thousands of people across Ireland could be in line for social welfare boost worth hundreds

Thousands of people across Ireland could be benefiting from an extra social welfare boost that could see their weekly earning go a long way.

Low pay schemes can help with social welfare supports for working people, health costs and tax and PRSI.

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Working Family Payment

Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment to support people on low pay. It is available to employees with children. You cannot get WFP if you are self-employed only.

To get WFP, your weekly income must be under a certain amount for your family size. The WFP payment you get is 60% of the difference between your average weekly family income and the WFP income limit for your family size.

One-Parent Family Payment

The One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a payment for people under 66 who are bringing children up without the support of a partner. If you are getting One-Parent Family Payment you are allowed to earn a certain amount each week and keep your payment. If you have children and are not eligible for OFP, you may qualify for Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment.

Jobseeker's Transitional Payment

Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) is a means-tested social welfare payment for people who are parenting alone, whose youngest child is aged between 7 and 13. JST is paid until your youngest child turns 14. You can work part-time or full-time. The first €165 per week of gross earnings from work is not taken into account, and half the balance is assessed as means.

Back to Work Enterprise Allowance

The Back to Enterprise Work Allowance allows you to keep a certain amount of your social welfare payment when you become self-employed.

Disability payments

If you are getting a means-tested disability payment, such as Disability Allowance or Blind Pension, you may earn a certain amount from work without it affecting your payment.

From September 2026, if you move from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension to take up work, you will be able to keep your Fuel Allowance for 5 years.

If you are getting Illness Benefit (for at least 6 months) or Invalidity Pension, you can apply for Partial Capacity Benefit and keep part of your payment, depending on how restricted your capacity for work is.

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Back to Work Family Dividend

The Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) helps families move from social welfare into employment. It is paid for up to 2 years. To qualify for BTWFD, you and all members of your family (including your adult dependent) must sign off all primary social welfare payments. The BTWFD can be paid with the Working Family Payment and some other non-primary social welfare payments.

Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme

If you have returned to work or started a new job, you may claim Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) for up to 30 days while you are waiting for your wages. SWA is a means-tested payment.

Additional Needs Payment

The Additional Needs Payment can help you with an expense that you cannot pay from your weekly income. The amount that you can get depends on your circumstances and the type of help you need.

Rent Supplement

Rent Supplement is a short-term income support for people in the private rented sector. It is a means-tested payment. You must have been able to afford the rent at the beginning of your tenancy and have had a substantial change in your circumstances, for example, you have been put on temporary reduced hours at work.

Health

A medical card and GP visit card allows you to get certain health services free of charge. Usually, your income is assessed to find out if you qualify. If you don’t qualify you can still access the Drugs Payment Scheme.

If you are unemployed and you are returning to full-time or part-time work, you can keep your medical card for 3 years provided you have been getting one of the following for 12 months or more:

• Jobseeker's Benefit
• Jobseeker's Allowance
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Illness Benefit
• Disability Allowance
• Blind Pension or
• Have been on an employment incentive scheme or educational opportunity scheme

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If you take up full-time employment, you will keep your medical card for 3 years from the date you start work. If you take up part-time employment the 3-year period starts from the date your income exceeds the relevant medical card guideline.

You will need to submit a new medical card application stating that you are applying on this basis. Your dependent family members may qualify to keep their card, even if they become employed during this 3-year period.

Tax and PRSI

If you are on low pay you may not be liable to pay any tax because your tax credits and reliefs are more than or equal to the amount of tax you are due to pay. You may also be eligible to get some of the tax you paid back. For example, if you have medical expenses or pay rent. Find out more about tax credits and reliefs and getting a tax refund.

People with an income below €13,000 do not pay the Universal Social Charge (USC). If you have overpaid income tax or Universal Social Charge, then you can claim a tax refund. Further information about tax is also available from Revenue.

If you earn between €38 and €352 you do not have to pay PRSI. However, your employer pays PRSI which helps cover you for social welfare benefits. More information can be found in our document about your employer's duty to pay social insurance.

If you are aged 65 or over, you do not have to pay income tax if your income is below a certain amount called the exemption limit. If you or your spouse or civil partner are over 65, you can get the Age Tax Credit. Revenue's information leaflet Tax Exemption and Marginal Relief (IT 8) (pdf) has information on available exemption limits and tax relief.

For more information, visit Citizens Information.