{"id":117396,"date":"2025-10-12T13:01:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T13:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/117396\/"},"modified":"2025-10-12T13:01:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T13:01:08","slug":"how-do-welfare-payments-compare-with-what-you-get-north-of-the-border-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/117396\/","title":{"rendered":"How do welfare payments compare with what you get north of the Border? \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"c-unordered-list paywall\">\n<li class=\"c-list-item paywall\"><b>How do Ireland\u2019s social welfare rates compare to folk north of the Border in Northern Ireland in areas such as unemployment benefit, child allowance etc?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \"><b>Mr P.B.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Living on welfare is never easy, not least when the cost of life\u2019s basic essentials keeps rising faster than the general rate of inflation \u2013 and the annual increase in welfare rates announced in the budget.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The payments available in the Republic are certainly more generous than those available across the Border but then the cost of living down here is also higher.<\/p>\n<p>Unemployment <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Unemployment payments have changed recently. In the Republic, we have a new Jobseeker\u2019s Pay-Related Benefit for people who lost their job since March 28th last. Eligibility is based on your PRSI record and there are three separate criteria:<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">1 \u2013<b> <\/b>You must have paid at least 104 stamps at class A, H or P. The first of those covers most private-sector PAYE workers. Class H covers the Defence Forces and Class P fishermen and women<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">2 \u2013 You must have paid at least 26 stamps in the 12 months before you lost your job, and;<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">3 \u2013 You must have paid at least four of those in the 10 weeks before applying for benefit, ie you need to apply within six weeks of losing your job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">If you have between two and five years of PRSI contributions, you can draw down the benefit for 26 weeks (six months). That rises to 39 weeks for those with five or more years of PRSI.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Rates of payment also depend on your PRSI record. If you have more than five years of PRSI, you will get 60 per cent of your gross earnings in your former job up to a maximum weekly payment of \u20ac450 for 13 weeks. It then drops to 55 per cent (\u20ac375 a week max) for another 13 weeks and 50 per cent (up to \u20ac300 a week) for a final 13 weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">For those with between two and five years of PRSI, the payment is 50 per cent of gross earnings up to a maximum of \u20ac300 a week for the 26 weeks. The minimum payment regardless of earnings is \u20ac125 a week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The older-style Jobseeker\u2019s Benefit \u2013 for a maximum six or nine months depending on your PRSI record \u2013 is currently paid at a rate of \u20ac244 a week to part-time, casual, short-time and seasonal workers, those whose work is based around the school or academic year and retained firefighters. That will rise to \u20ac254 next week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">If you do not have enough social insurance payments or your entitlement to benefit has expired and you are still out of work, Jobseeker\u2019s Allowance pays up to the same level as the benefit, though it is subject to a means test. If you are younger than 25, the maximum rate is \u20ac153.70 currently, which will rise by \u20ac10 next year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Up North, you can claim what they call \u201cnew style\u201d Jobseeker\u2019s Allowance. This is not means tested and, at the moment, is paid at a rate of \u00a392.05 a week (\u20ac105.79) if you are 25 or older, or \u00a372.90 (\u20ac83.78) a week if you are younger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph b-it-article-body__interstitial-link\">[\u00a0<a aria-label=\"Open related story\" class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/business\/2025\/04\/08\/new-unemployment-benefit-is-up-to-450-a-week-but-will-you-pay-tax-on-it\/\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">New unemployment benefit is up to \u20ac450 a week &#8211; but will you pay tax on it?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">To qualify, you need to have a record of Class 1 national insurance payments over the last two or three years. Even then, the allowance is paid for just 182 days (six months). Thereafter, you may qualify for something called Universal Credit, which is paid monthly at a rate of \u00a3400.14 (\u20ac459.85) for a single person over 25 and \u00a3316.98 if you are younger. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">If you are living with a partner, you can get up to \u00a3628.10 a month between you as long as one of you is 25 or older, or \u00a3497.55 if you are both younger than that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Universal Credit is means tested. All savings over \u00a36,000 are considered to deliver some income and if you have savings of more than \u00a316,000, you won\u2019t qualify at all. While you can work, you lose 55 pence of universal credit for every \u00a31 you earn after tax and pension contributions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">While we are on the subject of employment, it is worth comparing minimum pay rates in both jurisdictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The national minimum wage here will rise next year to \u20ac14.15 from \u20ac13.50 currently. That\u2019s as long as you are at least 20 years old.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">If you are aged 19, you are entitled to 90 per cent of that. That falls to 80 per cent for 18-year-olds and to 70 per cent for people under the age of 18.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">In Northern Ireland, if you are 21 or older, you are entitled to what is called the national living wage, which is paid at \u00a312.12 (\u20ac14.04).<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">However, that falls to \u00a310 an hour for those aged between 18 and 20 and to \u00a37.55 for anyone under the age of 18 or first-year apprentices. <\/p>\n<p>Child Benefit<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Turning to child benefit, although there was no increase in the budget, it is currently paid at \u20ac140 per child per month in the Republic \u2013 or \u20ac1,680 per year. It is a universal payment, which means it is paid regardless of income. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Next year\u2019s budget is likely to see the addition of a second tier targeting child benefit payment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">North of the Border, the payment is \u00a326.05 a week for the eldest child (\u00a31,354.60\/\u20ac1,557.57 a year) and \u00a317.25, or \u00a3897\/\u20ac1,031.45 annually, for any other child. So, there\u2019s not a large difference for the first child but the gap widens significantly for anyone with bigger families.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">Worse for our northern brethren, they have to contend with something called a high income child benefit charge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">If either spouse\/partner earns more than \u00a360,000, they have to file a return and pay back 1 per cent of the child benefit payment for every \u00a3200 their income is above that figure. So, if one of them earns more than \u20ac80,000, you are paying back all of the child benefit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph b-it-article-body__interstitial-link\">[\u00a0<a aria-label=\"Open related story\" class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/business\/2025\/07\/24\/second-tier-child-benefit-could-leave-up-to-100000-worse-off-tax-strategy-paper-suggests\/\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Second tier child benefit could leave up to 100,000 worse off, tax strategy paper suggestsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">However, even though people get little or no child benefit, it can still be worth claiming as the parent also gets a national insurance credit for every week they are claiming child benefit. For parents who are not working while their children are young, it makes sure they do not suffer a gap in their pension record.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Down here, we have a similar arrangement where people can get up to 20 years of social insurance credits for time taken out of the workforce to care for family.<\/p>\n<p>State pension<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">A bit like here, the UK authorities have been making changes in how they calculate entitlement to the state pension.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">If you are currently a man of 75 or older, or a woman of 73, you operate under the old system which pays a basic rate of up to \u00a3176.45 depending on your social insurance record and then an additional pension payment based on national insurance record, earnings and whether you contracted out of the scheme during the Thatcher years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Anyone younger than that will work out their entitlement under what is called the new state pension. A bit like our total contributions approach, you need a minimum of 10 years of national insurance payments or credits to receive any pension and 35 years for a full pension, which is currently paid at \u00a3230.25 (\u20ac264.61 a week).<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Over here, we are moving from the old yearly averaging to the more modern total contributions approach for the State contributory pension, under which you will need 40 years of stamps for a full State pension, with the payment reduced pro rata for those with less service. As with the UK, you need at least 10 years of payments to qualify at all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph b-it-article-body__interstitial-link\">[\u00a0<a aria-label=\"Open related story\" class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/business\/2025\/09\/15\/more-than-one-in-four-have-no-pension-or-retirement-plans-in-place-survey-finds\/\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">More than one in four have no pension or retirement plans in place, survey findsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The pension is paid at \u20ac289.30 a week, which will rise next year to \u20ac299.30. The weekly figures are each \u20ac10 higher once you turn 80. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">If you do not have enough PRSI payments to get a contributory pension, you can still qualify for a means-tested non-contributory payment of up to \u20ac278 a week currently, rising to \u20ac288 next year. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">So yes, minimum wage aside, the payments are noticeably higher in the Republic and have fewer conditions or restrictions but then, as I said at the outset, the cost of living is also higher south of the Border.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">Please send your queries to Dominic Coyle, Q&amp;A, The Irish Times, 24-28 Tara Street Dublin 2, or by email to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/your-money\/2025\/10\/12\/how-do-welfare-payments-compare-with-what-you-get-north-of-the-border\/mailto:dominic.coyle@irishtimes.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dominic.coyle@irishtimes.com<\/a> with a contact phone number. This column is a reader service and is not intended to replace professional advice<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How do Ireland\u2019s social welfare rates compare to folk north of the Border in Northern Ireland in areas&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4799,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[9,10,10471,39729,13,14,6,11,12,15,16,5,2987,66892,7,8,80,65,66,67],"class_list":{"0":"post-117396","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-budget","11":"tag-child-benefit","12":"tag-featured-news","13":"tag-featurednews","14":"tag-headlines","15":"tag-latest-news","16":"tag-latestnews","17":"tag-main-news","18":"tag-mainnews","19":"tag-news","20":"tag-pension","21":"tag-social-welfare-payments","22":"tag-top-stories","23":"tag-topstories","24":"tag-work","25":"tag-world","26":"tag-world-news","27":"tag-worldnews"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117396\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}