Other Payments

The Department of Social Protection deals with services such as Child Benefit and Free Travel. These payments do not depend on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions or means.

The Department of Social Protection also deals with services such as the Rural Social Scheme, Tús, Community Services Programme, Redundancy and Insolvency.

You will need to satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition for Means tested payments and Child Benefit.

Anyone can claim a social welfare payment in their own right if they satisfy the conditions for payment. Apart from your PRSI record or means test, other conditions can apply depending on the payment.

For example, if you are claiming a jobseeker's payment you must also be available for and genuinely seeking work.

You must tell the Department about any change in circumstances that may affect your entitlement to a social welfare payment, for example, if your spouse/partner takes up work or if you change your address.

You can find full details of all the services provided by the Department in the Guide to Social Welfare Services SW4 and the Rates of Payments are available in SW19

You can request a hard copy of these booklets using the Request a Publication online form.

Go back to Payments Explained Index