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Wednesday 4 October 2023 Dublin: 12°C

# Jobseekers Allowance

This year
2023
More than €111 million in social welfare overpayments uncovered last year
One person received €357,999 in jobseekers allowance that they were not entitled to.
Unemployed who worked 5 years or more before losing job to get €450 per week under Govt plan
Minister Heather Humphreys says she wants to bring proposals to Government this year on the new pay-related benefit plan.
Last year
2022
'Insanity': Criticism as unemployment benefit to be paid at post offices rather than online
It was announced last month that people receiving the payment would no longer have it paid directly into their bank account.
One man said he now has to drive over 55km to a post office in order to collect the payment, which brings his fuel cost to between €45 - €50 a week.
Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said that the return to post offices would help to support the network and tackle welfare fraud.
A Social Democrats TD said the idea that people in receipt of social welfare are going to defraud the State "has been debunked on several occasions".
Jobseekers payments to return to post offices following lifting of Covid restrictions
The measure will initially apply to new applicants before being extended to other jobseekers over the coming months.
All time
No plans for rollback of cuts to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment rates
From today, the €250 PUP rate will reduce to €203 per week.
ICTU: Scrap 'inadequate' unemployment welfare system and link payments to past earnings
A report by
Ian Curran
With the PUP set to be cut again this week, politicians are being urged to reform the social welfare system.
ICTU general secretary says higher PUP rate highlight paltry nature of Jobseeker's Benefit, Ian Curran writes.
Calls to move to European-style system, where welfare benefits are based on a percentage of past earnings.
Irish flat-rate system dates back to period before independence.
State pension and core social welfare payments to increase by €5 per week
A range of other social welfare increases was announced.
This will bring the full State pension to €253.30 per week.
A €5 increase to the Fuel Allowance comes into effect from midnight.
The Living Alone Allowance will also increase by €3 per week.
New social welfare scheme promises 'breathing space' for unemployed artists
Unemployed artists will be able to receive jobseekers allowance while also focusing on their own work for 12 months.
Woman who committed €31,000 worth of welfare fraud sentenced to community service
Patricia Sweeney had forged declaration of unemployment forms in order to carry out the fraud.
'My Jobseeker's Allowance was cut to €40 a week - I can’t afford to go to interviews'
I don’t want a free ride. I want the Department of Social Protection to assist me.
Waiting times for social welfare payments vary from one week to 40 weeks
As of 30 September, the average waiting time to receive a carer’s allowance was about nine months.
'There are lots of jobs available': Leo defends lower jobseekers' payments to young people
Young jobseekers will get an increase of €2.70 to their payment per week next year.
FactCheck: How do jobseeker's payments here compare to Northern Ireland?
In the Dáil last week, Leo Varadkar asked TheJournal.ie for a fact check. We accepted that request.
'Completely unacceptable': 21-week wait for carer's allowance claims to be processed
The Department of Social Protection said processing times vary for different payments, depending on the qualification criteria.
Under 26 and on the dole? Labour has some good news for you - sort of
Young adults are currently paid a lower rate of jobseeker’s allowance.
Joan denies an unemployed man was told to apply for 200-300 jobs a week
The Tánaiste said it was deemed that the man was ‘not genuinely seeking work’.
Signing off for Christmas work? Your dole will be restored 'immediately' afterwards
Minister Kevin Humphreys is reminding those on Jobseekers payments that seasonal work of up to eight weeks can be taken.
New law would force unemployed to upload CVs to job sites - or have their dole cut
The government has launched its latest Pathways to Work document today.
Social welfare staff are being told to refuse dole payments to 'locked out' Greyhound workers
A circular issued to social welfare staff advises them to reject applications for jobseeker’s payments.
Almost 3,000 extra young people were signing on last month
Overall, the number of people on the Live Register decreased by 4,400 in June.
Opinion: Yes, I'm unemployed but that doesn't make me lazy or incompetent
Somebody told me the other day, quite abruptly, that ‘there are plenty of jobs out there’. Well, I beg to differ.
Appealing a social welfare decision? You could be in for a long wait
The average processing time of an appeal is six months.
Jobseeker payments expenditure to fall by as much as 20 per cent
The spend in 2014 is expected to be close to half of what it was in 2011.
Three Labour senators targeted over dole cut but they'll support measure
Young people are being urged to lobby three Labour senators to vote against a provision of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill in the Seanad next week but they will all support the measure.
Dáil passes Social Welfare Bill which implements Budget 2014 cuts
The bill now goes to the Seanad the week after next.
Column: The exploitation of young people has been cemented by this government
The cut in jobseeker’s allowance for those under 26 won’t nudge young people into “valuable training” in JobBridge or other schemes, it will push them into poverty and emigration, write Andrew Byrne and Dan Hayden.
1,900 "welfare tourists" caught in three years
New powers and investigative techniques have led to the apprehension of 101 welfare tourists at airports since last June.
Social welfare payments delayed by one day, affecting 32,700 people
The Department of Social Protection has blamed a “once off processing issue” for the delay with some payments today. They will be paid tomorrow.
Government to hire private companies to find work for long-term unemployed
Leaked bailout documents reveal new Department of Social Protection plans to get longstanding jobseekers back to work.
Small drop in live register figures - but unemployment stays at 14.6 per cent
The number of people aged 25 or under on the live register dropped for the 29th month in a row.
Facial recognition on the way for social welfare claimants
The rollout of a new Public Services Card will mean new technology to ensure claimants are who they claim to be.
Readers' Panel Part One: What are you expecting from Budget 2013?
We spoke to some readers about their hopes and fears ahead of tomorrow’s budget. Here’s what they had to say, in their own words.
Burton: Unemployed who work over Christmas "should not have any concerns"
Those who are unemployed are able to work or attend a training course for up to eight weeks without it impacting on their various allowances.
Oireachtas committee considers access to welfare for self-employed
The committee heard from the Self Employed Alliance Dundalk who said there has been “unjust, unwarranted discrimination” against self-employed people.
Live register down by 2,000 in August, but unemployment stays at 14.7pc
Ireland’s unemployment rate remains unchanged, while the number of under-25s on the register is down yet again.
Leaked Brussels report seeks Dole cuts to long-term unemployed
The European Commission says it’s disappointed that a draft document – raising the heat on Dublin – has been leaked.
Four in ten see 'no future for themselves' in Ireland - survey
More than half of households are now struggling to pay basic bills, according to new figures from the Irish League of Credit Unions.
€28,000 yearly welfare payments are not indicative of average families - Department
Figures put together by the Department of Social Protection show reveal how much a family of six on social welfare could receive in a year.
Unemployment rate increased in May, reaching 14.8 per cent
Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the numbers signing on jumped by 2,600 in the month of May.