Jobseekers Transitional Payment (JST)

 

Introduction

Some people will no longer qualify for One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) because their youngest child has reached the relevant age limit. They may qualify for the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) instead.

Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme that aims to support parents, who are parenting alone and not co-habiting, into the workforce while they have young children. If you are no longer entitled to OFP, and your youngest child is aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive, you can apply for Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment if you;

• Be capable of work
• Be under 66 years old
• Be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a relevant child (this means a child under the relevant age limit)
• Be the main carer of at least one relevant child. The child must live with you. You cannot get JST if you have joint equal custody of a child or children
• Satisfy a means test
• Not be cohabiting

 

Rate of Payment

The maximum Personal Rate is 

• Maximum Personal Rate - €254
• Child Support Payment - €58 (child aged under 12) and €78 (child aged 12 and over)

 

Means Test

The means test is closely aligned with the OFP means test. Jobseeker's Transitional Payment has an earnings disregard of €165 per week with the balance of any income assessed at 50% and the maximum weekly rate of payment.

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Genuinely Seeking Work

• If you are unemployed and claiming JST you do not have to be available for full-time work or genuinely seeking work.
• You must participate in employment activation measures and you must participate in any recommended course of education, training or employment programme. If you do not participate you may be paid a lower amount of JST (a penalty rate).
• The 4-in-7 rule does not apply (you do not have to be fully unemployed for 4 out of 7 days). This means that you could work part-time for 5 days, for example.
• Working Family Payment and Back to Work Family Dividend are not payable with Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment.

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Other Conditions

• You cannot receive JST if you are cohabiting with another person and must continue to be a lone parent.
• To get JST you must sign a quarterly declaration to confirm that you are still entitled to JST.
• You must always declare any change in your circumstances including a change in living arrangements or means which might affect your entitlement to JST.
• If you are separated, divorced or your civil partnership is dissolved, you must have been living apart for at least three months before you apply for JST.

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Youngest Child reaches 14

You will only qualify for Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment until your qualified child reaches 14. When the JST stops, standard Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) conditions will apply to you – see Jobseekers Allowance.

This will mean that:

• If you are unemployed on Jobseeker’s Allowance you must be available for full-time work and genuinely seeking full-time work.
• You cannot work more than 3 days per week, including Sunday
• The 4-in-7 rule does apply (you must be fully unemployed for 4 out of 7 days).

 

If you are unfit for work you can apply for Disability Allowance, Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension. If providing full-time care you can apply for Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit.

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Taking up Employment

You can work part-time or full-time and continue to receive a JST payment. While there is no limit on the number of days or hours you can work, the amount of JST payment you get depends on your weekly means from employment.

If you take up employment, the first €165 of your gross weekly earnings is not taken into account (or is disregarded). This means that you can earn up to €165 per week and qualify for the full Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment. After subtracting the allowable deductions and applicable disregard the value of the remaining balance is assessed at 50% and taken as the weekly means from insurable employment.

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Working Family Payment

You cannot get the Working Family Payment if you are in receipt of a Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment. If you have been in receipt of the One-Parent Family Payment and have been claiming the Working Family Payment, the WFP payment will stop when you are transferred to the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment.

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JobsPlus

JobsPlus provides a simple, easily understood and attractive scheme to encourage employers to recruit long-term unemployed people. Persons in receipt of Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment qualify to participate in JobsPlus and no qualifying period applies.

JobsPlus provides cash payments to employers – €7,500 for recruits unemployed for more than 12 but less than 24 months and €10,000 for recruits unemployed for more than 24 months. For more information see JobsPlus.

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Rental disregard

A rental disregard of up to €269.23 per week (€14,000 per year) applies in respect of rental income from renting out a room(s) in your home to someone who is not an employee or an immediate family member

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