Other Social Welfare Payments

If you need information or assistance? Please use our Contact Us page.

This page provides information on a range of other social welfare payments.

Disability Allowance
Illness Benefit
Invalidity Pension
One Parent Family Payment
Carer's Allowance

- Disability Allowance

Disability Allowance is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability whose income falls below certain limits and who are aged between 16 and under 66.

To quaify you must

have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year
be substantially restricted from doing work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of your age, experience and qualifications
be aged between 16 and 66. When you reach 66 years of age you no longer qualify for Disability Allowance, but you are assessed for a State Pension
satisfy a means test (a test of your income and any income from your spouse or partner, and the results will be used to work out your rate of pay) and habitual residence conditions

Illness Benefit is a payment for people (under the age of 66) who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. You should apply for Illness Benefit within 6 weeks of becoming ill.

- Invalidity Pension

Invalidity Pension is a weekly payment to people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability and are covered by social insurance (PRSI). At 66, you transfer automatically to the State Pension (Contributory) at the full rate. Invalidity Pension is taxable.

To qualify you must:

have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months (you may have been getting Illness Benefit or Disability Allowance during that time) or
be permanently incapable of work (in certain cases of very serious illness or disability, you can transfer directly from another social welfare payment or from your job to Invalidity Pension).

- One Parent Family Payment

One Parent Family Payment is a payment for people (under the age of 66) who are bringing children up without the support of a partner. To get this payment you must meet certain conditions and you must satisfy a means test. One-Parent Family Payment is a taxable source of income.

- Carer's Allowance

Carers Allowance is a weekly payment to a person on low income who is looking after a person or child who needs fulltime care and attention because of age, disability or illness including mental illness.

Contact Us

Telephone

You can speak, in complete confidence, to an Information Officer in the Information and Advocacy section directly at 01 - 856 0088 , Monday - Thursday 9.30 am to 5.00 pm and Friday 9.30am to 4.00pm.

Online

Use the online Contact Us forms on the INOU website