One-Parent Family Payment

One-Parent Family Payment is a payment for parents under 66 who are not cohabiting, and whose youngest child is under 7.

You will stop getting One-Parent Family Payment when your youngest child turns 7.

There are exceptions to this:

• Domiciliary Care Allowance: your One-Parent Family Payment may continue until the child you are getting the Domiciliary Care Allowance for turns 16 or your youngest child turns 7, whichever is later
• Blind Pension: your One-Parent Family Payment may continue until your youngest child turns 16
• Carer's Allowance: your One-Parent Family Payment may continue until your youngest child turns 16 or until your Carer’s Allowance stops, whichever is earlier
• Recent Bereavement: if your spouse or civil partner has died, you can claim One-Parent Family Payment for up to two years after the date of death or until your youngest child turns 18, whichever is earlier

To qualify for One-Parent Family Payment, you must:

• be under 66
• 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 One-Parent Family Payment if you have joint equal custody of a child or children
• satisfy a means test
• not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant

If you are separated, divorced or your civil partnership is dissolved, you must be living apart for at least three months before you apply for One-Parent Family Payment.

The maximum rate of One-Parent Family Payment is €244 a week, plus a Child Support Payment for each qualified child.

Any child maintenance that you get is no longer included in the means test. However, if you are getting maintenance that is not child maintenance, this will continue to be means tested.

Rental Disregard

A statutory 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. See the Means Assessment Operational Guidelines for more details.

Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit

From 31 March 2025, if you are working and become fully unemployed you may now apply for Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit. You must satisfy all the qualifying conditions including being available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work and the total rate payable will not exceed the maximum rate of Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit you qualify for. See Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit Guidelines for more details.

Widowed or a surviving civil partner

If you are widowed or a surviving civil partner, you should apply within three months of your spouse’s or civil partner’s death.

Single

If you are single, you should apply within three months of the birth of your child.

Separated, divorced or no longer in a civil partnership

If you are separated, divorced or no longer in a civil partnership, you must undefinedbe living apart for three months. You should apply within three to six months of the date you separated from your spouse or civil partner.

Prisoner’s spouse or civil partner

If you are a prisoner’s spouse or civil partner, you should apply when your spouse or civil partner:

• has been in custody for at least six months without being sentenced

or

• starts their sentence, which must be for a term of at least six months

To apply, fill in the form below and return it and any supporting documents to your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

You can appeal a decision if you are unhappy with it. You should appeal within 21 days of the decision and you can ask for an oral hearing.

The easiest and quickest way to make your appeal is online on www.MyWelfare.ie. All you need is a verified MyGovID account. You can get a verified MyGovID account if you have a Public Services Card, a verified mobile phone number and an email address.

An appeals officer, whose decision is final, will then decide your case. Some cases can be decided without an oral hearing.

If new information comes to light or your circumstances change, you can apply for One-Parent Family Payment again.

You can find more information on how to make an appeal here: How to appeal a decision about your social welfare claim.

Operational guidelines describe the processes and procedures that staff in the department follow when carrying out their work.

• Operational Guidelines: One-Parent Family Payment
• Operational Guidelines: Payment-related issues