Company director retired at 61, applying for jobseekers benefit.

[Robovac rider]

When I start part-time do I sign off for credits?

Phone or email Intreo and tell them you are back in employment.

When 13 weeks is over , do I sign back on for credits or is it signing on for a new jobseekers claim?

Apply for Jobseekers benefit through Mywelfare.
When the payments end, phone or email Intreo and state that you want to continue signing on for credits.

Can sign off/on be done through mywelfare or is in-person better......not a big deal for me either way.

By phone or email. You will probably be asked to attend at your local Intreo center approximately one month after the start of the JB claim to sign on.

As a new employee, would that trigger an AE enrolment for the employer or is it exempt as its low hours

No, the earnings are below the AE limit.

 

[NotMyRealName]

Apply for Jobseekers benefit.

Would this be awarded ? ( previously awarded as SE rate )and at what rate? I thought that it might be determined by contributions in the previous calendar year, or is this just a performative exercise?

 

[fairy1]

As far as I can see, you will be signing for credits as you will not have the contributions needed for JBSE or JBPR:

• Have used up your full Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed) entitlement (either 9 or 6 months)
• Have not claimed Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed) for at least 12 months
• Have at least 52 weeks of Class S contributions paid since your Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed) claim ended

You are better applying for Credits in person then online.

 

[Robovac rider]

Would this be awarded ?

It has just occured to me that you won't have any class A contributions or credits for your governing year (2024) so your JB claim would presumably be rejected for payments. However you would be entitled to continue claiming credits. You would also qualify for BP65.

Assuming you will have a minimum of 39 credits for 2025, you could delay your 13 weeks of employment until 2027. You would then qualify for 39 weeks of JB payments @ €114 per week. These weekly payments can be made to your bank account.
This plan also allows you to qualify for BP65.

Or if you extended your 2026 €38 per week employment to 26 weeks, you could qualify for JPRB. This plan would give you JPRB payments of €125 per week for 39 weeks. These payments would have to be collected weekly from your local post office. This plan also allows you to qualify for BP65.

 

[NotMyRealName]

Assuming you will have a minimum of 39 credits for 2025, you could delay your 13 weeks of employment until 2027.

It looks that way, but they've not been applied to statement yet , but I'm told it'll happen later this year.

you could delay your 13 weeks of employment until 2027.

Yes, that would suit...

 

[NotMyRealName]

Assuming you will have a minimum of 39 credits for 2025, you could delay your 13 weeks of employment until 2027. You would then qualify for 39 weeks of JB payments @ €114 per week. These weekly payments can be made to your bank account.
This plan also allows you to qualify for BP65.

It looks like i'll be setting up an Arf in Dec. of this year with first distribution @4% in 2027. If I just take that distribution as a one-off payment in late Nov. 2027 ( it keeps the Arf intact for most of the year as I don't have a cashflow need for it ) how is the prsi element applied. Is it counted as 52 class S contributions or 1 contribution? Would those contributions count towards BP65?

 

[Shabbyroad]

If you remain signed on for Jobseekers credits you will have a chance to qualify for Benefit Payment 65. You would need a period of 13 weeks paid class A employment in any calendar year from age 61 to 65 to qualify

Great summary and very helpful. Can I sense check my understanding is correct for my scenario?

I plan to retire February-March 2027. I will be 60. I turn 61 in calendar year 2027. I believe I should wait an extra week or two and ensure I have 13 weeks paid class A before my last working day in order to qualify for B65 without needing any further PRSI contributions from paid employment. I have little interest in seeking a few weeks of part time work in the future if I can get it over and done with in 2027.

Am I also correct in understanding that payments from an ARF are not “earned” for the purposes of PRSI and therefore won’t meet the BP65 requirement?

 

[ClubMan]

If I just take that distribution as a one-off payment in late Nov. 2027 ( it keeps the Arf intact for most of the year as I don't have a cashflow need for it ) how is the prsi element applied. Is it counted as 52 class S contributions or 1 contribution?

It'll likely be processed via ARF payroll as 4 contributions for the relevant payroll month but will eventually be converted to 52 in the first few months of 2028.

Class S contributions count towards BP65.

 

[ClubMan]

Am I also correct in understanding that payments from an ARF are not “earned” for the purposes of PRSI and therefore won’t meet the JB65 requirement?

Do you mean BP65?

Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds

Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds is for those aged 65 who have stopped work or self-employment who satisfy the PRSI conditions. It may be paid from your 65th birthday until your 66th birthday.

www.gov.ie

ARF PRSI contributions are class S and count towards BP65.

PRSI Class S Rates

www.gov.ie

 

[Shabbyroad]

Do you mean BP65?

I do. Thanks. I’ve updated my post to avoid confusion for future readers

ARF PRSI contributions are class S and count towards BP65.

Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind and might stick to my original plan.

 

[Robovac rider]

Assuming you will have a minimum of 39 credits for 2025, you could delay your 13 weeks of employment until 2027. You would then qualify for 39 weeks of JB payments @ €114 per week. These weekly payments can be made to your bank account.
This plan also allows you to qualify for BP65

@NotMyRealName
This is not fully correct. I have discovered that in order to qualify for JB any applicant needs to remain in part time employment.

So if for example you worked full time or part time for 13 weeks, you would need to suffer a loss of working hours in order to qualify for JB.

Say you worked 2 hours per week and earned €38 per week.
If this was reduced to 1 hour per week and you now earned €19 per week you would qualify for JB.

An alternative method would be to work for 2 hours per week earning €38 per week for 26 weeks. If this employment ceased you would then qualify for JPRB @ €125 per week for 39 weeks.
There is no governing year rule for JPRB.

However 13 weeks of part time employment @ €38 per week still allows you to qualify for BP65.

The alternative 26 weeks work arrangement would also allow you to qualify for BP65.

 

[Robovac rider]

I plan to retire February-March 2027. I will be 60. I turn 61 in calendar year 2027. I believe I should wait an extra week or two and ensure I have 13 weeks paid class A before my last working day in order to qualify for B65 without needing any further PRSI contributions from paid employment

Yes if you gain 13 paid class A in 2027 you will fully meet the BP65 paid Prsi contributions rules. But you will need a minimum of 39 Jobseekers credits in the calendar year of your 63rd birthday.

You should claim JPRB immediately after you retire and remain claiming Jobseekers credits until the end of the calendar year of your 63rd birthday.

ARF drawdowns and gaining Class S PRSI does not interfere with your entitlement to claim Jobseekers credits.

You can be in both Class S and Class A Prsi systems simultaneously.

Am I also correct in understanding that payments from an ARF are not “earned” for the purposes of PRSI and therefore won’t meet the BP65 requirement?

Class S from an ARF are Reckonable for COAP exactly the same as paid Class A.

ARFs are considered as earned self employment for PRSI purposes.

Class S from an ARF or any other source are also Reckonable for qualification for BP65, but there is a rule which requires that a person must have ceased some form of self employment after the start of the calender year of their 63rd birthday to qualify.

Because an ARF is considered as earned self employment, if an ARF was exhausted before age 65 it would satisfy the rule for ceasing a self employment after the start of the persons 63rd birthday year rule.

Basically there are two qualification systems for BP65.

The class A system and the Class S system.

You will be able to qualify for the class A system, if you remain signed on for Jobseekers credits.

 

[elcato]

This is not fully correct. I have discovered that in order to qualify for JB any applicant needs to remain in part time employment.

So if for example you worked full time or part time for 13 weeks, you would need to suffer a loss of working hours in order to qualify for JB.

I don't understand this. Surely he's suffered a total loss of employment so can sign on again with 13 weeks paid contribution paid ? Or is it the relevant tax year criteria that scuppers this ?

 

[Robovac rider]

@elcato
"If a person is fully unemployed on or after 31 March 2025, with their last day of employment in Ireland being on or after 28 March 2025, they may be eligible for Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit (JPRB), and an application for Jobseeker’s Benefit will not be accepted."

This is from the operational guidelines for JB.

I am aware of a person who did 13 weeks of part time employment. Their employment ceased and their JB application was refused as they were 'fully unemployed'.

They did not meet the JPRB rules with only 13 paid Prsi contributions in the previous 12 months.

The changes to JB as a result of the introduction of JPRB are very crafty and have resulted in a lot of unfairness.

This, and the fact that no increases to JBRB payment rates were given in the last budget, have gone totally unnoticed by the media.

Another example of the government getting away with unfair treatment of the unemployed.

 

[Shabbyroad]

Thank you @Robovac rider that’s the additional clarity I needed. I’ll ensure I have minimum 13 weeks class A in 2027. I’ll probably be working only 2-3 more weeks than I had originally planned which is fine.

 

[elcato]

I am aware of a person who did 13 weeks of part time employment. Their employment ceased and their JB application was refused as they were 'fully unemployed'.

but they were part time ? My understanding of fully would be full time but as you say it's sneaky wording. Did you pal not question it ?

 

[Robovac rider]

No they didn't question it. I reckoned it was a waste of time.

Fully unemployed means that they have no employment.

An originally fully employed (40 hours per week or thereabouts) employee could end up partially unemployed if they were, for example, put on a three day week. In this situation they would presumably qualify for JB.

One of the rules for JPRB is that a person must be fully unemployed, so this three day week person would be refused JPRB.

I had originally read the rules for JB as applying only to part time workers. But having re-read the rules it couuld apply to any form of employee who suffers a reduction in their working hours.

Also JPRB can apply to both full time and part time employees who lose all their working hours.