Social welfare entitlements

Recently my employer informed me that due to the recession the company is closing for xmas early gave us the choice of taking holidays out of next years annual entitlement for the 7 extra days leave or claim state benefit for the 7 days and keep up the prsi payments etc. If I chose the latter how much would I expect to get for those 7 days if anything, isn't it normally signing on for a few weeks before you receive anything significant. Im married with no children earning about €450 after tax.

As far as I know you won't get 7 days. When you open a new claim you lose the first three days. I think it would be about €100 for the three days or slightly less.