Waited too long for pay-related jobseekers?

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k06351000

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My friend left their job at the end of July.

Didn’t apply for any social welfare as wanted some not working.

Now they are back looking for work but it looks like they are too late to apply for PRJB as it need to be applied for within 10 weeks?

Is there anything she can do? I see her application could be accepted late with good reason - what might be considered a good reason? I’m guessing unfamiliarity with the new system or taking some time before looking for work wouldn’t sufffice?

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It states that they are over the time period but can still apply and submit an explanation for they are applying late

It also states that if they don’t want to submit the application they can still apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance (which implies they are no longer eligible for jobseekers benefit which they thought they could get)
 
Check out this thread

Can I delay applying and/or receiving pay-related jobseekers beyond 6 weeks?

Does anyone here have experience of how the new-ish pay-related jobseekers' benefit works in practice - specifically about delaying application for, and receiving, it? The rules state you need to apply for PRJB within 6 weeks of finishing work (which is v soon, for me). This is quite...
www.askaboutmoney.com

If they could get minimal employment earning at least 38 euro per week for 4 weeks they could qualify.


taking some time before looking for work
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They need to meet the rules during the delayed period, so not seeking employment would disqualify them.


unfamiliarity with the new system
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"'Good cause' is not generally defined in the legislation, and must be assessed by DOs by the application of common sense principles to the contentions put forward by the person concerned and by the evaluation of the evidence available to support those contentions.

Lack of Knowledge, incorrect advice from others

Lack of knowledge by itself is not regarded as a sufficient reason for not claiming in time. The department publishes information leaflets as widely as possible and advertises changes of legislation in the National Press. Information Offices are available throughout the country for people to make enquiries as to their entitlements.

The DO must consider what is a reasonable level of knowledge to be expected in the particular case. If, for example, legislation extends entitlement to a particular scheme a plea of ignorance of the change may be reasonable.

Similarly particular circumstances may arise where the DO is satisfied that it was reasonable for the person to believe that she or he had no entitlement, or that there was nothing to enquire about.

The receipt of incorrect advice or information from any person other than a person employed by the department is not normally regarded as good cause for failure to claim at the correct time. (See 'Information given by department' below.)

However consideration should include whether the person believed that the source of advice was authorised by the department and therefore whether it was reasonable for the person to rely on this advice rather than make further enquiries with the department. This may apply in relation to State or Semi-State offices where claim forms and information leaflets are officially made available to the public on behalf of the department.

Where a claimant requests an agent (professional or otherwise) to act on his or her behalf in making a claim, and the agent fails to forward the claim within the prescribed time, good cause for the delay depends upon the claimant having been given sufficient reason to believe that the claim had been made.

Similarly where the agent has acted on behalf of the claimant in seeking information and conveyed incorrect information to the claimant, good cause depends on whether there is sufficient reason in the opinion of the DO for the claimant to have relied on the agent instead of making personal enquiries, and for the claimant to have believed the information obtained was correct."
 
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If they were not available to look for work since July due to travel outside Ireland, caring responsibilities or illness these would all seem valid excuses to me if as S Class said there was supporting proof.
 
One of the rules is that the person must be available for and actively seeking employment. These rules need to be met during the delayed period.

Only 2 weeks holiday period is allowed.

So caring, sickness and travel might not be accepted.

All this applies to trying to get the claim backdated to the original unemployment date.


The only other way apart from this is to requalify for a new JPRB claim. 4 paid class A contributions are needed to requalify.
 
Thanks for all the replies.. will see what she will do, have applied but maybe some short term work could be obtained if rejected
 
Wanted to update this.

Applied for pay related job seekers benefit but wasn’t approved due to no credits in the previous 10 weeks.

Next plan is to get employed for four weeks in a low paying job to earn those credits.

Can anyone calculate how much she would entitled to. For example if she applies on Mar 1st.
Her income for the previous year would be
Mar 1st 2025- August 1st 2025 - €1,200 pw
August 1st - 2025. Feb 1st 2026 - 0 pw
Feb1st to Mar 1st - €250 pw (and if 500pw would this make much difference to the calculation)
 
@k06351000

Details of the period of earnings used to calculate her JPRB are in this post.

Re qualifying for JSB

Hi , I worked for 30 years up to sept 24 when made redundant , was on jsb for 9 months and didn’t qualify for JSA after the 9 months expired as wife works - got a job shortly after in august 25 for 9 months which will end in April 26 . Will I re qualify in April for a further 9 months jSB or...
www.askaboutmoney.com
 
Going to ask on here again as have gotten good advice, even if this is starting to get a bit off topic.

She has gotten employment for the month of January.However it looks like she needs 5 PRSI credits to qualify.

As this is 4 1/2 weeks work how does she know if she will get 4 credits or 5?

Weekly and monthly Income Tax calendars

Weekly and monthly Income Tax calendars
www.revenue.ie www.revenue.ie
 
She only needs 4 Prsi contributions during the 10 week period before her new claim date.
S class said:

Condition 2:​

You must have paid at least 4 PRSI insurable employment contributions at Class A or H in the 10 weeks prior to making your application.
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If she earned €38 on 29/01/2026 she would gain a 5th Prsi contribution in January.

She could begin her new JPRB claim from 30/01/2026 with 5 Prsi contributions.
 
S class said:
If she earned €38 on 29/01/2026 she would gain a 5th Prsi contribution in January.

She could begin her new JPRB claim from 30/01/2026 with 5 Prsi contributions
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Thanks S class you have been a great help with this, and to be honest is kind of going into a realm I don’t understand.

My understanding was that by working from 1st to 31st of January she would get 5 contributions, but looking at her payslips (different employer) and my payslips. (her current employer) that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I think this may be a limitation of the payroll software but really not sure.

For example she worked up until June 30th last year (A Monday) but only got 4 PRSI contributions for June, with nothing for that Monday. I think it’s because she is a salaried employee but again really not sure.

Similarity this company will pay her as a salaried employee from jan 1st to jan 31st and I think she will get 4 contributions.
I could be very wrong but just think the payroll software isn’t set up for part time employees.

Apologies if it doesn’t make sense, I am trying to interpret information without knowing exactly how these things work.

Have you any idea if she does end up being one contribution short would it be possible to appeal on the basis that June 30th and then potentially more days in January don’t seem to have been counted.
 
I think you are worrying to much about this.
She only needs 4 Prsi contributions to re qualify for JPRB.

Presumably she meets the other rule which is that she has a minimum of 26 Prsi contributions in a 12 month period before her new claim. Her 4 contributions in 2026 are included in this 26. So she only needs 22 back to 1st February 2025.

Regarding how many contributions she is entitled to if she works for the full month of January 2026.

The Prsi weeks start on Thursday 1st January.
Week 1 ends on 7th she get 1 contribution for this period.
Week 2 ends on 14th = 1 contribution
Week 3 ends on 21th = 1 contribution
Week 4 ends on 28th = 1 contribution
Week 5 ends on 4th February. If she earns a minimum of €38 euro before the end of January she gets 1 contribution for this week. So if she is working on 29th, 30th or 31st January she is entitled to 5 contributions for January 2026.

If these are not included in her payslip she can contact DSP to get this corrected.

P.s. if she has contributions for February to end July 2025.
6 months even counting only 4 per month is 24 contributions.
Add in 4 for January 2026 and she has 28+ contributions in the 12 month period before her new claim. She only needs 26 so she is okay with just 4 in January 2026.
 
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Thanks S Class.
S class said:
Presumably she meets the other rule which is that she has a minimum of 26 Prsi contributions in a 12 month period before her new claim. Her 4 contributions in 2026 are included in this 26. So she only needs 22 back to 1st February 2025.
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I think she doesn’t - some of the dates in the initial post were incorrect and actually looks she only has 25 contributions from 2025, 4 from January, which is why I reckon she needs 5 more now in January 2026.
S class said:
If these are not included in her payslip she can contact DSP to get this corrected.
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This is very encouraging, thanks again for all your help. Will report back with how it goes!
 
k06351000 said:
I think she doesn’t - some of the dates in the initial post were incorrect and actually looks she only has 25 contributions from 2025, 4 from January, which is why I reckon she needs 5 more now in January 2026.
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I am assuming you mean 21 in 2025 + 5 in 2026.
Okay, this is very tight.

The payroll software might only give her 4 for January, but the Prsi rules allow her to get 5.

If she actually works on 29th and earns €38, she should get the employment ceased and submit her claim on 30th. Just in case she misses a contribution from February 2025.

She should include a note to DSP, that she is entitled to 5 contributions in 2026, with her claim. If DSP reject her claim she can appeal.
 
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S class said:
am assuming you mean 21 in 2025 + 5 in 2026.
Okay, this is very tight.

The payroll software might only give her 4 for January, but the Prsi rules allow her to get 5.

If she actually works on 29th and earns €38, she should get the employment ceased and submit her claim on 30th. Just in case she misses a contribution from February 2025.

She should include a note to DSP, that she is entitled to 5 contributions in 2026, with her claim. If DSP reject her claim she can appeal.
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Thanks - I guess the big problem is they are already doing us a favour so can’t ask too much with exact dates etc.

If we were going to go down this road would asking to backdate the employment into December help or is too late for 2025 contributions to count?

Appeal might be the best option, as I can’t see why June 30th last year didn’t count since it was the 5th Monday of the month
 
k06351000 said:
I can’t see why June 30th last year didn’t count since it was the 5th Monday of the month
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From 28th May to 3rd June was a Prsi week.
The contribution for this period might have been included in May.
Then 4th to 10th
11th to 17th
18th to 25th
26th to 1st July
gives 4 contributions for June.
 
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