Will I be eligible for the benefit from 65- 66

[holidayqueen]

Hi I have retired from my job in 2022 at the age of 60. I did get job seekers benefit as I left the work due to having tinnitus and was working in a job in which the noise level affected my quality of life.
So I had that payment until mid 2023 and have applied for credits, but we do have rental income of €24k per annum.
I will be paying prsi on this. Will this prsi payment make me eligible for that interim payment or does it need to be earned at employment.
My husband is getting the contributory pension and a small public service pension.
I am not currently eligible to get any dependent payment on his pension as it is means tested and we have the income from rentals and some savings.
My question is will the prsi paid on the rental qualify me for a payment at 65 ? I’m 62 this year.
Thanks in advance

 

[S class]

No, you won't qualify for Benefit Payment 65 with that level of rental income.
Keep signing on for class A credits and follow the plan in the link and you can qualify for Jobseekers Benefit instead.

Can a person with rental or investment income over 7500 euro per year qualify for 65s benefit ?

No. However they could qualify for Jobseekers benefit at age 65. Basically the subsidiary employment rules for Jobseekers benefit are different to those for 65s benefit. Employment 1. PAYE employment Employment 2. Rental or investment income over 7000 euro per year. To qualify...

askaboutmoney.com

 

[holidayqueen]

No, you won't qualify for Benefit Payment 65 with that level of rental income.
Keep signing on for class A credits and follow the plan in the link and you can qualify for Jobseekers Benefit instead.

Can a person with rental or investment income over 7500 euro per year qualify for 65s benefit ?

No. However they could qualify for Jobseekers benefit at age 65. Basically the subsidiary employment rules for Jobseekers benefit are different to those for 65s benefit. Employment 1. PAYE employment Employment 2. Rental or investment income over 7000 euro per year. To qualify...

askaboutmoney.com

Thank you. So if I wish to qualify for this benefit I should take up some part time work at some stage this year . I will be 62 in September so if I was applying for jobseekers benefit around 6 months in advance of my 65 birthday which will Sept 2027 so would it be my prsi contributions from the year 2025 or earlier 2024
Thanks for the reply

 

[S class]

If you claim in the calender year of your 65th birthday the governing year is the calender year of your 63rd birthday. 2025.

Just continue signing on for credits until you claim Jobseekers Benefit.
This takes care of the governing year rules for any year you might start your claim.

You will need a minimum of 26 weeks of employment. Part time, 3 hours per week at minimum wage will give you the necessary 38 euro per week to qualify for Prsi contributions.

Then all you need to do is cease employment immediately before you make your Jobseekers claim.

 

[holidayqueen]

If you claim in the calender year of your 65th birthday the governing year is the calender year of your 63rd birthday. 2025.

Just continue signing on for credits until you claim Jobseekers Benefit.
This takes care of the governing year rules for any year you might start your claim.

You will need a minimum of 26 weeks of employment. Part time, 3 hours per week at minimum wage will give you the necessary 38 euro per week to qualify for Prsi contributions.

Then all you need to do is cease employment immediately before you make your Jobseekers claim.

Thank you for that very useful information

 

[S class]

So if I wish to qualify for this benefit I should take up some part time work at some stage this year . I will be 62 in September

I reread this bit.

Just to clarify. The 26 weeks of class A employment must run concurrently with the rental income and be ceased immediately before you claim Jobseekers benefit.

The Jobseekers Benefit needs to be timed so that it will continue up to your 65th birthday.

The employment should be started nearer to your 65th birthday.

 

[elcato]

The employment should be started nearer to your 65th birthday.

But the OP will not have a class A stamp in their governing year (2025 in this case). My understanding is that the OP needs to work for 9 months in 2025 as well ? Then in 2027 work for 6 months and then sign on before their 65th birthday ?

 

[S class]

Provided she continues to sign on for credits, the governing year rules are met.

She will have at least 39 contributions in each year. (credits are accepted)

She needs 26 paid contributions to meet the subsidiary employment rule for her rental income.

 

[holidayqueen]

Provided she continues to sign on for credits, the governing year rules are met.

She will have at least 39 contributions in each year. (credits are accepted)

She needs 26 paid contributions to meet the subsidiary employment rule for her rental income.

So just to make sure I’m understanding it correctly, in 2025 I work for 26 weeks and then go back on my credits and in 2027 I can draw my job seekers benefit 6 months prior to my 65 birthday . And I don’t need to work in 2027 ?

 

[S class]

So just to make sure I’m understanding it correctly, in 2025 I work for 26 weeks and then go back on my credits and in 2027 I can draw my job seekers benefit 6 months prior to my 65 birthday . And I don’t need to work in 2027 ?

No this is not correct.

You need to continue signing on for credits from now up to the time you start the 26 weeks employment.

The latest time you can start the employment is 26 weeks before your 65th birthday, so March 2027. This would set you up to begin claiming Jobseekers Benefit on your 65th birthday for 1 year up to age 66.

However you can maximise your period of Jobseekers to start before your 65th birthday. If you received 9 months of Jobseekers Benefit on your last claim you should qualify for another 9 months on your next claim.

So you could potentially get a total of 1 year + 9 months. To achieve this you would need to start your 26 weeks employment 15 months before your 65th birthday.
Then cease your employment 9 months before your 65th birthday.

The critical thing is to be a Jobseeker on your 65th birthday.

So allow an extra week for errors. Cease employment and claim Jobseekers 8 months and 3 weeks before your 65th birthday.

You then continue to be eligible for Jobseekers Benefit up to age 66.

You need to follow these instructions in order to ensure that your rental income qualifies as subsidiary income.

 

[holidayqueen]

No this is not correct.

You need to continue signing on for credits from now up to the time you start the 26 weeks employment.

The latest time you can start the employment is 26 weeks before your 65th birthday, so March 2027. This would set you up to begin claiming Jobseekers Benefit on your 65th birthday for 1 year up to age 66.

However you can maximise your period of Jobseekers to start before your 65th birthday. If you received 9 months of Jobseekers Benefit on your last claim you should qualify for another 9 months on your next claim.

So you could potentially get a total of 1 year + 9 months. To achieve this you would need to start your 26 weeks employment 15 months before your 65th birthday.
Then cease your employment 9 months before your 65th birthday.

The critical thing is to be a Jobseeker on your 65th birthday.

So allow an extra week for errors. Cease employment and claim Jobseekers 8 months and 3 weeks before you 65th birthday.

You then continue to be eligible for Jobseekers Benefit up to age 66.

You need to follow these instructions in order to ensure that your rental income qualifies as subsidiary income.

Thank you for the clarification

 

[Emelem]

No this is not correct.

You need to continue signing on for credits from now up to the time you start the 26 weeks employment.

The latest time you can start the employment is 26 weeks before your 65th birthday, so March 2027. This would set you up to begin claiming Jobseekers Benefit on your 65th birthday for 1 year up to age 66.

However you can maximise your period of Jobseekers to start before your 65th birthday. If you received 9 months of Jobseekers Benefit on your last claim you should qualify for another 9 months on your next claim.

So you could potentially get a total of 1 year + 9 months. To achieve this you would need to start your 26 weeks employment 15 months before your 65th birthday.
Then cease your employment 9 months before your 65th birthday.

The critical thing is to be a Jobseeker on your 65th birthday.

So allow an extra week for errors. Cease employment and claim Jobseekers 8 months and 3 weeks before your 65th birthday.

You then continue to be eligible for Jobseekers Benefit up to age 66.

You need to follow these instructions in order to ensure that your rental income qualifies as subsidiary income.

Hello S class, could You answer from which regulations/provisions/laws, what you wrote results: "However you can maximise your period of Jobseekers to start before your 65th birthday...So you could potentially get a total of 1 year + 9 months".

I am 63 this year, 17 years of work in Ireland and I will have 52 class A contributions this year. I would like to use the 65 age benefit and earlier the 9 months of JB, especially since it will increase from 31 March 2025. However, I am afraid that I will use JB for 9 months and when I reach 65, they will tell me that I am not entitled to the 65 age benefit.

At the beginning of February 2025 I will be 64 years old, to be safe in June I would switch to JB benefits (after leaving work so I may not get JB right away but I am ready to wait 9 weeks or I will explain that the working conditions are difficult for a man my age, because it is a steel factory).

Then being on JB in February 2026 at the age of 65 I would receive age JB. That would be the plan, but as I wrote, I need to know where to find the legal provisions so that I am not refused.

Sorry for my English , I am not originally Irish.

Regards

 

[Freelance]

Hi Emelen

A couple of points:
If you are in receipt of Job Seekers Benefit on the day of your 65th birthday then you continue to receive Job Seekers Benefit until your 66th birthday. You do not have to apply for the Over 65 Benefit payment in this case. To get the "1 year + 9 months" Jobseekers benefit your claim should start from first day of the fourth month after your 64th birthday. Be aware that the increased "pay related" job seekers benefit is "a payment for people who lose their job on or after 31 March 2025" so you must continue working up to that date to get the new higher rate.

If you are not in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit on your 65th birthday then you must apply directly for the Over 65 Benefit Payment.

The underlying legislation is beyond complex and not for the faint-hearted. The DSP (Department of Social Protection) information on Jobseekers Benefit is here:
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/1221b0-jobseekers-benefit/
and
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/e95f88-operational-guidelines-jobseekers-benefit/
and their information on the Over 65 Benefit Payment is here:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/65561-benefit-payment-for-65-year-olds/

The Citizens Information guides are here - they are usually a lot easier to follow:
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social-welfare/unemployed-people/jobseekers-benefit/
and
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/...ired-people/payment-for-people-retired-at-65/

I'm sure that @S class will fill in any gaps and correct any errors !

 

[S class]

Hi Emelen

The quote you highlighted in your post was the procedure needed for a person who has two employments. One of which they are ceasing to qualify for Jobseekers Benefit and then continue to have the second employment alongside their Jobseekers Benefit payments. This is called subsidiary employment and a person is allowed to have subsidiary employment and Jobseekers Benefit at the same time.

You don't have to worry about this unless your have more than one employment.

Assuming you have just one employment....

You can retire and start your 9 months of Jobseekers Benefit any time after 31st March 2025 in order to get the new pay related Jobseekers Benefit.
When you apply for Jobseekers Benefit don't state that you mearly retired.
If you say this your claim could be shorted by 9 weeks.
State as you said, that you ceased employment for health reasons.

At age 64 you will not get any hassle from Department of Social Protection.
You can get your Jobseekers payments paid into your bank account.

Your Jobseekers Benefit will run for 9 months.

If you have little or no other income when your Jobseekers Benefit payments end you could qualify for Jobseekers Allowance up to age 65.

If you don't qualify for Jobseekers Allowance at this date this is not a problem. You can have a gap before reaching age 65.

On the day of your 65th birthday you can apply online (using mywelfare) for Benefit Payment 65.

This is an absolute entitlement once you have the required Prsi contributions.

You will get BP 65 up until your 66th birthday.

The fact that you previously claimed 9 months Jobseekers Benefit and possible Jobseekers Allowance does not result in any shortening of your BP 65 entitlement.

Don't worry about legal provisions you will qualify for both full Jobseekers Benefit and full BP 65.

Your English is great.
No need to apologise !

 

[Emelem]

Hi Emelen

A couple of points:
If you are in receipt of Job Seekers Benefit on the day of your 65th birthday then you continue to receive Job Seekers Benefit until your 66th birthday. You do not have to apply for the Over 65 Benefit payment in this case. To get the "1 year + 9 months" Jobseekers benefit your claim should start from first day of the fourth month after your 64th birthday. Be aware that the increased "pay related" job seekers benefit is "a payment for people who lose their job on or after 31 March 2025" so you must continue working up to that date to get the new higher rate.

If you are not in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit on your 65th birthday then you must apply directly for the Over 65 Benefit Payment...
I'm sure that @S class will fill in any gaps and correct any errors !

Hi Emelen

The quote you highlighted in your post was the procedure needed for a person who has two employments. One of which they are ceasing to qualify for Jobseekers Benefit and then continue to have the second employment alongside their Jobseekers Benefit payments. This is called subsidiary employment and a person is allowed to have subsidiary employment and Jobseekers Benefit at the same time.

You don't have to worry about this unless your have more than one employment.

Assuming you have just one employment....

You can retire and start your 9 months of Jobseekers Benefit any time after 31st March 2025 in order to get the new pay related Jobseekers Benefit.
When you apply for Jobseekers Benefit don't state that you mearly retired.
If you say this your claim could be shorted by 9 weeks.
State as you said, that you ceased employment for health reasons.

At age 64 you will not get any hassle from Department of Social Protection.
You can get your Jobseekers payments paid into your bank account.

Your Jobseekers Benefit will run for 9 months.

If you have little or no other income when your Jobseekers Benefit payments end you could qualify for Jobseekers Allowance up to age 65.

If you don't qualify for Jobseekers Allowance at this date this is not a problem. You can have a gap before reaching age 65.

On the day of your 65th birthday you can apply online (using mywelfare) for Benefit Payment 65.

This is an absolute entitlement once you have the required Prsi contributions.

You will get BP 65 up until your 66th birthday.

The fact that you previously claimed 9 months Jobseekers Benefit and possible Jobseekers Allowance does not result in any shortening of your BP 65 entitlement.

Don't worry about legal provisions you will qualify for both full Jobseekers Benefit and full BP 65.

Your English is great.
No need to apologise !

Freelance
S class,
Thank you very much for explaining my doubts about Jb and 65 age benefit. They are comprehensive and resolve my doubts. I did not expect an answer so quickly. You have incredible knowledge on this subject and you share it with others without any profit. Thank you very much for that once again. Now I will no longer be afraid to make a decision regarding these benefits.
I wish you good luck

 

[Emelem]

There is currently no information anywhere on how to calculate the new JB (I searched the internet but maybe I was not very good at it). Maybe someone knows how it will be calculated.
"The weekly rate of payment for people who have at least 5 years paid PRSI contributions will be set at 60% of previous earnings, subject to a maximum of €450 for the first 3 months"
Will the last salary be taken into account for calculating this benefit, i.e. from the last week, or will it be some kind of average for the year?

 

[ClubMan]

Will the last salary be taken into account for calculating this benefit, i.e. from the last week, or will it be some kind of average for the year?

Jobseeker's Pay Related Benefit

I am taking redundancy shortly and will be entitled to 9 months JB. Currently it is €232 but when the new 'pay related' JB is finally introduced I'd be entitled to significantly more than the flat rate of JB. Unfortunately it seem I will not be entitled to this as it's only for new claims :-(...

www.askaboutmoney.com

 

[S class]

a person’s reckonable weekly earnings shall be calculated based on the person’s reckonable earnings in the 52 week period ending 8 weeks before the first date of unemployment divided by the total number of qualifying contributions in that 52 week period.

 

[Emelem]

Thanks S class and ClubMan. With the help of your quote, I found everything on the website
You are great .

 

[VInterested]

a person’s reckonable weekly earnings shall be calculated based on the person’s reckonable earnings in the 52 week period ending 8 weeks before the first date of unemployment divided by the total number of qualifying contributions in that 52 week period.

Lets say you are unemployed and you have a small distribution from an ARF from a previous employer. Is the distribution of that ARF counted as a person's reckonable earning in that period for the calculation of your JB? thanks for all your info S class!