Your Guide To Schemes & Services For Jobseekers and Employed

Intreo is Ireland’s public employment service of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

This guide gives a brief overview of the wide range of supports and schemes which Intreo provides to you as a jobseeker. You can get more information from the web links given.There are six main parts to this guide:

1. Intreo Service and how it can help you

2. Supports to help you find work

3. Training and education supports

4. Income supports for working people

5. Additional supports for people with a disability

6. Other benefits

This guide was produced by the Employer Relations Division at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.It is intended as a guide only. It is not a legal interpretation of information.

For more information on all the schemes and services in this booklet, please visit www.welfare.ie or call into your local Intreo Centre.

1. Intreo and how it can help you Intreo is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports and is part of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. It offers practical, tailored employment services and supports to you as a person looking for a job (a jobseeker) and employers. As a jobseeker, Intreo provides you with:

• employment services and income supports in one place,

• expert assistance and advice on employment, training and personal development opportunities from a person called a case officer,

• a focus on your individual needs to help you enter or reenter the workforce,

• access to job vacancies using www.jobsireland.ie, and

• information on the full range of income supports provided by Intreo including:

»Jobseekers’ payments,

»Back to Work payments,

»Back to Education payments, and

»One-Parent family payments 2. Supports to help you find work

Introduction

This section tells you about eight helpful jobseeker supports and how Intreo staff can offer support to you.

1. JobsIreland.ie is Intreo’s free online job advertising and recruitment service for job candidates and employers. All jobseekers can access JobsIreland.ie services.

Here you can:

• register and complete your profile (personal and work details) to search for jobs,

• look for the best positions for you,

• get matched with suitable vacancies, and

• apply for them online.

Visit www.jobsireland.ie for more information and to register.

2. European Employment Services (EURES)

European Employment Services, or EURES, is a network of advisors who give information and advice on searching for a job in the EU or European Economic Area (EEA).

EURES advisors can:

• help you make contact with European employers,

• supply practical, general information on living and working conditions in another EU/EEA country, and

provide financial support in some cases, for example: »for travelling to an interview,

»to relocate to another country,

»to recognise your qualifications, and

»for language training 3. Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is a work experience placement scheme for young jobseekers. It provides the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a supportive environment.

To apply:

• you must be aged between 18 and 24,

• be unemployed for at least 12 months or face significant barriers to employment, and

• you must also be in receipt of one of a number of qualifying social welfare payments. Find a list of these payments using the link below.

To qualify:

• YESS participants must work 24 hours a week. YESS placements are for 3 months at first, and there is an option to extend this for a further 3 months. This helps young people to gain valuable work experience. 4. Community Employment (CE)

Community Employment is designed to help long-term jobseekers get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs in local communities.

To qualify for Community Employment:

• you must have been getting qualifying social welfare payments for 12 months or more.

Find a list of these payments using the link below.

When you are on Community Employment:

• you work on average 19.5 hours a week, and

• you can take up other part-time work during your CE placement.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/CE

5. Tús

Tús is a community work placement. It provides short-term working opportunities for unemployed people.

The work is designed to help the community, and it is with community and voluntary organisations.

To qualify for Tús you must:

• have been continuously unemployed for 12 months, and

• currently be getting a Jobseeker’s Allowance payment, or

• be in receipt of a Jobseeker’s Transitional payment (JST), no qualifying period applies for JST.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/TUS

6. JobsPlus

JobsPlus is a payment to encourage employers to employ jobseekers who have been unemployed for 12 months or more and who satisfy certain conditions.

See these conditions for jobseekers on the link below.

These payments are either €7,500 or €10,000 and Intreo pays employers directly.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/JobsPlus-Jobseekers.aspx 7. Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA)

The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance helps you to start your own business if you are getting Jobseeker’s Benefit. The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance:

• replaces your Jobseeker’s Benefit with a weekly payment of a similar amount, and

• is paid to you for the remainder of your Jobseeker’s Benefit claim period.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/STEA

8. Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA)

Back to Work Enterprise Allowance is a payment that that allows long-term jobseekers to keep their social welfare payment while setting up a business.

• You may get your full social welfare payment in the first year and 75% in the second year. To qualify for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, you must:

• set up a self-employment business that has been approved by a case officer, and

• be in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit with an underlying entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance for at least 9 months or one of the other qualifying payments for at least 12 months. Find a list of these payments using the link below.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/BTWEA

Training and education supports

Introduction

This section tells you about four supports Intreo provides for training and education to help jobseekers to find employment.

1. Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)

This programme allows you to take part in full-time educational courses (at 2nd or 3rd level) to get qualifications that will help you to find a job

.To qualify for Back To Education Allowance, you must be:

• recommended by a case officer,

• meet the age criteria,

• be in receipt of certain social welfare payments, and

• accepted onto a qualifying course.

(Find list of these course using the link here 👇🏽

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/353_Back-to-Education-Allowance.aspx

2. Approved Training Course – Education & Training Boards (ETBs)

Places on approved training courses (ETB) are open to all.If you are receiving a payment and are accepted on an approved training course. You will receive a training allowance from the ETB for the period of the course.

More info : http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Courses-for-the-Unemployed.aspx 3. Part-Time Education Option (PTEO

)PTEO allows you to keep your Jobseeker’s Allowance or Benefit while you attend a part-time day, evening or distance education or training course.

• You must request approval from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Office before starting a course.

For further information, visit http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Part-Time-Education-Option.aspx

4. Adult Literacy Services

If you would like to improve your reading, writing, spelling or maths skills, the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) provides information on free courses nationwide.

You can learn in your local ETB or over the phone or online with NALA.

Freephone 1800 20 20 65 for more information, or use the link here.

For further information, visit www.nala.ie

4. Income supports for working people

Introduction

This section tells you about four supports Intreo provides for working people.

1. Benefit of Work Estimator

The ‘Benefit of Work Estimator’ is a new online service that is quick to use and tells you how your income may change if you are on a social welfare payment.

You can’t be identified by using this service.

The Estimator includes the following payments:

• Disability Allowance,

• Blind Pension,

• Partial Capacity Benefit (you must change to this payment from Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension before work ),

• Jobseeker Payment, and

• One Parent Family.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Ready-Reckoner.aspx

To use the Benefit of Work Estimator, visit www.mywelfare.ie

2. Working Family Payment (WFP)

Working Family Payment (previously known as Family Income Supplement) is a weekly tax-free payment.

It is available to employees with at least one dependent child.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Part-Time-Job-Incentive.aspx

To qualify for Working Family Payment:

• your average weekly family income must be below a certain amount for your family size, and

• you must be working at least 19 hours a week or 38 hours every 2 weeks

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/WFP

3. Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD)

This scheme provides financial support to people with children receiving a jobseeker’s payment or One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) and who end their claim to take up employment or self- employment. If you meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme, you will be entitled to a weekly payment for up to two years after ending (closing) your social welfare claim.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/BTWFD

4. Part-time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJI)

This scheme allows long-term jobseekers who take up part- time work - less than 24 hours a week- and get a special weekly allowance instead of their jobseeker’s payment.

You can stay on the scheme for one year, then it may be extended. You must continue to look for full-time work. It is intended to be a stepping stone to get full-time work.

For further information, visit www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Part-Time-Job-Incentive.aspx