Latest news with #Jobseeker'sAllowance
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Number of people on Live Register increases to 169,600
169,600 people were on the Live Register in July, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Central Statistics Office. This was a rise of 0.7%, or 1,100 people, compared to the previous month. The unadjusted total stood at 185,627 people, of which 52% were male and 73% were Irish. The 25-34 years age group made up the largest number of those on the Live Register at 44,446 people or just under 24% of the total. Meanwhile, 12.3% of all claimants, or 22,743 people, were under the age of 25. Dublin recorded the largest percentage increase in the number of people on the Live Register in the 12 months to July, up 5.6%. Kildare saw the second highest increase, up 2.8%. The largest decreases were in Kerry, down 13.7% and Clare, down 9.5%. The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment as it includes part-time workers as well as seasonal and casual workers who are entitled to Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance. Figures published yesterday from the CSO showed that the unemployment rate increased slightly in July when compared to the previous month.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
DWP to pay some disabled people extra £909 a month - see if you qualify
The DWP may pay extra money on top of the benefits you already get if you're disabled - and the amount could be substantial. Certain disabled people claiming specific benefits could be in line for an additional £904 per month. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may decide to offer extra payments on top of your existing claim if you're deemed to have a disability. These additional payments, known as disability premiums, are typically added automatically, so there's no need to apply. For adult claimants, there are three different types of disability premiums depending on the severity of your disability. Moreover, it's possible to receive more than one premium simultaneously, which could significantly boost your payments. Full list of eligible benefits Disability premiums are only added to a number of eligible benefits. This includes: Income Support income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) housing benefit Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Adult Disability Payment (ADP) Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) Working Tax Credit with a disability element Attendance Allowance Constant Attendance Allowance War Pensioners Mobility Supplement Severe Disablement Allowance Incapacity Benefit Certain premiums are only available if you receive the disability premium as well as some other qualifying benefits, which are further explained below. In addition to the previous benefits, the claimant or their partner must be under pension credit age and either registered blind or receiving one of the above benefits. Different types of disability premiums Currently, there are three levels of disability premiums, each with different amounts that are paid at a weekly rate. Disability premium The standard disability premium provides either £43.20 a week for one person or £61.65 a week for a couple. Severe disability premium The severe disability premium provides £89.20 a week for a single person or £165.80 a week for a couple where both people are eligible. If a couple isn't eligible for the full amount, they may still be able to receive a lower rate of £81.50 a week. This means a couple who is eligible for the full rate of the disability and severe disability premium could receive £227.45 a week, or just over £909 In order to receive this premium, you must get the disability premium or income-related ESA and one of the following benefits: DLA care component at the middle or highest rate AFIP PIP daily living component Attendance Allowance (or Constant Attendance Allowance paid with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or War Pension) Adult Disability Payment - daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate Enhanced disability premium The enhanced disability premium can provide £21.20 a week for a single person or £30.25 a week for a couple as long as one person is eligible. Keep in mind that if you receive income-related ESA, you will only be able to receive the severe or enhanced premium. Full details on all the circumstances which would make you eligible for a disability premium can be found here.
Agriland
4 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Govt urged to 'save the industry' and put more support in place for farmers
Government is being urged to "save" the agricultural industry and put more financial support in place with "less red tape, rigmarole and bureaucracy". Aontú senator Sarah O'Reilly, who sits on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries, said she believes recent jobseeker payment figures published could be "an underestimate of the numbers leaving" the agriculture sector. She said that for many, farming "was not just a source of income, but a way of life - an occupation handed down from grandparent to parent to child over the years". "Government policies have been incredibly anti-farmer and anti-rural over the last few years, with threats to cull the herd, the Mercosur trade deal and carbon taxes creating huge worry on farms across the country," O'Reilly said. O'Reilly said that often, the money offered to farmers if they sign up to certain schemes "is not worth it". "The delayed ACRES payments, the codology that is 'rewetting' the bogs, all pose a huge threat to the farmer and to his or her ability to make any profit," she said. "All our young people are gone to Australia or Canada, and farms are being abandoned, planted or sold." She said Irish produce is "second to none" on many fronts. "We need to save the industry. There needs to be more financial support put in place - less red tape, rigmarole and bureaucracy," O'Reilly said. "The government needs to stop treating farmers like second-class citizens; they need to recognise that farmers are some of the most decent and astute businessmen and women in the country. "But, government policies particularly around the environment, TB, taxation and issues like that are driving them into debt." Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary recently the number of people who applied for Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit who listed their previous employment as farming in each of the past 10 years. The minister in response published figures on the number of claims made by individuals where the employment immediately prior to the claim commencement was in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. These figures show the number of recipients at the end of each month in the specific year who had an employment in the sector immediately before the jobseeker's claim started, a Department of Social Protection spokesperson explained. In June 2025, the relevant figure was 268, compared with 451 in the same month last year. "It is possible that that recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit are still engaged in farming on a part-time basis," the department spokesperson told Agriland. "Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance are payable where a person is working for up to 3 days every week and where they satisfy the other conditions of the scheme. "In the case of Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit, a person can be engaged in subsidiary employment which is work that could ordinarily have been followed by the person in addition to their usual employment." To qualify as subsidiary, the total remuneration or profit from the employment should not exceed €7,500 on an annual basis, or, €144 on a weekly basis, the department said. "Alternatively, if a person has at least 117 employment contributions paid from employment at class A or H, in respect of the period of three years immediately preceding that day, or in respect of the last three complete contribution years immediately preceding that day, then no earnings limit is applicable," the spokesperson added. The Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit, introduced in March 2025 and based on earnings from work before a person became unemployed, was not included in the June 2025 figure of 268, and this would increase the number to 375, the department said.
Western Telegraph
7 days ago
- Business
- Western Telegraph
DWP benefits and pensions changes August bank holiday 2025
August 25, 2025, is a bank holiday where payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) won't be made. If you are due to receive a DWP benefit payment on either day, you may find you receive it early. If your payment is due on a different day, it will arrive in your account as normal and the amount you are due to be paid will remain the same. When a payment date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, then the Department for Work and Pensions says the claimant is generally paid on the working day before, but this can vary. Most payments due on Monday, August 25, 2025, will instead be made early, with most arriving on Friday, August 22. These are the benefits that may be affected by the bank holiday weekend: Attendance Allowance Carer's Allowance Child Benefit Disability Living Allowance Employment and Support Allowance Income Support Jobseeker's Allowance Pension Credit Personal Independence Payment (PIP) State pension Tax Credits Universal Credit While you may be paid earlier in some cases, the money will also have to last you longer, as payment dates will return to normal afterwards. Recommended reading: The DWP confirmed the early payment policy on its official website, stating: 'If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday, you'll usually be paid on the working day before.' While the amount being paid out will stay the same, experts are warning that the earlier date could throw off people's budgeting, especially as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. The two remaining bank holidays for 2025 fall on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Daily Mirror
30-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Complete list of benefits eligible for £150 winter support
The Warm Home Discount scheme is set to expand this year, with around six million households benefitting from a £150 discount towards their energy bills This year, millions of households could be in line for a £150 discount on their energy bills, including those on a low income. The government had previously confirmed that it would expand the Warm Home Discount scheme after tight restrictions were implemented last year. It is now estimated that around six million households will benefit from the discount, with an additional 2.7 million included from the expansion this year. Despite the expansion, many people will need to meet certain criteria to be eligible for the discount. Fortunately, many people on low income who are also claiming benefits could receive the discount on their bills. Who is eligible for the discount? In the past, the criteria for the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales were confined to those receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, individuals facing high energy costs, or recipients of certain means-tested benefits. This made the eligibility criteria restrictive for many customers who did not claim any qualifying benefits but were still struggling to pay for their energy. However, the Government has since confirmed that it will remove the threshold, if a means-tested benefit recipient is named on the energy bill. While the discount is given automatically to Pension Credit claimants, those who qualify by other means may need to apply for the discount through their energy supplier. This is possible provided the energy supplier participates in the scheme and either the claimant or their partner is in receipt of certain means-tested benefits or tax credits. Full list of benefits eligible for Warm Home Discount According to official guidance, the following means tested benefits could make you eligible for the Warm Home Discount: income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) Income Support Universal Credit Housing Benefit income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) the 'Savings Credit' part of Pension Credit Child Tax Credit Working Tax Credit Keep in mind that the discount will be applied to your bill and is not a cash payment. All the energy suppliers taking part in the scheme According to the government website, the following 27 suppliers are signed up to the Warm Home Discount scheme: Scottish Gas – see British Gas 100Green (formerly Green Energy UK or GEUK) Bulb Energy – see Octopus Energy Outfox the Market E – also known as E (Gas and Electricity) Octopus Energy Good Energy Affect Energy – see Octopus Energy Tomato Energy Utility Warehouse OVO Next ScottishPower EDF Utilita London Power British Gas TruEnergy Ecotricity Fuse Energy Sainsbury's Energy Rebel Energy Boost So Energy Co-op Energy – see Octopus Energy Shell Energy Retail Home Energy
