Claiming a social welfare payment

The Department of Social Protection (DSP) has a range of social welfare payments that provide financial support. To get a social welfare payment, you must apply for it. So, if you think you are entitled to a payment you should always apply.

Your first step before applying, is to find out which payment you may be entitled to.

There are many payments. For example, there are payments for:

• People who are unemployed
• Families and children
• Widows, widowers and surviving civil partners
• Older and retired people
• People with a disability
• Carers

If you get a social welfare payment you may also qualify for extra social welfare benefits.

Household Budget Scheme

If you get certain social welfare payments, you can put a regular amount towards your household bills using the Household Budget Scheme. For example, telephone, gas, electricity, and local authority rent.

To apply for a social welfare payment, you must fill in an application form and usually you will have to provide other supporting documentation.

You can also apply online for many social welfare payments using the MyWelfare website. If needed, you can also upload your supporting documents using MyWelfare. To do this you will need a verified MyGovID account.

The information and documents you must submit with your application depend on the payment and your personal circumstances.

If you apply for, or are currently getting a social welfare payment (including Child Benefit) you may be asked to register for a Public Services Card. A Public Services Card helps you to prove your identity when you access public services such as getting social welfare payments.

Adult and child dependents

If you qualify for a payment, you may be able to get an increase in your payment for an adult dependant or a child dependant. An increase for a child dependant is called a Child Support Payment. If it is possible to claim for dependants, the DSP will ask for information about your dependants on the application form.

How long to process claims

It may take some time for the DSP to process your claim. You may be interviewed in your home or asked to attend an interview at your local social welfare office.

While your claim is being processed, you may get Supplementary Welfare Allowance if your income is low enough.

Late claims

It is important that you make your claim as soon as you know you are entitled to the payment. All payments must be claimed within a specific period of time. If you don't claim on time you may lose out. Find out more about making a late claim.

Further information or documents

If you are asked to provide additional information to support your claim, you must provide the statements, information or documents within 21 days. The same time period applies to your spouse, civil partner, cohabitant, employer and certain other people (for example, landlords).

If you are refused a social welfare payment or get a lesser amount than you expected, you have 21 days to appeal the decision of the Department of Social Protection.

Read more about 'How social welfare decisions are made' below.

You can apply for most payments online on MyWelfare.ie. You can also get an application form from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office or your local Citizens Information Centre. You can also find all application forms on gov.ie.

Your Intreo Centre, Social Welfare Branch Office or your local Citizens Information Centre can help you fill in your application form.

Birth certificates for social welfare

You no longer need to have a copy of your birth certificate to make an application for a social welfare payment if you were born in Ireland and your birth is in the Register of Births. The DSP can access this information directly.

You can get more information about getting a Birth, Marriage or Death certificate.

To apply for a social welfare payment you should either:

• Apply online at MyWelfare.ie (only certain payments)
• Send a paper application form to the address printed on the form

You can get an application form from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office or your local Citizens Information Centre. You can also find all application forms on gov.ie. You can also call 0818 405 060.

Deciding Officers in the DSP accept or reject claims made in Ireland for social welfare payments. Deciding Officers are given the power to make these decisions through the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as amended and other social welfare legislation.

Before making a claim or applying for a social welfare payment you must complete the application form. The application form will ask for various details, such as your name, address, PPS number, income etc. These details will help the DSP to process your application and if your claim is successful, to arrange your payment.

As part of the application process, you must also provide supporting documentation to prove that the information you have given on the application form is correct. For example, a payslip to show your income from employment.

To qualify for a social welfare payment, you must meet all the qualifying criteria for that payment. Different social welfare payments have different qualifying criteria. It is your responsibility to prove that you qualify for the payment you have applied for.

If you are applying for a payment due to an illness or disability your doctor must fill in part of the application from. If you are in work, your employer may have to fill in a part of the form.

What happens when I send my application?

When you send your application form to the DSP, it will be assessed to make sure that it is correctly completed and that you have sent all the required documents.

At this point, the DSP may request more information from you or ask you to attend a medical examination to find out if you qualify for the payment you applied for. For example, if you apply for Disability Allowance you may be asked to attend for a medical examination. If this is the case, the doctor's report stating whether you meet the medical criteria is sent to the person at the DSP who is responsible for making a decision on your claim.

What does a Deciding Officer do?

When the DSP has all the information it needs, a Deciding Officer will examine your claim and will either accept or reject your claim for the social welfare payment you applied for. The Deciding Officer must apply the law as set out in Social Welfare Acts, Statutory Instruments, and relevant DSP guidelines, circulars and other regulations when making a decision on your claim. If your claim is approved, the Deciding Officer will work out the rate of your payment.

A Deciding Officer must record their decision on your claim in writing. Generally, if your application for a payment has been successful you will get a letter to tell you this. If your application is rejected, the Deciding Officer must give you a letter in writing telling you your claim has been rejected and the reasons for this decision.

If you have been awarded less than the maximum rate of payment, you must get a letter telling you the reasons for this.

It is useful to know the reason or reasons why a Deciding Officer rejected your claim or awarded you less than the maximum rate of payment, especially if you want to appeal their decision.