You may take up work and still keep some or all of your One-Parent Family Payment. However, we take earnings from employment into account when we assess your means. See the example in Section 8 for more information.
You may qualify for employment or education schemes as long as you meet certain conditions.
Work and Training Schemes
As a lone parent, you may take part in certain work and training schemes and still keep part or all of your One-Parent Family Payment.
For more information, please see 'www.fas.ie' or 'www.pobal.ie'.
Back to Education Programme
As a lone parent, you may return to further education and get a weekly allowance equal to the maximum amount of One-Parent Family Payment.
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance - BTWEA
If you are getting One-Parent Family Payment for at least 12 months and you want to become self-employed, you may qualify for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance instead of One-Parent Family Payment. You may keep a certain portion of your payment for 4 years.
You do not pay tax or PRSI on the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance. However, your income from employment or selfemployment may be subject to tax and PRSI.
You may also keep any secondary benefits you already have, for example, Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, Rent or Mortgage Interest Supplement.
For more information, log on to 'www.welfare.ie'.
You will also keep your medical card for the length of the scheme. For more information, log on to 'www.hse.ie'.
Where an existing customer (i.e. awarded prior to 27 April 2011) stops claiming One-Parent Family Payment between April 2011 and 2016:
- to participate in the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme; or
- where their earnings exceed the qualifying earnings limit for the scheme
The customer can reapply for the One-Parent Family Payment during that period based on the age conditions set out in Section 3.
For example, if a person with a youngest child aged 13 years of age leaves the scheme in September 2011 to participate in the BTEA and makes another claim for One-Parent Family Payment in June 2012 (when the child is 14 years of age), the person will continue to receive payment as long as they meet the conditions set out for existing customers.