If you are in insurable employment, you pay a PRSI contribution each week. PRSI contributions are not made when you:
- are absent from work due to an illness, or
- are unemployed.
However, you may qualify for credited contributions. These credits are like the PRSI contributions you pay while you are working. Credits are usually awarded at the same class as your last paid PRSI contribution.
Credits are important because they can help you qualify for social welfare payments. Credits awarded during periods of unemployment or illness for example, ensure that your social insurance record remains unbroken.
You may get credits for periods on:
- Jobseeker's Benefit,
- Illness Benefit,
- Maternity Benefit (as an employee only),
- Adoptive Benefit (as an employee only),
- Health & Safety Benefit,
- Invalidity Pension,
- State Pension (Transition),
- Carer's Benefit,
- Prescribed Relative Allowance,
- Jobseeker's Allowance,
- One-Parent Family Payment,
- Disability Allowance,
- Injury Benefit,
- Carer's Allowance.
You may qualify for credits if you take part in a:
- Back to Education Allowance (Second and Third level option)
- Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
- FÁS training course,
- Fáilte Ireland (formerly known as CERT) training course,
- Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) training course, or
- Teagasc training course.
Note
If you are not getting a social welfare payment, you may still qualify for credits.