Introduction
Deserted Wife's Benefit and Deserted Wife’s Allowance are two social
welfare payments made to women who were deserted by their husbands. Both of
these payments were closed to new applications in January 1997, when the One-Parent Family
Payment was introduced. Some women have continued to get Deserted Wife’s
Benefit or Deserted Wife’s Allowance because they qualified for the payment
before 2 January 1997 and have continued to meet the qualifying criteria.
Rules
Deserted Wife's Benefit is a payment made to a woman
deserted by her husband. Entitlement to the payment is based on social
insurance contributions paid by the woman or her husband.
If you had to transfer from Deserted Wife’s Benefit to One-Parent Family
Payment in order to be accepted as a participant on a Community Employment
Scheme, you can apply to have your entitlement to Deserted Wife's Benefit
restored. The maximum weekly rate of payment for Deserted Wife’s Benefit is
higher than the maximum weekly rate of One-Parent Family Payment. If you
qualify to have your entitlement to Deserted Wife’s Benefit restored you may
also be due arrears.
If you (not your husband) have paid enough PRSI contributions you can
transfer to State
Pension (Transition) when you reach 65 years of age. State Pension
(Transition) is paid at a higher rate than Deserted Wife's Benefit. Women
getting Deserted Wife’s Benefit can also transfer to the State
Pension (Contributory) when they reach 66 years of age.
If you are currently getting a reduced rate of DWB, but have been working,
then you may qualify for a higher rate of State Pension (Contributory), based
on your own PRSI contributions, when you reach 66.
Deserted Wife’s Allowance is a means-tested payment for
women under 66 years of age, who have no dependent children and who were
deserted by their husband and who do not qualify for Deserted Wife’s Benefit.
Women getting Deserted Wife’s Allowance automatically transfer to State
Pension (Non-Contributory) when they reach 66 years of age.
Rates
In 2012, Deserted Wife's Benefit payment is:
| PRSI Contributions |
Rate per week |
Rate per week (aged 66 or over) |
| 48 or over |
€193.50 |
€230.30 |
| 36-47 |
€190.70 |
€225.80 |
| 24-35 |
€188 |
€220.40 |
You may also get an increase
in your payment for child dependents.
Reduced rates of Deserted Wife's Benefit:
Since May 2007, you will get the maximum rate of Deserted
Wife's Benefit based on your PRSI contributions if your yearly income is not
more than €20,000. If your annual income is more than €20,000 you will get
half-rate Deserted Wife's Benefit for six months.
You may also get a reduced rate of Benefit because you have insufficient
PRSI contributions to qualify for the maximum rate. It is also possible for the
payment to be reduced by both your earnings and insufficent PRSI contributions
at the same time.
It is important to note, a reduced rate of Deserted
Wife's Benefit based on earnings or
insufficient PRSI contributions does not
apply to claims made before 31 August 1992.
In 2012, Deserted Wife's Allowance payment is:
| Maximum personal rate per week |
€188 |
How to apply
It is no longer possible to apply for Deserted Wife's Benefit or Deserted
Wife's Allowance - these payments have been closed to new applicants since
January 1997.
Further information
For more information about deserted wife's payments contact:
Department of Social Protection
Deserted Wife's Payments Section
College Road
Sligo
Ireland
Tel:(071) 915 7100
Locall:1890 500 000
Homepage: http://www.welfare.ie