Changes to the One-Parent Family Payment

The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2010, which was enacted on 21 July 2010, provided for significant reforms to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP). These changes will come into effect from 27 April 2011.

For all new customers, from 27 April 2011 the OFP will be paid until the youngest child in the family reaches the age of 14 years.

• If you are in receipt of a Domiciliary Care Allowance for a child, the OFP will continue until the child reaches the age of 16 years and can claim Disability Allowance in their own right.

• There will be a special provision for those who are recently bereaved (for married, in a civil partnership and co-habiting persons), with no children under the age of 14 years (or within 2 years of reaching their 14th birthday). They will be able to claim the OFP for a period of up to 2 years, from the date of death of their spouse, partner or cohabitant until their youngest child reaches the age of 18 years, to enable them to come to terms with their changed circumstances.

• Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be paid in the year that the OFP claim ends because your youngest child reaches the age of 14 years. This is subject to you meeting the other qualifying conditions for receipt of that payment – e.g. the means test.

• Where there is an entitlement to the OFP based on the age of the youngest child in your family, an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) in respect of other children in the family who are aged 14 years and over will continue, as in other schemes, until the child reaches the age of 18 years – or 22 years if in full-time education.

• When the OFP payment stops, if you are still in need of income support you may be eligible for another social welfare payment, such as a Jobseeker's payment or Family Income Supplement, if you are in employment of more than 19 hours per week and below the relevant income threshold.

For existing customers, there will be no change to your OFP entitlement for the years 2011 and 2012, provided that you continue to satisfy the conditions of payment. The age limit for receipt of payment will then reduce on an annual basis, to age 14 in 2016, as follows:

• From January 2013, payment will stop when your youngest child reaches 17 years of age. If the child is in full-time education, and aged between 17 and 22 years, payment will continue until the end of the 2012-2013 academic year.
• From January 2014, payment will stop when your youngest child reaches 16 years of age.
• From January 2015, payment will stop when your youngest child reaches 15 years of age.
• From January 2016 and beyond, payment will stop when the youngest child reaches 14 years of age.
• As an existing customer if you stop claiming OFP before January 2016:
  • to participate in the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme; OR
  • because your earnings exceed the qualifying earnings limit for the scheme, you can reapply for OFP during that period based on the age conditions set out above. For example, if your youngest child is age 13 years and you leave OFP in September 2011 to participate in the BTEA, and if you make another claim for OFP in June 2013 (when your child is 15 years of age), you will continue to receive payment as long as you meet the age conditions set out above and any other qualifying conditions for receipt of OFP.
• Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be paid in the year that the OFP claim ends either because your youngest child reaches the age of 14 years, or goes over the specified age during the 6 year transition period. This is subject to you meeting the other qualifying conditions for receipt of that payment – e.g. the means test.

• When your OFP payment stops, if you are still in need of income support you may be eligible for another social welfare payment, such as a Jobseeker's payment or Family Income Supplement, if you are in employment of more than 19 hours per week and below the relevant income threshold.

• The Department of Social Protection operates a range of employment support services that are designed to encourage and to support social welfare recipients of working age, including lone parents, to return to work. These services are provided through the Department's network of locally-based Facilitators. These can be contacted through the Department's local offices. Facilitators can work with you to help you to identify appropriate training or development programmes that will enhance your skills. They work in close co-operation with other agencies and service providers including FÁS, the vocational education committees (VECs), other education and training providers and the local community and voluntary sector.

• The Department also operates the Back-to-Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme. It is a second-chance education opportunities scheme that enables eligible people on social welfare to continue to receive their payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held.

• FÁS - Currently, all lone parents who present themselves to FÁS Employment Services are provided with a one-to-one guidance interview with an Employment Services Officer. As part of this process, lone parents are advised on suitable labour market opportunities such as current work vacancies and suitable training/employment programme places and may be referred to other FÁS supports.

For further information on OFP and these changes, visit 'www.welfare.ie', LoCall our Information Line 1890 66 22 44 (9am to 5pm),or Locall Citizens Information Phone Service 1890 777 121 (9am to 9pm) or drop in to your Social Welfare Local Office or Citizens Information Centre or email info@welfare.ie.

Useful Contacts:

One-Family – Lo-call: 1890 622212, support@onefamily.ie.

OPEN - phone: 01-8148860, Facebook: WEAREOPEN

Treoir – Lo-call: 1890 252084