Changes to the One-Parent Family Payment in 2011- Frequently Asked Questions

What is the One-Parent Family Payment?
When do the changes to the OFP scheme come into effect?
What changes are being made to the scheme?
I am already getting OFP, what will the change mean for me ?
I am already getting OFP. My youngest child is 15 on 3 May 2011. What will happen to my OFP ?
I am currently in receipt of OFP, my youngest child is age 14 now. What happens if I go off the payment to go onto the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme, can I get back on the scheme ?
I am currently in receipt of OFP, my youngest child is age 14 now. What happens if I go off the payment because my earnings go over the qualifying limit – can I get back on the scheme ?
Will the payment rates be affected by the changes to the scheme?
Will customers be notified of the changes to the scheme?
My youngest child is 17 and in secondary school at the moment. He intends to go into third-level education in September, 2011. How will the changes to the scheme affect my payment?
I have a child with a disability whom I care for at home. How will the changes to the scheme affect my payment?
If my partner leaves me and I have no children under the age of 14, what income supports will I be entitled to?
If my partner dies and I have two children aged 15 and 17, what income supports will I be entitled to?
Am I entitled to any other income supports once my child reaches the age of 14?
What educational, training and back-to-employment opportunities are available to me as a lone parent?
Who can I contact about the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment scheme?

Q1. What is the One-Parent Family Payment?

A. The One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a means-tested payment for men and women who are bringing up a child – or children – without the support of a partner. A claimant must be separated, divorced, have a dissolved civil partnership, widowed, a surviving civil partner, unmarried or be a prisoner's spouse, civil partner or cohabitant. The person must also have main care and charge of at least one child who is residing with them, not be co-habiting with someone and have made efforts to seek maintenance from the other parent of the child.

Q2. When do the changes to the OFP scheme come into effect?

A. The changes to the OFP scheme will be introduced from 27 April, 2011.

Q3. What changes are being made to the scheme?

A. For new customers from 27 April 2011, OFP will only be paid to those who have a child under age 14 years. There will, however be special provisions for those whose partner has recently died and also for those who have a child aged between 14 and 16 years for whom they are in receipt of a Domiciliary Care Allowance.

Q4. I am already getting OFP, what will the change mean for me ?

A. As an existing customer, there will be no change to your OFP entitlement for the years 2011 and 2012, provided that you continue to satisfy the other conditions of payment.

It is important for you to know that:

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 your youngest child reaches 14 years of age.

Q5. I am already getting OFP. My youngest child is 15 on 3 May 2011. What will happen to my OFP ?

A. You will continue to get OFP in 2011 and 2012. You will stop getting OFP on 3 May 2013 as your youngest child will be 17 years old and 17 is the cut-off age for receipt of OFP in 2013.

You will be written to before this date advising you that your OFP is due to end on that date, advising you of other income supports available and who to contact to get more information.

You may be entitled to claim a Jobseekers payment or if you are in employment of over 19 hours per week and earning below the relevant income threshold, you may be entitled to claim Family Income Supplement.

Q6. I am currently in receipt of OFP, my youngest child is age 14 now. What happens if I go off the payment to go onto the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme, can I get back on the scheme ?

If you go off OFP to go onto BTEA you can reapply for OFP during the 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 i.e. until they reach age 16 in 2014.

Q7. I am currently in receipt of OFP, my youngest child is age 14 now. What happens if I go off the payment because my earnings go over the qualifying limit – can I get back on the scheme ?

If you go off OFP because your earnings exceed the €425 per week earnings limit for the scheme, you can reapply for OFP during the 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 as your earnings go over €425 per week 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 i.e. until they reach age 16 in 2014.

Q8. Will the payment rates be affected by the changes to the scheme?

A. No. The personal rate will continue to be €188.00 per week – with a further €29.80 for each additional qualified child.

If you have an entitlement to OFP based on the age of the youngest child in your Family (and subject to meeting other conditions of the payment), payment of an increase for a qualified child (IQC) will continue for other children in the family until they reach 18 years or 22 years if they are in full-time education.

So, for example, if you are a new customer after 27 April 2011 and you have three children aged 12, 15 and 17, you can qualify for OFP based on the fact that you have a child under age 14 – you will then get your personal rate of payment (currently €188.00 per week) plus three IQCs (currently €29.80 each per week).

Q9. Will customers be notified of the changes to the scheme?

A. Yes, all existing customers will be written to in March 2011 telling them about the changes to the scheme. They will be written to again when their child is reaching the cut off age for receipt of OFP advising them of other payments they might be entitled to and telling them who to contact for further information.

For new customers after 27 April 2011, a reminder will be sent when their youngest child reaches the age of 11 to encourage them to take up educational, training and back-to-employment opportunities and providing them with details of who to contact for more information.

Q10. My youngest child is 17 and in secondary school at the moment. He intends to go into third-level education in September, 2011. How will the changes to the scheme affect my payment?

A. You will continue to receive the OFP until the end of the 2012-2013 academic year. This could be between May and October depending on what level of education / type of education course your child is in.

Q11. I have a child with a disability whom I care for at home. How will the changes to the scheme affect my payment?

A. If you are in receipt of the Domiciliary Care Allowance for your child, the OFP will continue to be paid to you until your child reaches the age of 16 – at which point he or she can claim Disability Allowance in their own right

Q12. If my partner leaves me and I have no children under the age of 14, what income supports will I be entitled to?

A. If your partner leaves you and you have no children under the age of 14, you may be eligible for another social welfare payment, for example, Jobseeker's Benefit (if you have previously been in employment) or Jobseekers Allowance, which is paid at the same rate as the OFP, or, if you are in low-paid employment of 19 hours or more per week and earning below the relevant income threshold, you can claim the Family Income Supplement (FIS). Please contact your Social Welfare Local Office at that time.

Q13. If my partner dies and I have two children aged 15 and 17, what income supports will I be entitled to?

A. If you are recently bereaved (having been married, cohabiting or in a civil partnership) and you have no children under the age of 14, you can claim the OFP for a period of up to 2 years from the date of death of your spouse / civil partner / co-habitant, or until your youngest child reaches the age of 18, in order to enable you to come to terms with your changed circumstances.

In your particular case you will get OFP for two years as your youngest child was aged 15 years when your partner died.

Q14. Am I entitled to any other income supports once my child reaches the age of 14?

A. Yes. When your youngest child reaches the age of 14, if you are still in need of income support, you may be eligible to claim Jobseekers Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance, or, if you are in low-paid employment of more than 19 hours per week and earning below the relevant income threshold you could claim Family Income Supplement (FIS)(see Note) . You can also claim the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance in the year that your child turns 14 (subject to you meeting the other qualifying conditions for the receipt of that payment).

Q15. What educational, training and back-to-employment opportunities are available to me as a lone parent?

A. 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, which you may be eligible for. 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.

Q16. Who can I contact about the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment scheme?

A. For further information on OFP and these changes, visit 'www.welfare.ie', LoCall our Information Line 1890 66 22 44 (9am to 5pm),or Citizens Information Phone Service 0761 07 4000 (9am to 9pm) or drop in to your Social Welfare Local Office or Citizens Information Centre or email info@welfare.ie.

Note – you can claim Family Income Supplement while you are receiving OFP. If your payment of OFP ends, the amount of FIS you are receiving may increase