Introduction
The aim of the RSS is to provide income support for farmers and
fishermen/women who are getting certain social welfare payments. In return,
those participating in the RSS provide certain services that benefit rural
communities.
The Department of Social Protection has overall responsibility for policy in
relation to the Rural Social Scheme, including eligibility criteria. The
Department monitors the implementation of the RSS and supports the various
bodies that manage the RSS locally. The Department may also inspect any Scheme
and visit projects. At a local level, the Scheme is managed by implementing
bodies such as Local Development Companies and in the Gaeltacht areas, by
Údarás na Gaeltachta.
What type of work is carried out by those participating in the Scheme?
The type of work carried out by RSS participants includes:
- Maintaining and enhancing various walking routes (that is, waymarked
ways, agreed walks) and bog roads
- Energy conservation work for older people and those at risk of poverty
- Village and countryside enhancement projects
- Social care and care of older people, community care for both pre-school
and after-school groups
- Environmental maintenance work - maintenance and care-taking of community
and sporting facilities
- Projects relating to not-for-profit cultural and heritage centres
- Community administration or clerical work
- Any other appropriate community based project identified during the
course of the scheme
How many hours' work is involved and how long does the Scheme last?
Participants work 19.5 hours per week. These hours are based on a
farmer/fisher-friendly schedule. This is to ensure participation on the scheme
does not affect a your farming/fishing activities. If you get a place on the
Scheme, you will be offered a contract for an initial period that will be from
your start date up to the following 31st March. You may be considered for a
further term following the initial contract, if you continue to meet all the
criteria for the Scheme.
Whether or not your application is successful is at the discretion of the
local management. While it is not intended that anyone would remain on the
scheme permanently, there is no definite time limit for participation.
If you are eligible for the Scheme but don’t wish to participate, your
dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may take the available place.
However, this is only if neither of you are participating in any other similar
scheme, (for example, the Community Employment Scheme.) The Rural Social Scheme
operates independently of the FÁS Community
Employment Scheme (CE).
Rules
The Rural Social Scheme is aimed at low-income farmers and fishermen/women
unable to earn an adequate living to earn a supplementary income.
To participate in the scheme you must be getting:
Or
If you are actively farming or fishing and meet the criteria set out below,
you may qualify to particpate in the scheme if you are also getting one of the
following social welfare payments:
Actively farming/fishing criteria
Criteria for a farmer
You must provide proof that you are actively farming. To do this, you
must provide a copy of your application for the EU Single Payment Scheme for
the current year, including a valid herd number and a copy of the associated
receipt (official proof of postage). If you are actively farming and have not
applied for the EU Single Payment Scheme, you should contact your local
implementing body for advice.
Criteria for a child/sibling of a farmer
If you are a child/sibling of a herd number owner and you can certify
that you are resident and/or working on the farm and you are getting one of the
qualifying social welfare payments, you may be eligible to participate in the
RSS on the basis of your parent’s/sibling’s herd number.
Criteria for a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of a farmer
If you are eligible but do not wish to participate in the RSS, your
dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can take the available place.
Alternatively, if your spouse/civil partner or cohabitant is getting one of
the qualifying social welfare payments and is actively farming, they can use
your herd number for the purposes of qualifying for the scheme.
Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can participate in the RSS, if
he/she is under 66 and you are getting a State Pension (Non-Contributory) which
includes an Increase for Qualified Adult for him/her.
Criteria for a fisherman/woman
To be considered eligible to participate on the RSS a fisherman/woman must
meet one of the following categories:
-
Self employed fisherman/woman on a fishing boat, which has been entered in
the Register of Fishing Boats
-
Self employed fisherman/woman whose boat has been issued with a pot fishing
licence. The Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources
introduced this for small fishing boats such as currachs who traditionally
have fished for lobsters and were mainly unlicensed.
-
Self employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a commercial salmon
fishing licence from Inland Fisheries Ireland
-
Self employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a commercial eel
fishing licence from Inland Fisheries Ireland
-
Self employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a dredging licence
for shellfish from Inland Fisheries Ireland
-
Holders of an aquaculture licence issued by the Department of
Communication, Energy and Natural Resources
-
Permit holders for shell fishing issued by a registered cooperative
Criteria for a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of a
fisherman/woman
Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can participate in the RSS,
if he/she is under 66 and you are getting a State Pension (Non-Contributory)
which includes an Increase for Qualified Adult for him/her.
Rates
In 2011 the maximum Rural Social Scheme (RSS) weekly payment is as
follows:
| Participant Category |
Total Weekly Payment |
| Participant without Adult Dependant |
€208 |
| Participant with Adult Dependant |
€332.80 maximum* |
| Each Child Dependant (full rate) |
€29.80 |
| Each Child Dependant (half rate) |
€14.90 |
*The amount of the increase for the adult dependant is assessed by the
Department of Social Protection. This means that the rate for a participant
with an adult dependant may be reduced if the adult dependant has income, for
example, from part-time employment.
Any earnings outside your primary income of farming or fishing must remain
within the income threshold that applies to your social welfare payment. If
your earnings bring you over the income limit which determines your entitlement
to a qualifying social welfare payment you will lose you place on the RSS.
If your current social welfare payment includes a reduced rate for an adult
dependant, then you will be paid that equivalent on RSS. You are not entitled
an RSS payment for your adult dependant if he or she earns over €310 per
week.
Participants in receipt of Disability Allowance, One-Parent Family
Payment,Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension and Widow's,
Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension will
continue to get their payment from the Department of Social Protection, along
with a top-up payment from the RSS to bring their overall payment in line with
the rates listed above for their family circumstances. This is different to
CE.
Widow's/Widower's/Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory)
Pension
In 2011 the maximum rate of the Widow's, Widower's
Contributory or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension is €193.50
and the RSS top-up payment is €14.50.
Participants under 66 years of age getting an Increase for a Qualified
Adult (IQA) as part of your spouse's/civil partner's/cohabitant's State Pension
(Non-Contributory). In this case, you will get a top-up payment. The
amount of top-up you get is the difference between your rate of IQA and the RSS
payment. For example, if you are getting the maximum rate of IQA at €144.70
you will get an RSS payment of €63.30 in 2011.
PRSI contribution
If your RSS payment is €38 or more per week PRSI is paid at a Class A1
rate. If your RSS top-up is under €38 per week PRSI may be paid at a Class
J.
Tax
Your income is liable for tax although it is likely you will pay little or
no tax. Find out more
about tax.
Other social welfare and Health Service Executive
payments
RSS allows low-income farmers and fishermen/women who are unable to earn an
adequate living from their farm holding or from fishing earn a supplementary
income. If you are getting other social welfare or Health Service Executive
(HSE) payments you should check with your Social Welfare
Local Office or Local Health
Office, to find out if it will be affected.