THE One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a payment for men and women under 66 who are bringing children up without the support of a partner. To get OFP your children must be under a certain age.
What are the qualifying conditions for One Parent Family Payment?
To qualify for the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) you must:
- Be aged under 66
- Be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a child under a certain age
- Be the main carer of at least one child under the age limit. The child must live with you. OFP is not paid if the parents have joint equal custody of a child or children.
- Pass a means test – a means test looks at any income that you have
- Live and be resident in Ireland
- Not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting
If you are separated, divorced or your civil partnership is dissolved you must have been living apart from your spouse or civil partner for at least three months.
What are the age limit for a qualifying child?
To get the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) you must have at least one child under seven years of age. However, there are some exceptions. You may get OFP for a child aged seven or over, if you are getting Domiciliary Care Allowance, half-rate Carer’s Allowance or Blind Pension, or after the death of a spouse, partner, or civil partner.
If you are getting Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) for a child, you can get OFP until the child reaches 16 or the DCA stops. You must meet the other qualifying conditions for OFP. You will also get an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) for any other children in the family until they reach 18 (or 22 if in full-time education) while DCA and OFP are paid.
If you are getting OFP and providing full-time care and attention to one of your children or for an adult (such as a sibling or a parent), you can keep your OFP and also claim half-rate Carer’s Allowance, until your youngest child’s turns 16. You must meet the conditions for both schemes.
If you applied for the One-Parent Family Payment because you are parenting alone following the death of your spouse, partner or civil partner, you may get OFP for two years from the date of death. You cannot be paid OFP after your youngest child reaches 18 even if it is less than two years after the date of death.
What happens when my child is over the age limit?
Your OFP will stop when your youngest child reaches the age limit. The Department of Social Protection (DSP) will inform you of the end date for your payment. You may get the Jobseeker’s Transitional payment. This is a payment for people parenting alone whose children are aged between seven and 13.
How is income assessed for the One Parent Family Payment?
One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a means-tested payment. In the means test, the Department of Social Protection (DSP) examines all your sources of income. To get OFP, your income must be below a certain amount. The main items included in the means test are any cash income such as income from work, the value of savings, investments, shares or property you have (excluding your own home). The first €20,000 of your capital is excluded. The DSP also looks at maintenance paid to you.
Since June 2024, child maintenance payments are not included in the means test for One-Parent Family Payment. Some other maintenance may not be included in the means test. You can check this with your local Citizens Information Centre.
The first €165 of your gross weekly earnings (wages and profit from self-employment) is not taken into account in the means test. Half the remainder of your gross earnings per week is assessed as means and you may get a reduced rate of OFP. Social insurance contributions, superannuation/PRSA contributions and trade union subscriptions are not taken into account when calculating your gross earnings.
You should contact your local Citizens Information Centre for guidance on how the means test would apply to your personal circumstances. They will work out with you the amount of OPF you would be likely to receive.
What would happen my One Parent Family Payment if I returned to education?
You can keep your One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) if you are in education. You may have the option to transfer to the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) or to stay on your current payment and apply for a student grant. You need to find out which option is of greatest benefit to you. You cannot get BTEA and a student grant together. Your local Citizens Information Centre can assist you with exploring which option would be best for you.
Are there any extra benefits available to people on One Parent Family Payment?
If you get the One-Parent Family Payment you can use the Household Budget Scheme to help you manage your bills. You may also get other benefits such as Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, Back to School Clothing & Footwear Allowance, medical card and help with your rent depending on your personal circumstances. Working Family Payment (WFP) is not included when your income is assessed for OFP.
How and when to apply for One Parent Family Payment (OPF)?
To apply, you should complete the One Parent Family Payment application form and return it to your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare office. You can get a from your local Citizens Information Centre or DSP office.
If you are widowed or a surviving civil partner, you should apply within three months of your spouse’s or civil partner’s death. If you are single, you should apply within three months of the birth of your child.
If you are separated, divorced or no longer in a civil partnership, you must have been living apart for 3 months before applying for the One-Parent Family Payment.
If you are a prisoner’s spouse or civil partner, you should apply when your spouse or civil partner has been in custody for at least six months without being sentenced or starts their sentence (they must have been sentenced to at least six months).
For further information call a member of the local Citizens Information Service in West Cork on 0818 07 8390. They will be happy to assist you and if necessary arrange an appointment for you. The offices are staffed from 10am-5pm from Monday to Thursday and on Friday from 10am-4pm. Alternatively you can email [email protected] or log on to www.citizensinformation.ie
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