Jobseeker’s Benefit for Temporary Lay-Offs including Education Sector Workers

You may get Jobseeker’s Benefit if you are temporarily laid-off and:

• you have a clear pattern of recurring temporary lay-offs

or

• you are an Education Sector Worker and your work follows the school or academic year

You must also meet the other rules of the Jobseeker’s Benefit scheme including being available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work. To find out more, visit the Jobseeker’s Benefit page.

If you do not have enough social insurance contributions for Jobseeker’s Benefit, you may get Jobseeker's Allowance instead. You must be available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work. Jobseeker's Allowance is means tested. To find out more, visit the Jobseeker's Allowance page.

An Education Sector Worker (ESW) is someone whose job is based around the school or academic year.

This includes:

• temporary or substitute teachers
• special needs assistants (SNA)
• school bus drivers
• school bus escorts
• early years educators
• school crossing staff (lollipop person)

You cannot get a jobseeker’s payment for any day you get holiday pay from your employer.

You must tell us the number of holiday days your employer is paying you for unless you are employed by the Department of Education and Youth.

If you work for the Department of Education and Youth, you do not need to give this information because your employer has already sent it to us.

Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet

We have created a Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet to help you or your employer work out the number of holiday days you are being paid for.

In some cases, you must include this help sheet with your application. These cases are explained in the sections below.

You should apply for your jobseeker’s payment on the first day you are unemployed.

You must make a new application for each break in your work. Do not apply for multiple breaks at once.

Apply online

If you have a verified MyGovID account you can apply online on MyWelfare.ie.

If you are an Education Sector Worker and are applying online, see the section below about the Group Reference Code.

If you cannot apply online

If you cannot apply online, you can get a paper form from your local Intreo Centre or Branch Office.

The type of form you need depends on your situation. The sections below explain which form to use and what documents you must include.

This section is for you if you work in the education sector, but your employer is not the Department of Education and Youth.

You must tell us the number of holiday days you are being paid for and you may need to complete the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet.

Applying online

If you apply for Jobseeker’s Benefit online

• If you know the number of holiday days you are being paid for, include this information in your online application.
• If you do not know the number of days, ask your employer to fill in the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet.
• You do not need to upload this help sheet with your online application. It is only to help you and your employer work out the correct number of days.

If you apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance online

• You must upload the completed help sheet with your online application.
• If you know the number of holiday days you are being paid for, complete the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet yourself.
• If you do not know the number of days, ask your employer to complete the help sheet

Please note: We may ask you for proof of your holiday payment details at any time.

To help us process your claim quickly, please enter the Reference Code when asked in your online application.

The code for your claim is: ESWA2026

You should use this code for all future applications if your job is linked to the school or academic year.

If you are applying using a paper ESW1 application form, you do not need to enter this code.

Applying using a paper form

If this is your first application

You must complete:

• the UP1 Jobseeker’s application form

and

• the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet

If you have received a jobseeker’s payment before

• Complete an ESW1 form (repeat claim)
• If you know the number of holiday days, enter it at question 15 on the ESW1 form.
• If you do not know the number of days, ask your employer to fill in the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet in part 10 of the ESW1 form.

Please note: We may ask you for proof of your holiday payment details at any time.

If you work in the education sector and your employer is the Department of Education and Youth, you do not need to tell us the number of holiday days you are being paid for.

Your employer has already sent this information to us.

You should still follow the normal application process for a jobseeker’s payment.

If you apply online, enter the Group Reference Code below when asked:

ESWA2026

You should use this code for all future applications if your job is linked to the school or academic year.

If you are applying using a paper ESW1 application form, you do not need to enter this code.

This section is for you if you do not work in the education sector.

Applying online

If you apply for Jobseeker’s Benefit online

• If you know the number of holiday days you are being paid for, include this information in your online application.
• If you do not know the number of days, ask your employer to fill in the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet.
• You do not need to upload this help sheet with your online application. It is only to help you and your employer work out the correct number of days.

If you apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance online

• You must upload the completed help sheet with your online application.
• If you know the number of holiday days you are being paid for, complete the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet yourself.
• If you do not know the number of days, ask your employer to complete the help sheet

Please note: We may ask you for proof of your holiday payment details at any time.

Applying using a paper form

If this is your first time applying

You must complete:

• the UP1 Jobseeker’s application form

and

• the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet

If you have received a jobseeker’s payment before

You must complete:

• the UP6 application form

and

• the Holiday Entitlement Help Sheet

Please note: We may ask you for proof of your holiday payment details at any time.

We will send your payment to your chosen Post Office by Electronic Information Transfer (EIT).

You must collect your payment on the due date. If you do not, it will be returned to us and this may delay payment.

You must bring your Public Services Card (PSC) to collect your payment.

If you are aged 62 or over, you can ask us to pay you by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) directly into your bank or credit union account.