Press release
Some Social Welfare payments will be returning to a weekly schedule in August
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
The Department of Social Protection has announced today (Monday, 27 July 2020) that a number of social welfare payments which had been moved to a fortnightly schedule from the end of March are being restored back to being paid weekly.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all weekly social welfare payments were changed to a fortnightly schedule from 23 March. The measure was kept under constant review, and the department is now moving some payments back to what had been their weekly schedule. The payments restored to a weekly schedule include One-Parent Family Payment, Working Family Payment, Illness Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Jobseeker’s Benefit.
The majority of these customers will start to receive their weekly payment from the week beginning 17 August, with some receiving their weekly payment from the week beginning 10 August. Appendix 1 contains more information on this change, including the specific dates that customers will receive their final double payment.
A number of payments are continuing to be paid on a fortnightly basis, for example Pensions, Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit – the full list of these payments are provided in Appendix 2.
Also last March, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the department extended the number of days within which a person could collect their social welfare payment at a post office from 20 days to 90 days. The department is now changing the number of days back to 20 for some payments - all of these are listed in Appendix 3.
The two-week payment schedule was introduced to better manage the footfall in post offices and banks and to promote social distancing. This allowed for greater adherence to the public health guidelines around COVID-19. The department will continue to review the schedules for the payments that continue to be paid fortnightly and in line with public health guidelines.
ENDS
| Payment | Last Double Week Payment Due | First Single Week Payment Due |
| Illness Benefit | Week Commencing Monday 27 July (IB can be paid any day of the week) | Week Commencing Monday 10 August |
| Occupational Injury Benefit | Week Commencing Monday 27th July (OIB can be paid any day of the week) | Week Commencing Monday 10th Aug |
| Partial Capacity Benefit | Thursday 30th July | Thursday 13th Aug |
| Back to Education Allowance | Thursday 30th July | Thursday 13th Aug |
| Jobseeker’s Allowance | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Jobseeker’s Benefit | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Jobseeker’s Benefit (self-employed) | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Working Family Payment | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Farm Assist | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Back To Work Enterprise Allowance | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Back To Work Family Dividend | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Daily Expenses Allowance | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Rent Supplement | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
| Other SWA Supplements | Week Commencing 3rd Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 27th July remainder) | Week Commencing 17th Aug Main Cohort (Week Commencing 10th Aug remainder) |
Note: The payment of Maternity, Paternity, Adoptive, Parents and Health and Safety Benefits reverted to a weekly payment schedule with effect from the week beginning 18 May.
| Scheme | Current Post Office Expiry | New Post Office Expiry Change | Effective From | |
| Jobeeker’s Allowance | 90 Days | 20 Days | Week Commencing Monday 10th August | |
| Jobseeker’s Benefit | 90 Days | 20 Days | Week Commencing Monday 10th August | |
| Jobseeker’s Benefit (self-employed) | 90 Days | 20 Days | Week Commencing Monday 10th August | |
| One-parent Family Payment and Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment | 90 Days | 20 Days | Week Commencing Monday 10th August | |
| Farm Assist | 90 Days | 20 Days | Week Commencing Monday 10th August | |
| Back To Work Enterprise Allowance | 90 Days | 20 Days | Week Commencing Monday 10th August | |
| Back To Work Family Dividend | 90 Days | 20 Days | Week Commencing Monday 10th August | |
| SWA, including Supplements and ENPs | 90 Days | 20 Days | Week Commencing Monday 10th August |