The April 2009 mini budget introduced a cut in the personal rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance to €100 per week for new claimants under 20 years of age (claiming after first week of May 2009).The maximum Increase for a Qualified Adult payable to a Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant aged under 20 will also be reduced to €100 per week (first week of May 2009).
However, the reduced personal and qualified adult rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance for claimants under 20 years of age will not apply in the following cases:
- Claimants with dependent children
- Claimants with a qualified adult and dependent children
- People transferring to Jobseeker’s Allowance immediately after finishing their entitlement to Jobseeker’s Benefit
- People transferring from Disability Allowance to Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Where an existing Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant gets a job and stops claiming the allowance but loses that job an ends up back on Jobseeker’s Allowance within 12 months
- People aged 18 and 19 participating in a Youthreach course for young early school leavers or a full-time course in a Senior Traveller Training Centre
- Claimants who qualify for the Back to Education Allowance full-time second level course or post Leaving Cert course
- People aged 18 to 19 participating in a full-time FAS training course
When a person on reduced Jobseeker’s Allowance reaches the age of 20, if they still qualify, they will be entitled to the full adult rate.
There is no change to Jobseeker’s Benefit for claimants under 20 years of age.(People who have made enough PRSI contributions)