Part time work and Jobseeker payments

If you are unemployed and in receipt of either Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance you can accept an offer of part-time work and may be able to claim some of your Jobseeker's payment for the days that you are unemployed.

Working part-time is allowed, providing that you are:

  • Unemployed for at least 3 days in any 6 consecutive days
  • Genuinely seeking full-time employment
  • Available to work in respect of the remaining days of unemployment

Working for any part of a day, even for only one hour, is counted as a full day of employment.

Part-time work and Jobseeker's Benefit (JB)

If you are claiming Jobseeker's Benefit you can work for up to three days a week and continue to receive payment for the days you are unemployed, provided you continue to satisfy the normal qualifying conditions. You will not be paid JB for the days you are employed, but earnings from employment will not affect your remaining Jobseeker's Benefit payment.

Sunday is not considered a day of employment, so if you work on Sunday you will not lose a portion of your weekly Jobseeker's Benefit payment for this day.

Part-time work and Jobseeker's Allowance (JA)

If you are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance you can work for up to three days a week and continue to receive to receive payment for the days you are unemployed, provided you continue to receive satisfy the means test and the normal qualifying conditions for Jobseeker's Allowance.

Generally if you work on a Sunday you will not lose a portion of your weekly JA payment for this day. The only time that working on a Sunday could affect your JA payment is when you combine any earnings from Sunday with other days worked during the week and these earnings are more than the maximum rate for your circumstances.

If you are returning to work while on an unemployment payment it is important to remember that you should review how any additional income you receive from working may affect your secondary benefits including unemployment payments, rent allowance / mortgage interest supplement

For more detailed information contact the INOU confidential welfare rights telephone and email query service: 01 856 0088 or welfareinfo@inou.ie