Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit
A PRSI-based payment for people who become fully unemployed on or after 31 March 2025. Unlike every other jobseeker payment it is linked to what you earned — starting at 60% of your previous earnings and stepping down over time.
- Type
- Based on PRSI
- Paid
- Every week
- Taxable
- Yes
- Administered by
- Department of Social Protection
How much is Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit?
60% of your previous earnings, stepping down — capped, with a €125/week floor. The figures below are maximums, not what everyone receives.
| First 13 weeks — 60% of previous earnings, capped | €450/week |
|---|---|
| Next 13 weeks — 55% of previous earnings, capped | €375/week |
| Last 13 weeks — 50% of previous earnings, capped | €300/week |
Increases you may also get
| With 104–259 PRSI contributions (2–5 years) — 50% of earnings for 26 weeks, capped | €300/week |
|---|---|
| Minimum weekly payment | €125/week |
The amounts shown are the maximum weekly caps, not flat rates — your actual payment is the stated percentage of your own previous earnings, with a floor of €125 a week. The three-step schedule applies with 260 or more paid PRSI contributions (5 years), giving up to 39 weeks. With 104–259 contributions (2–5 years) you get 50% of earnings capped at €300 for up to 26 weeks. No increases are paid for adult or child dependants.
Who can get Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit
- You must have become fully unemployed on or after 31 March 2025 — your last day of employment must be on or after Friday 28 March 2025.
- You must be under 66, or over 66 having deferred your State Pension (Contributory), or getting State Pension (Non-Contributory).
- You must be capable of work, available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work.
- You need at least 104 paid PRSI contributions at Class A, H or P, at least 4 in the 10 weeks before you apply, and at least 26 in the 52 weeks before your first day of unemployment.
- You must be fully unemployed — you cannot work and get this payment at the same time.
Is Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit means tested?
Not means-tested. Your payment is based on your previous earnings and your PRSI record, not on your household's means.
Things people get caught by
- No increases are paid for adult or child dependants. If you have dependants, the means-tested Optional Jobseeker's Allowance may pay more — you can check at any point during a claim, and time on it still counts as time on this payment.
- You cannot work at all while getting it. If you start work you must close the claim, though you can restart where you left off within 13 weeks.
- If your earnings were low, the percentage-based rate can come out below the flat Jobseeker's Allowance rate. The €125 floor is the only protection.
What else you might get
Payments interact. These are the ones that commonly go with Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit.
- Jobseeker's Benefit
The payment to claim instead if you work part-time, or are casual, seasonal or short-time.
- Jobseeker's Allowance
Means-tested. You can check at any point whether Optional Jobseeker's Allowance would pay you more.