Payment for people who retire at 65
If you retire at 65, you may qualify for a new benefit payment until you reach 66. At 66, many people will qualify for a State Pension.
To qualify for this new benefit payment at 65, you must have stopped working and meet the social insurance (PRSI) conditions.
The payment is similar to Jobseeker’s Benefit, but you don’t need to be looking for work or sign on at your local Intreo centre.
It is taxed the same as Jobseekers Benefit.
How to qualify
To get the new benefit payment for people aged 65, you must:
- Be 65 years of age
- Have stopped working this includes both employment and self-employment (some subsidiary employment is allowed – see below)
- Live in Ireland
- Satisfy the social insurance (PRSI) conditions
Rate of payment
Benefit rate 2021
| Maximum personal rate | Increase for an adult dependant | Increase for a child dependantfrom 7 January 2021 |
| €203 | €134.70 | Child under 12€38 (full-rate) €19 (half-rate)Child aged 12 and over€45 (full-rate) €22.50 (half-rate) |
You may get an increase in your payment for an adult dependant and any child dependants you may have. You cannot claim an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) with your payment if your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant has an income of over €400 a week. You get a half-rate IQC if your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant earns between €310 and €400 a week.
How to apply
You can apply for the Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds online at mywelfare.ie using a basic MyGovID account.
You can get a paper application by emailing forms@welfare.ie and a form will be posted to you.