Finance

Banking

If you need to open a bank account, you should go to a branch of An Post, Allied Irish Bank, or Bank of Ireland. To do so you will need proof of identity (passport or national ID card), and proof of address:

• A letter sent by Department of Social Protection Intreo and received by you at your residential address
• A signed letter from the person you are staying with along with a household bill in their name
• A letter on headed paper if you are staying in temporary accommodation provided by the Irish state.

You can open a basic bank account if you do not have the ID and proof of address that you need to open a current account.

You can also open a free online bank account with N26 or Revolut, you will need your national ID card or passport to do that:

MABS

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is a free, independent and confidential service for people who are in debt or at risk of getting into debt.

There are 58 MABS offices in Ireland. MABS services include:

• Helping clients to deal with debts and to make out budgets
• Examining clients' incomes to make sure entitlements are not being missed
• Contacting clients' creditors with offers of payment (where this is necessary)
• Helping clients to decide on the best way to make payments

MABS offices operate on an appointment system.

MABS run a helpline available from 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday: 0818 07 2000. Clients can make appointments with a local office through the helpline number.

Contact details for MABS Kilkenny - 0818 07 2610, kilkenny@mabs.ie, 4 The Parade, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 VO52.

Direct Provision

If you are staying in direct provision, you will receive a weekly social welfare payment, called a Daily Expenses Allowance.

You cannot get other social welfare payments such as Disability Allowance, One-Parent Family Payment, Child Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance.

If your application is approved, you will have different entitlements to social welfare payments and social housing.

You can apply for an Additional Needs Payment if you have essential needs that you cannot afford to pay for from your weekly payment.

Ukrainian Citizens under Temporary Protection:Temporary Protection beneficiaries who arrive in Ireland meet with Departmental staff to commence the process of applying for PPSN’s and income supports.

Temporary Protection beneficiaries are given all the relevant application forms they need, together with translated support information, at the City West Reception Centre in Dublin. They are asked to present with their completed application forms to their local Intreo or Branch offices after 5 working days when they are going to collect their PPSN. The completed forms will then be processed to allow the correct income support payment to issue. It is important that the person completes the forms before they go to their local Intreo Centre/Branch Office.

If you did not arrive through City West Reception Centre and you do not have proof of Temporary Protection or PPSN please visit your local Intreo Centre where you will be able receive those. Once you receive proof of Temporary Protection and you have PPSN you can make application for income support at your nearest Intreo Office.

The Irish Government has published social welfare information for people arriving from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive. This information is also available in Ukrainian and in Russian.

Social Welfare

In order to apply for Social Welfare payments you must go to your local INTREO Centre.

Payments will be paid into your nearest Post Office (An Post). You have to say which Post Office you should be paid into when you are filling out the application form, and your payment can only be collected from there.

An Post is the state-owned provider of postal services in Ireland. They provide a postal service and banking services and are located in most towns and urban areas. See www.anpost.com

Once you have your PPS number you can then apply for your Public Services Card. This process may take several weeks so you should apply as soon as possible. This is a card with your PPS number and your picture on it. You need this card to apply for a driving license and other public services. You can apply for it at the nearest Intreo Office.

Intreo Branch offices in Kilkenny:

• Government Buildings, Hebron Rd, Kilkenny, R95 NH73
• Hours: 

• Phone:(0818) 405 060

 Daily Expenses Allowance

You get a weekly social welfare payment, called a Daily Expenses Allowance (DEA), while you are in direct provision. To get a DEA, your income must be under a certain amount – see ‘DEA income test’ below.

DEA rates in 2024:

• €38.80 for each adult
• €29.80 for each child

If IPAS is unable to provide you with accommodation, you will get a temporary increase of €75 in your Daily Expense Allowance (DEA). This means your DEA will increase from €38.80 a week to €113.80 a week.

DEA income test

From June 2024, the Department of Social Protection (DSP) will check that you continue to qualify for DEA, if you are:

• Age 18 or over and
• Getting an income for 12 weeks or more

Income includes pay from a job, self-employment and social welfare payments.

How your income can affect your DEA payment:

If your DEA is reduced or stopped, it will not affect the DEA payment to your other family members.

If you are getting a DEA and have additional income, you should email NWCWS@welfare.ie.

Moving your DEA payment to new accommodation

If you are moved to new IPAS accommodation, you can get your DEA transferred to your nearest Post Office. To transfer your DEA, contact the Community Welfare Services national phone line on 0818 60 70 80.

Jobseeker's Benefit

Jobseeker's Benefit is a weekly payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to people who are out of work and are covered by social insurance (PRSI). If you do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit you may qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance. For more information visit: Jobseeker's Benefit (citizensinformation.ie)

Jobseekers Allowance

Jobseeker's Allowance is a weekly payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to people who are out of work but do not qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit. Jobseeker’s Allowance is a means-tested payment, so your income and/or savings and investments must be below a certain amount. For more information visit : Jobseeker's Allowance (citizensinformation.ie)

One-Parent Family Payment

The One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a payment for men and women under 66 who are bringing children up without the support of a partner. To get the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) you must satisfy a means test and you must have at least one child under 7 years of age (exceptions apply). For more information visit One-Parent Family Payment (citizensinformation.ie)

Carer's Allowance

Carer's Allowance is a weekly social welfare payment to people who are caring for a person who needs support because of their age, disability or illness (including mental illness). Your income must be below a certain amount to get Carer’s Allowance. For more information visit Carer's Allowance (citizensinformation.ie)

Disability Allowance

Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability. You can get it from 16 years of age. If you are in education when you turn 16, you can continue to attend school while receiving this allowance. For more information visit: Disability Allowance (gov.ie)

Fuel Allowance

Fuel Allowance is a means tested payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months. It is paid to only one person in a household. For more information visit: Fuel Allowance (citizensinformation.ie)

Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is a means-tested once-off payment aimed at helping families with the extra costs of clothing and footwear when children start school each autumn. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme is open from 1 June to 30 September each year. For more information visit: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (gov.ie) 

Emergency Payments

To access Emergency Payments you must satisfy a means test; that is you must prove you need it and that you cannot afford to pay this unexpected cost from your own income.

You can apply for emergency payments with your local Community Welfare Service that is located in your local INTREO Centre. 

Supplementary Welfare Allowance 

You may qualify for basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance while your Jobseekers payments are being processed or in some cases where you do not qualify for Jobseekers payments. For more information go to: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (citizensinformation.ie)

Exceptional Needs Payments (ENP) 

Exceptional Needs Payments (ENP) are payments made to people for essential but unusual situations which they cannot afford to pay for from their own income. This could be for funeral costs or clothing if you are ill. For more information visit: Additional Needs Payment (citizensinformation.ie)

Urgent Needs Payments (UNP)

Urgent Needs Payments (UNP) are paid for food and clothes in emergencies, for instance when your home has been flooded or damaged by fire. For more information visit: gov.ie - Department of Social Protection (www.gov.ie) 

Child Benefit

Child Benefit is a monthly payment to support parents and guardians. It is paid for each child who:

• normally lives with you and is being fully supported by you
• is under 16, or under 18 if in full-time education, full-time training or has a disability and cannot support themselves

Child Benefit is not paid on behalf of children 18 or older, even if they stay in education or training.

Child Benefit is paid on the first Tuesday of every month.

To qualify for Child Benefit, you must meet the Habitual Residence Condition. This applies to all applicants regardless of nationality. International protection applicants do not meet criteria but people with status and recipients of Temporary Protection are eligible.

For more information visit Child Benefit (gov.ie)

Leaving the State

Department of Social Protection assistance payments such as Supplementary Welfare Allowance or Jobseekers Allowance are not payable in respect of periods where a person is absent, whether temporarily or permanently, from the State. However, payments may be administratively made for up to two weeks in any calendar year in respect of periods of absence from the State. On that basis, temporary periods of absence of up two weeks in a calendar year can be facilitated. A person should inform the Department of their proposed absence in advance of travel.

Where a person is living in accommodation provided by IPAS they should contact their accommodation provider to clarify how any absence from the state may affect their accommodation placement.

You must inform your local Intreo Office of any change in your circumstances (moving, going abroad, arrival of partner or children, newborn baby etc.)