Apply for the One-Parent Family Payment in Ireland

The One-Parent Family Payment is a weekly payment for people raising a child under 7 alone. This guide covers who qualifies, how the means test works and how to apply with form OFP1.

The One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a weekly payment for a parent or guardian bringing up a child under 7 without a partner. You fill in form OFP1 and return it to your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office. It is free to claim and pays up to €254 a week, plus extra for each child.

Who this is for

• You are under 66 and are the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a child under 7.
• You are the child's main carer and the child lives with you. OFP is not paid if parents share equal custody.
• You do not live with a spouse, civil partner or partner.
• If you are separated, you have lived apart for at least 3 months and are not properly supported by your ex-partner.
• You live in Ireland and meet the habitual residence condition (this means Ireland is where you normally live).
• Your income is low enough to pass a means test.

How the means test works

• Earnings: the first €165 a week of your gross pay is ignored. Half of the rest counts as means.
• Child maintenance does not count. Other maintenance, such as for you, is assessed at half.
• Rent or mortgage you pay, up to €95.23 a week, can be taken off that maintenance first.
• Savings: the first €20,000 is ignored. Your own home is not counted.
• Working Family Payment does not count as income for OFP.

What you need

• A completed and signed OFP1 form
• Your PPS (Personal Public Service) number and your children's PPS numbers
• Payslips, if you work
• Details of any maintenance you get, and proof of rent or mortgage payments
• Your bank account details, or a Public Services Card if you want to collect at a Post Office
• A birth certificate is not needed if your child was born and registered in Ireland

Step by step

1. Check the timing. Apply within 3 months of your child's birth, after 3 months of living apart, or within 3 months of a spouse or partner's death.
2. Download form OFP1 from the gov.ie One-Parent Family Payment page, or get it from Intreo.
3. Fill in every section, including your income and any maintenance.
4. Sign the form and add your PPS number.
5. Attach your payslips and maintenance or housing cost proof.
6. Return it to your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.
7. Send any missing documents as soon as you can. Gaps can delay your claim.

There is no online application for OFP on MyWelfare at the time of writing. You can use MyWelfare to appeal a decision.

How much it costs and how long it takes

When your youngest turns 7, OFP stops. You may then claim Jobseeker's Transitional Payment (form JST1) until they turn 14. It pays the same personal rate, and you do not have to be available for full-time work. The payment is taxable and the DSP does not publish a standard processing time.

Common mistakes

• Waiting too long. Late claims can lose you money.
• Not telling the DSP about a new partner moving in. You cannot get OFP if you live with a partner.
• Forgetting about Jobseeker's Transitional Payment. Claim it as soon as your youngest turns 7.
• Not reporting reduced hours. Send a payslip and an employer's letter to Intreo.

Related guides

• How to apply for the Working Family Payment
• How to apply for Child Benefit
• How to apply for Jobseeker's Benefit or Allowance
• How to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
• How to get a PPS number