Family
Back to Work Family Dividend: keeping child payments when you start work
Last updated 16 October 2026
Leave a jobseeker's or One-Parent Family Payment for work and keep €58 to €78 a week per child for a year. Then half for a second year. €64 to €84 from 2027.
Moving from social welfare into a job can leave a family worse off at first. The extra amounts paid for children on a welfare payment stop. The Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) bridges that gap. It is run by the Department of Social Protection; this guide follows Citizens Information.
Who can get it
You need at least one qualified child (a child included in your welfare payment). You must also stop claiming one of these because you start work or self-employment:
- Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit, after at least 12 months unemployed, 6 of them in the last year, on your current claim;
- One-Parent Family Payment;
- Jobseeker's Transitional Payment;
- from January 2026, Disability Allowance or Blind Pension.
Time on Community Employment, Tús, the Rural Social Scheme or Back to Education Allowance can count towards the 12 months. You must start work in Ireland within four weeks of leaving the payment. You and your partner must both come off primary social welfare payments.
How much
| Weekly, per child | Under 12 | 12 and over |
|---|---|---|
| First year, 2026 | €58.00 | €78.00 |
| Second year, at 2026 rates | €29.00 | €39.00 |
| First year, from January 2027 (Budget 2027) | €64.00 | €84.00 |
It is paid for up to 4 children. If you were getting a reduced child amount on your welfare payment, you get the same reduced amount.
An example
A parent of two children, aged 8 and 13, leaves Jobseeker's Allowance for a job in 2026:
| Weekly in the first year | €136.00 |
| First year (52 weeks) | €7,072.00 |
| Second year, at half rate | €3,536.00 |
| Over two years | €10,608.00 |
The 2027 increase raises the weekly amounts for anyone getting the payment then.
With other payments
It can be paid alongside Working Family Payment, and isn't counted as income in the Working Family Payment means test (the income check). It can also be paid with Child Benefit, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, and Maternity or Paternity Benefit. It stops if you or your partner go back on a primary welfare payment. It can restart up to twice if you find a new job.
To see whether you also qualify for Working Family Payment, use the Working Family Payment calculator.
Work it out
Sources
- Citizens Information: Back to Work Family Dividend (who qualifies; €58 / €78 a week per child from January 2026, half in year two; €64 / €84 from January 2027; not taxable) (checked 24/10/2026)
- Citizens Information: Working Family Payment (rules, 60% of the shortfall, €20 minimum, 2026 income limits) (checked 25/10/2026)
- Citizens Information: Social welfare rates announced in Budget 2027 (2026 and 2027 rates side by side) (checked 25/10/2026)
General information, not tax advice. HeyPenny is not a tax agent.