Blanchardstown & Dublin 15 Citizens Information Centre
A service for everyone

Know your Rights: June 2011

Leaving school and going to college

Q. I’m 18 and hope to go to college in the autumn. What do I do about a grant as my parents are both unemployed and can’t afford to help me financially?

The Department of Education and Skills provides financial assistance for people on low incomes to access further and higher education. You may apply for a means-tested maintenance grant if you are planning to take an approved full-time third level course or a Post Leaving Certificate or a course leading to a Higher Certificate or Ordinary Bachelor degree in an Institute of Technology. Previously, there were 4 different schemes but the Department plans to run a single unified scheme of maintenance grants in 2011.
The maintenance grant is paid in instalments throughout the academic year. If you have qualified for a maintenance grant, you will not have to pay tuition fees or the student contribution. Depending on your family’s income, you may qualify for a full grant or a partial grant.
There are two different grant rates – adjacent and non-adjacent. You must live 45km or more away from college to qualify for the non-adjacent rate. There is also a special extra grant for disadvantaged students which tops up the ordinary grant. You should apply for a maintenance grant as soon as the application process is open. Do not wait until you get an offer of a place or enrol in college. Grants are currently administered by Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) and local authorities. Guidance notes published with the application form will give details of where and how you should apply.
You can find out more about maintenance grants by visiting studentfinance.ie. This site will also give you information on other forms of student support such as scholarships.
Your parents can continue to get an increase for a qualified child with their social welfare claim and this will last until you are 22 if you stay in full-time education and your parents remain on long-term payment. You can get the Citizens Information Board’s booklet Information for school leavers and further information from the Citizens Information Centre below.

Further information is available from your local Citizens Information Centre.

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Cross-border workers and tax

Q. I live in Leitrim but have just found work in Co Fermanagh. What do I do about making an income tax return and will I be liable for PRSI?

You must pay income tax in the country where you earn your income but your ultimate tax responsibility is with the country where you live. This means that you must submit an annual self-assessment in your country of residence each year. As a Republic of Ireland resident working in the North, you will:

• Pay tax directly to HM Revenue and Customs
• Be required to submit an annual Self-Assessment return to the Irish Revenue Commissioners
• Be eligible for Trans-border Workers Relief

Trans-border Workers Relief can be claimed by someone who is resident in the Republic of Ireland, commutes daily/weekly to his/her place of work in the other jurisdiction and who pays tax in Northern Ireland (NI) on the income from that employment. In effect this gives a frontier worker a credit or relief in respect for the income tax that is paid in the country of employment. This means that the Revenue Commissioners take into account the tax you have paid in Northern Ireland.
You must apply for a National Insurance number before starting work in Northern Ireland, otherwise your tax and National Insurance contributions will not be recorded. National Insurance Numbers are issued by the Social Security Agency. You can apply for a National Insurance Number at any local Jobs and Benefits Office.
If you are employed in Northern Ireland, you do not have to pay PRSI. You make National Insurance contributions to the UK authorities. If you wish to claim social welfare benefits now or in the future, the authorities will take into consideration all social insurance contributions you have paid. That means National Insurance contributions paid in Northern Ireland will be considered alongside any PRSI contributions paid in the South.

Further information is available from your local Citizens Information Centre.

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Renewing Your Passport

Q. I want to visit my son in Australia this summer and have just realised my passport is out of date. How do I get it renewed and is it free as I am over 65?

Since 11 April 2011, passports are no longer free to those aged 65 and over. You will have to pay a fee of €80 for a standard 10-year, 32-page passport using Passport Express (as well as an additional charge of €8.50 which includes postage to/from the Passport Office). If you go direct to the Passport Office or use ordinary or registered post the fee is €95.
Passport Express is a service run by An Post which aims to deliver passports within 10 working days but it is advisable to apply well in advance of your planned departure. If you live in Northern Ireland you can use the Passport Express service through certain post office branches there.
If you are an Irish citizen living in the State, you should fill out form APS 1. Use this form if applying for a new, renewal or replacement passport. You will find these forms at every Garda Station and at any Post Office that displays the “Service Plus” logo. You must return the application form with the fee as well as 4 approved-size passport photographs (2 of which must be signed by a witness), proof of your Irish citizenship (where required) and your most recent Irish passport (if you have one).
It is not possible to apply for an Irish passport online. It is also not currently possible to download the application forms.
If you require a passport urgently, you should contact the Passport Service. Applications in Ireland with proof of travel (e.g. airline tickets) are guaranteed to be processed within 3 working days. There is an extra charge for the urgent service - €55 for an adult and €30 for a child.
You can track the progress of your passport application through the Passport Tracking Service. This service allows you to check the status of your application online. In order to do this, you must have the application number from your form (available in the top left-hand corner of the form).

Further information is available from your local Citizens Information Centre.

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Volunteering

Q. I recently lost my job and have spare time available so am thinking of volunteering. Will my Jobseeker’s Benefit payment be affected? How could I find something to do that matches my skills?

Voluntary work is a good way to keep active, learn new skills and get involved in your local community. You may do some unpaid work as a volunteer and keep your social welfare payment. However, you must continue to meet all the conditions attached to your payment (which include the requirement that you are available and looking for work).
The Deciding Officer at your Social Welfare Local Office or the section paying your social welfare payment will usually decide whether you can keep your social welfare payment and work as a volunteer. A number of factors are taken into account by a Deciding Officer in determining whether the work is voluntary. These include:

• The aims and standing of the voluntary organisation (they can be national or local voluntary groups)
• The type of work involved
• The weekly number of hours worked

Examples of unpaid voluntary work you could do includes assisting youth clubs, care groups, sports groups, church groups and local residents’ associations.
If you want to do voluntary work and still continue to get Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit, you must apply under the voluntary work option before you start any voluntary work. To apply, fill in application form (VW1), which is available from your Social Welfare Local Office.
2011 is the European Year of Volunteering and there will be many events around the country to celebrate and promote volunteering. Visit the website at eyv2011.ie to find out more about the year. You can also contact Volunteering Ireland and Volunteer Centres Ireland to find out about volunteering opportunities or look at the Activelink website.

Further information is available from your local Citizens Information Centre.

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