Unemployment Assistance (DSS)

Overview

Unemployment Assistance may be awarded to a person responsible for household who is registering under Part 1 of the Unemployment Register.

What you’ll get

Unemployment Assistance is paid on a weekly basis and is awarded to a person responsible for household and other eligible members forming part of the household.

Unemployment Assistance is awarded in full if the applicant is single and is living on his own. However, if the applicant is living with someone else who is a relative (excluding parent/s), he becomes entitled to 75% of the Unemployment Assistance rate.

Please click here for a Schedule of Benefits Rates.

Application Requirements

General documentation:

• Latest Water and Electricity bill, showing the number of members in the household.
• Recent Bank Statements of all local and foreign bank accounts.
• Relative documents regarding value of any Stocks/Shares/Bonds and the income derived thereof.
• Market value of any vacant property in Malta and/or abroad (not being house of residence and/or summer residence).
• Recent rent receipt/rent agreement if applicant’s house of residence is rented, showing details of who is making the rent payments; or filling in of the Annex 2 – Rent Declaration form by the landlord. Click here to download this document.
• Rent agreement if rent is derived from other properties.
• Filling in of the Corroboration document (Annex 3) if the applicant resides with third parties. Click here to download this document.
• Copy of driving licence/s of person responsible for household and, if applicable, that of the spouse/partner.
• Separation/divorce contracts dated and signed, showing maintenance being received, if the case.
• Recent payslip of spouse/partner if in employment.
• Document showing any income derived from any training that JobsPlus might enrol the applicant in. This may result in a difference in benefit payment.

How to apply:

Fill in and submit the application online.

Eligibility

General eligibility criteria:

• The applicant is the person responsible for household.
• The applicant must be registering for work under Part 1 of the Unemployment Register with JobsPlus.
• The applicant must satisfy the Capital Means Test. Capital resources for a couple must not exceed twenty-three thousand and three-hundred euros (€23,300) and fourteen-thousand euros (€14,000) for a single person.
• Any income deriving from Rents, Bank Interest from Capital, Stocks and Shares, Alimony / Child Maintenance and any other Income derived, must not exceed the maximum Unemployment Assistance rate as per household.
• From January 2022 the applicant receiving Unemploymment Assistance will start taking the full cost of living increase.