Unemployment Benefit (DSS)

Unemployment Benefit may be awarded to a person who has paid Class 1 or Class 2 Social Security Contributions and is registering with Jobsplus under Part I of the Unemployment Register.

As from January 2024 a reform in the Unemployment Benefit is being set so that the Unemployment Benefit rates are more related to the salaries or earnings that a person had before becoming unemployed. Thus, affected individuals and their families have better financial security during the period without work, even if for a few weeks. This will be done without introducing any disincentive to work.

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Unemployment Benefit is paid on a six (6) day week basis and covers payment from Monday to Saturday.

A beneficiary is entitled to a maximum of one hundred and fifty-six (156) days of Unemployment Benefit. Moreover, this entitlement is based on the number of Social Security Contributions paid by the claimant prior to the claim.

The Benefit rates are calculated as per below percentages for available salaries as obtained from the Commissioner of Revenue:

• In the first six (6) weeks of unemployment as registered with JobsPlus, the benefit rate will start at sixty percent (60%) of the individual's salary or earnings

• In the following ten (10) weeks the rate will be that of fifty-five percent (55%) of the available salaries; and

• In the last ten (10) weeks the rate drops to fifty percent (50%) for available salaries.

   

The lowest benefit rate will be calculated on the National Minimum Wage, while the maximum rate will be calculated on one-hundred and seventy-five percent (175%) of the National Minimum Wage. Consequently, for the majority of claims, the rate shall be proportional to the basic weekly wage, but there shall also be a minimum rate in cases of low income - or €19.21 per day for six (6) days per week; and a maximum rate in cases of high income - or €33.63 per day for six (6) days per week.

Once a person starts registering with Jobsplus under Part I of the Unemployment Register, the claim for the payment of Unemployment Benefit is initiated automatically.

General eligibility criteria:

• A person must be registering for employment under Part 1 of the Unemployment Register kept by Jobsplus.

• Claimant has paid a minimum of fifty (50) Class 1 and/or Class 2 Social Security Contributions since being registered under the Social Security Act (Cap. 318.) until date of Benefit Claim; and also has twenty (20) paid or credited Class 1 or Class 2 Social Security Contributions during the last two (2) consecutive calendar years prior to the request for the Unemployment Benefit.

• To be entitled for the full one-hundred and fifty-six (156) days of Unemployment Benefit,      claimant must satisfy the Social Security Contributions Tests indicated above and also have a minimum of one-hundred and fifty-six(156) Social Security Contributions paid or credited before the claim is made.