Special Unemployment Benefit

Overview

Special Unemployment Benefit may be awarded to a person who has paid Class 1 or Class 2 Social Security Contributions; qualifies for the Unemployment Assistance and is the person reesponsible for household.

What you’ll get

Special Unemployment Benefit is paid on a six (6) -day week basis and covers payment for 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.

Please click here for a Schedule of Benefits Rates.

Eligibility

General eligibility criteria:

• The applicant is the person responsible for household.
• 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 2 consecutive calendar years prior to the request for the Unemployment Benefit.
• The applicant must satisfy the Capital Means Test. Capital resources must not exceed twenty-three thousand and three hundred euros (€23,300) for a couple 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.
• To be entitled for the full one-hundred and fifty-six (156) days of Unemployment Benefit, the 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.

Documentation required

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.

How to apply

Fill in and submit the application online.