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 responsible for household.

What you’ll get

Special Unemployment Benefit is paid on a six-day (6) 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-six thousand euro (€26,000) for a couple and sixteen-thousand euro (€16,000) 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 other property/ share from property in Malta and/or abroad (not being house of residence)
Recent rent receipt/rent agreement and rent receipts 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.
In case of separation or divorce cases, you need to provide separation or divorce contracts dated and signed, showing maintenance being received.
Separation/divorce contracts dated and signed, showing maintenance being received, if the case.
Recent payslip of spouse/partner if in employment.