Social welfare Ireland: People who meet two criteria can qualify for doubling of €232 payment

People who qualify for a social welfare payment worth €232 can have it doubled if they satisfy these two criteria.

The Farm Assist (FA) is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers.

It was initially increased back in January, and is now worth €232. Eligible recipients can get an additional payment of €154 if they have an adult dependent, reports RSVP Live.

Read More:'Another day, another Taoiseach. The Dail elected Simon Harris - we, the people, didn't'

Recipients can also receive an added amount for a child dependent. For a child under 12, this is worth €46 (full rate) or €23 (half rate) and for a child aged 12 and over, you will get €54 (full rate) or €27 (half rate).

How can you qualify?

To qualify for Farm Assist, you must:

• Be a farmer

• Be farming land in Ireland

• Be aged between 18 and 66

• Pass a means test

You are considered a farmer if you farm land that you own or lease and that you use for the purpose of husbandry. Husbandry means working the land with the aim of taking produce from the land.

How is income assessed?

The Department of Social Protection examines all of your income sources. To get FA, your income must be below a certain amount.

The some of the items included in the means test are:

• Cash income that you or your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may have. There is some cash income not included in the means test.

• Capital, for example, the value of savings, investments, shares or any property you have (but not your own home). The first €20,000 of your capital is not taken into account. Find out more about capital not included in the means test.

• Maintenance paid to you.

There are other rules on income that can be found here.

How much is the scheme worth?

Here are the weekly rates:

An increase is payable for each child dependant if you are getting an increase for a qualified adult, with more details available here.

If you do not qualify for an increase for a qualified adult, you may get a half-rate increase for a qualified child dependant. You can read more about this here.

How to apply for Farm Assist

To apply for Farm Assist, fill in form Farm 1, found here, and return it to your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

You can also get this form at your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office or Citizens Information Centre.

If you are not happy with a decision on your application, you can appeal within 21 days of the decision.

More information on this scheme can be found here.

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.