One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a payment for men and women under 66 who are bringing children up without the support of a partner. To get this payment you must meet certain conditions and you must satisfy a means test.
One-Parent Family Payment is a taxable source of income.
To qualify for a One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) you must:
- Be under 66 (at 66 you become eligible for a State pension)
- Be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a relevant child (this means a child under the relevant age limit - see below)
- Be the main carer of at least one relevant child. The child must live with you. OFP is not payable if the parents have joint equal custody of a child or children.
- Have earnings of €425 or less per week
- Satisfy a means test
- Be habitually resident (certain people, in particular EU nationals who are considered migrant workers, are exempt from the habitual residence condition)
- Not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting
If you are separated, divorced or your civil partnership is dissolved you must:
- Have been living apart from your spouse or civil partner for at least 3 months. This does not apply to cohabitants.
- Have made efforts to get maintenance from your spouse or civil partner (if your civil partner is the parent of the child/ren)
- Be inadequately maintained by your spouse or civil partner (if your civil partner is the parent of the child/ren)
If your spouse or civil partner is in prison:
- He/she must have been sentenced to at least 6 months in prison or have spent at least 6 months in custody.
If you were not married to the parent of your child/children you do not need to seek maintenance from the other parent when you first claim OFP. However you must make efforts to seek maintenance from the other parent to continue to be eligible for OFP.