Know Your Rights April 2025

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atest press release from the Citizens Information Centre, issued on Tuesday, April 8th 2025…

Compensation For Overbooked, Cancelled or Delayed Flights
Air passengers departing from an EU/EEA airport have protections under EU law. These protections also apply to passengers leaving from an airport outside of the EU/EEA but arriving at an EU/EEA airport on an EU/EEA licensed carrier.

If your flight is cancelled, the airline must give you a choice of:
⦿ A refund of the cost of your ticket within 7 days
⦿ Re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity, or at a later date if you prefer and if seats are available

You may also be entitled to compensation depending on when you were told about the cancellation and whether you were offered a suitable alternative flight.

My flight is delayed, am I entitled to anything from the airline?
You must be offered free meals and refreshments depending on how long the waiting time is and if your flight is covered by the law.

The following flights are covered by law:
⦿ Delays of 2 hours or more in the case of flights of 1500 km or less
⦿ Delays of 3 hours or more for all flights within the EU of more than 1500 km, and all other flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
⦿ Delays of 4 hours or more in the case of all other flights

You must be offered free hotel accommodation if you need to stay overnight for one night or more, as well as transport between the hotel and the airport. You must be offered 2 free telephone calls, fax messages, or emails.

If your flight is delayed for 5 hours or more, you must be offered a full refund. This includes a return flight to your first point of departure.

What if I get upgraded or downgraded?
If you are offered an upgrade, the airline cannot charge you anything extra.

If you agree to be downgraded, the airline must reimburse you a percentage of the difference in price between your original seat price and the new seat price.

You can find out more about air passenger rights in the European Union here, or call your local Citizens Information Centre in Bray on 0818076780 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit

What is Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit?
Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit (JPRB) is a new social welfare payment you can get if you lose your job. It is linked to your previous earnings and will be available from 31 March 2025.

You must be fully unemployed to get JPRB.

What happens to the existing Jobseeker’s Benefit?

Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) is still available if you are not eligible for JPRB because:
⦿ You are a part-time, casual or seasonal worker
⦿ Your employment is based around the school or academic year
⦿ Your last day of employment is before Friday, 28 March 2025

If you are unemployed or your last day of employment is before Friday, 28 March 2025, you can apply for JB. If you were self-employed, you can apply for Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed).

If you are getting JB when the new JPRB starts, you stay on JB until your entitlement ends.

How much is Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit and how long can I get it for?

The amount of JPRB you get depends on how much you earned from employment previously.

You can get JPRB for up to 9 months if you have 5 years of PRSI contributions from employment. If you have 5 years of PRSI contributions, the rates of JPRB in 2025 are:
⦿ 60% of your earnings up to a weekly maximum of €450 for the first 3 months
⦿ 55% of your earnings up to a weekly maximum of €375 for the next 3 months
⦿ 50% of your earnings up to a weekly maximum of €300 for the last 3 months

You can get JPRB for up to 6 months if you have between 2 and 5 years of PRSI contributions. If you have between 2 and 5 years of PRSI contributions, the rate of JPRB in 2025 is:
⦿ 50% of your earnings up to a weekly maximum of €300 for 6 months

The minimum weekly payment is €125.

How do I apply for Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit?

You can apply for JPRB from 31 March 2025. Details on how to apply for JPRB will be available soon.

If you are unemployed or your last day of employment is before Friday 28 March 2025, you can apply for Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB).

You can find out more about Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit here, or call your local Citizens Information Centre in Bray on 0818076780 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

Carer’s Allowance

I recently became a carer for a family member. Can I get Carer’s Allowance?

Carer’s Allowance is a weekly social welfare payment to people who care for someone because of their age, disability or illness (including mental illness).

You can get Carer’s Allowance if you are caring full-time for someone who is:
⦿ Aged 16 or over and so incapacitated that they need full-time care and attention for at least 12 months, or
⦿ A child under 16 that you get Domiciliary Care Allowance for

You must also be 18 or over and:
⦿ Be habitually resident in Ireland
⦿ Not be working, studying, volunteering or training more than 18.5 hours a week
⦿ Not live in a hospital, convalescent home or a similar institution
⦿ Pass a means test

How is my income assessed in the means test?
Your income must be below a certain amount to get Carer’s Allowance. The Department of Social Protection examines all sources of income, including your spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant’s income.

If you are single, €450 of your total weekly income is not taken into account in the means test. If you are a couple, the first €900 of your combined total weekly income is not taken into account.

The first €50,000 of your capital does not affect your Carer’s Allowance payment. Capital includes savings, investments, shares, or any property you have (but not your own home).

How much is Carer’s Allowance?
Your payment is made up of a personal rate for yourself and extra amounts for any child dependants. You cannot get an increase for a qualified adult with your Carer’s Allowance.

If you are under 66, the maximum weekly rate is:
⦿ €260 if you are caring for 1 person
⦿ €390 if you are caring for 2 or more people

If you are 66 or over, the maximum weekly rate is:
⦿ €298 if you are caring for 1 person
⦿ €477 if you are caring for 2 or more people

Increases for child dependants are called Child Support Payments. These are:
⦿ €50 (full-rate) and €25 (half-rate) for a child under 12
⦿ €62 (full-rate) and €31 (half-rate) for a child aged 12 or over

You can find out more about Carer’s Allowance and how to apply here, or call your local Citizens Information Centre in Bray on 0818076780 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

Tenants’ Rights In Rented Accommodation

Your landlord has a legal duty to make sure that rented accommodation meets specific minimum standards. These standards apply mainly to homes rented from private landlords, with exceptions for some types of tenancies.

Your landlord must make sure the property does not have damp and is structurally sound internally and externally. Essential parts of the property, such as roofs, windows, floors and more, must be kept in good condition.

Electricity and gas supplies should be safe and in good repair, and there must be adequate ventilation, lighting and heating controls in every room.

What appliances and facilities should my landlord provide?

Private landlords must provide access to essential appliances, including:
⦿ A washing machine
⦿ A clothes-dryer if the property does not have a private garden or yard
⦿ A 4-ring hob with oven and grill
⦿ A cooker hood or extractor fan
⦿ A fridge and freezer, or a fridge-freezer
⦿ A microwave oven

All landlords must also provide:
⦿ A sink with hot and cold water.
⦿ A separate room, for the exclusive use of each rented unit, with a toilet, a washbasin and a fixed bath or shower with hot and cold water. These facilities must be maintained in good working order and the room must be well ventilated.
⦿ A permanently fixed heater in each bathroom or shower room. These must be working well and be properly maintained.
⦿ A fixed heating appliance in each room, which provides enough heat for the room and can be controlled by the tenant. There should also be suitable facilities for removing fumes.
⦿ A fire blanket and fire detection and alarm system.
⦿ Access to vermin-proof and pest-proof rubbish storage facilities. The landlord must also make efforts to prevent the infestation of pests and vermin at the property.
⦿ Safety restrictors on windows that are located above a certain height, to prevent falls
⦿ Information on the property, building services, appliances and their maintenance requirements.
⦿ A carbon monoxide alarm which must be suitably located and maintained.

What can I do if these minimum standards are not met?
You should always report sub-standard conditions to your landlord first. If your accommodation is sub-standard or your landlord refuses to carry out essential repairs, you can contact your local authority. Local authorities can issue Improvement Notices and Prohibition Notices, outlining necessary repairs and prohibiting re-letting until your landlord fixes the issues.

You can find out more about standards for rented accommodation here, or call your local Citizens Information Centre in Bray on 0818076780 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).