What a means test is
A means test looks at financial resources when deciding whether a social assistance payment applies and what rate may be paid. The Department of Social Protection can assess income, savings, investments, property other than the home, and household circumstances.
This page gives general information only. The exact means test depends on the payment, the official rules and the Department's assessment.
Key terms
| Term | Plain-English meaning |
|---|---|
| Means | Income or resources assessed under social welfare rules. |
| Disregard | Income or resources that are partly or fully ignored under a payment's rules. |
| Social assistance | A payment type that commonly uses a means test. |
| Social insurance | A payment type usually linked to PRSI contributions. |
Which payments are means-tested?
Means tests are generally used for social assistance payments. Social insurance payments are based mainly on PRSI contributions and are generally not means-tested.
| Payment type | Means-tested? | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Social assistance | Generally yes | Jobseeker's Allowance, Disability Allowance and State Pension Non-Contributory |
| Social insurance | Generally no | Illness Benefit, Maternity Benefit and State Pension Contributory |
The payment's other conditions still apply. Passing a means test does not by itself guarantee entitlement.
What can be assessed?
The categories below are common, but each scheme has its own rules and disregards.
| Category | What this can include |
|---|---|
| Cash income | Earnings, self-employment income, pensions, maintenance or rental income where the scheme's rules include them. |
| Capital | Savings, investments, shares and cash. |
| Property | Property or land other than the home you live in. |
| Partner's means | Income or resources of a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant where the scheme uses a household assessment. |
Your main home is normally not assessed as capital. Some income is fully ignored and some is partly ignored through a disregard. The exact exclusions depend on the payment, so a disregard used for one scheme should not be assumed to apply to another.
How savings and investments are assessed
The Department may convert capital into a notional weekly amount rather than assess the interest or investment return actually received. Under the Department's general formula for the schemes covered by its main means-assessment guidelines, capital is assessed as follows:
| Capital | Weekly means assessed |
|---|---|
| First €20,000 | Nil |
| Next €10,000 | €1 per €1,000 |
| Next €10,000 | €2 per €1,000 |
| Amount over €40,000 | €4 per €1,000 |
Important: Disability Allowance and Carer's Allowance use a separate formula under the current guidelines, with the first €50,000 disregarded. Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Working Family Payment and Rent Supplement also have separate assessment rules. Always check the specific payment.
Source: Department of Social Protection — Operational Guidelines: Means Assessment ↗
Simple examples
| Situation | How the concept works |
|---|---|
| A person with savings | Savings may be assessed as capital. The exact assessment depends on the payment and official capital rules. |
| A person with part-time income | Employment income may be assessed, but some payments have earnings disregards or special rules. |
| A couple where one person has income | A spouse, civil partner or cohabitant's income may be relevant for some payments. |
| €35,000 under the general capital formula | The first €20,000 is ignored, the next €10,000 gives €10 weekly means, and the remaining €5,000 gives €10. Total assessed weekly means: €20. A scheme with a different formula will produce a different result. |
What this means in real life
In everyday terms, a means test looks beyond a person's current wages. It can include savings, investments, property other than the main home, self-employment income and a spouse or partner's income, depending on the payment. The Department may assess some assets using set formulas rather than the actual interest or return received. It may also disregard certain income or part of earnings. This means two people with the same weekly wage can receive different decisions because their savings or household circumstances differ. A means test is not the same across every scheme, so an example for Jobseeker's Allowance cannot automatically be used for Disability Allowance or a State Pension.
Common misunderstandings
Where to check officially
Eligibility and rates can depend on the payment, household circumstances and Department of Social Protection assessment. The official sources below are the places to check current rules.
- gov.ie - Operational Guidelines: Means Assessment
- Citizens Information - Means test for social welfare payments
- Citizens Information - Cash income not included in means test