Problems getting your redundancy pay

Your employer should pay the redundancy lump sum to you when your employment ends. For example, this could be the last day of your notice period or on your next pay day.

Contact your employer if you don’t get your statutory redundancy pay when you are entitled to it. Do this in writing to make sure there is a record. You can apply to your employer using form RP77 (pdf).

You must apply to your employer for redundancy pay within one year from the date your employment ends.

If your employer cannot pay or they are insolvent, you can apply to get the payment from the Government under the Redundancy Payment Scheme.

The Redundancy Payment Scheme is where your statutory redundancy payment is paid by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from the Social Insurance Fund. This happens when your employer is genuinely unable to pay statutory entitlements because of financial difficulties or insolvency.

The Redundancy Payment Scheme ensures you receive your statutory entitlements.

Once a payment has been made by DSP under the Redundancy Payment Scheme, a debt will be raised against the employer.

If your employer is unable to pay your redundancy lump sum, they can apply to the Redundancy Payments Scheme.

Your employer should follow the steps below:

1. Log on to the Welfare Partners service. To access the service, the employer will need a Department of Social Protection Sub-Cert from Revenue (pdf).
2. Complete and submit an online application form (previously the RP50 form).
3. Download the completed Employee Declaration Form and send it to the employee by either email or post.
4. Upload confirmation from the employee that the Employee Declaration Form is correct. This should be a physical or digital signature or an email from the employee confirming the information is correct.
5. Upload the ‘Required’ documents and ‘Optional’ documents.
6. Review the declaration in the ‘Application summary’ and ‘Submit application’.

Employers can get detailed information on how to access Welfare Partners and use this service in the Employers Guide (pdf).

If your employer is in financial difficulty or becomes insolvent a liquidator, receiver or examiner may be appointed by the courts.

They will take the place of your employer and deal with any outstanding entitlements.

If there is no money to make redundancy payments, they will apply on your behalf to the Redundancy Payments Section.

They do this using the Welfare Partners service. There is detailed information on how to access Welfare Partners and use this service in the Employer Representative Guide (pdf).

If your employer refuses to pay your statutory redundancy payment or there is a dispute about redundancy, you can apply to bring a claim to the Workplace Relations Commission.

You must use the online complaint form available on workplacerelations.ie. This must be done within one year of the end of your employment. The WRC can extend the time limit to 2 years in exceptional cases.

Apply for redundancy after the WRC decision

The WRC will make a decision on your complaint. If the WRC adjudicator finds in your favour, you can apply for your lump sum directly to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) for payment under the Redundancy Payments Scheme.

Follow these steps to apply:

1. Email redundancypayments@welfare.ie to request an application form (RP50).
2. Complete the RP50 form and sign it.
3. Send the signed RP50 form to the Redundancy and Insolvency Section of the DSP along with a copy of the WRC decision. You must send your claim within 52 weeks of a WRC decision being made.

You can get more information about the Redundancy Payments Scheme on gov.ie or from the Workplace Relations Commission's Information and Customer Services.

For information on the status of a claim for a redundancy lump sum or rebate which has been submitted for payment, contact the Redundancy and Insolvency Payments

Unit in DSP by email at redundancypayments@welfare.ie. Include as much information as possible so DSP can help you.

The laws on redundancy

The laws on redundancy are set out in the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967–2014.