The aim of the RSS is to provide income support for farmers and fisherpersons and to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities.

The Rural Social Scheme (RSS)

For Farmer

For Fisherperson

Purpose

The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides income support to low-income farmers and fisherpersons while delivering useful services to rural communities. It is overseen by the Department of Social Protection and delivered locally by Fingal LEADER Partnership, which employ the participants.

Although independent of Community Employment Schemes, the RSS complements them where both operate, with all work benefiting both participants and the wider community.

A young man planting seeds in the soil in a garden or farm field during daytime.

What’s Involved

RSS participants work 19.5 hours per week on a schedule designed to fit around farming or fishing commitments, ensuring participation does not interfere with day-to-day agricultural or fishing activities.
When you join the scheme, you receive a contract from your start date until the following 31 March. You may be considered for another term if you continue to meet all eligibility criteria.
Since 1 February 2017, new entrants can take part in the RSS for a maximum of six years. All new participants must be over 25 years of age when starting on the scheme.
Participants retire from the RSS on the last working day before their 66th birthday. Annual leave is provided in accordance with the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997.

Get in Touch

A quick overview of working hours, contract length, participation limits, age requirements, retirement rules and annual leave entitlements for Rural Social Scheme participants.

Eligibility

To be part of the RSS Programme, you’ll need to meet a few key requirements:

Criteria for farmers to be eligible to participate on the RSS: you must
- Have an active herd or flock number from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  (Please note that, in order to be deemed eligible to participate on the Rural Social Scheme, you must provide proof to Fingal LEADER Partnership that you are actively farming. This is done by providing a copy of your application for the EU Single Payment Scheme for the current year, which includes a valid herd number, together with a copy of the associated receipt (official proof of postage).)
  And be in receipt of one of the following allowances from the Department of Social Protection:
  - Farm Assist
  - Unemployment Assistance
  - Disability Allowance
  - One-Parent Family Payment
  - Widow’s/Widower’s Pension (both Contributory and Non-Contributory)
- Be under 66 and a Qualified Adult Dependent of a recipient of the Non-Contributory Old Age Pension.
- If you are a child or sibling of a herd number owner and you can certify that you are resident and/or working on the farm, and you are in receipt of one of the qualifying social welfare payments listed, you may be eligible to participate in the RSS on the basis of your parent’s or sibling’s herd number.
- If you are a dependent spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant of a herd number owner, you can take the available place.
- Alternatively, if your spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant is in receipt of one of the qualifying social welfare payments and is actively farming, they can use your herd number to qualify for the Scheme.
- A farmer’s spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant can participate in the RSS if he or she is under 66 and you are in receipt of a State Pension (Non-Contributory) which includes an Increase for a Qualified Adult for him or her.
To be eligible to participate in the RSS, fisherpersons must be one of the following:
- A self-employed fisherman/woman on a fishing boat that has been entered in the Register of Fishing Boats.
- A self-employed fisherman/woman whose boat has been issued with a pot fishing licence.
- A self-employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a commercial salmon fishing licence from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
- A self-employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a commercial eel fishing licence from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
- A self-employed fisherman/woman who has been issued with a dredging licence for shellfish from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
- Holders of an aquaculture licence.
- Permit holders for shellfishing issued by a registered cooperative, and
Be in receipt of one of the following allowances from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food:
- Unemployment Assistance
- Disability Allowance
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Widow’s/Widower’s Pension (both Contributory and Non-Contributory)
- Be under 66 and a Qualified Adult Dependent of a recipient of the Non-Contributory Old Age Pension.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Work Apart From Farming/Fishing:

If you earn money outside your main farming or fishing activity, those earnings must stay within the income limit for your underlying Department of Social Protection payment. Going over the threshold may affect your eligibility for RSS.

If you receive Jobseeker’s Allowance, Farm Assist, the One-Parent Family Payment or Disability Allowance, your RSS rate is your current DSP payment plus a weekly top-up of €32.50.
If you receive either the Contributory or Non-Contributory Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension, you continue to receive your pension in full and receive an additional €32.50 top-up each week.
If you are a Qualified Adult on a State Pension (Non-Contributory), your spouse continues to receive the Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) while you participate in the RSS.