The report of the Independent Estimates Review Committee to the Minister for Finance, published in December 2002, made a number of specific recommendations in relation to my Department's proposed 2003 Estimates. They were as follows: a reduction in the amount sought by my Department for administrative expenses; a phasing out of the back to work allowance and a discontinuation of summer payments in respect of the back to education allowance schemes; a speeding up of the implementation of the employment action plan whereby persons on the live register are offered supports to find employment or training; changes to the supplementary welfare allowance scheme; a reduction in the financial allocations sought to fund the money advice and budgeting service and the Family Support Agency; and greater control savings across schemes.
In the light of the recommendations by the committee on administration expenses, measures have been put in place to reduce expenditure on administration while maintaining the focus on high priority areas.
In relation to the BTWA scheme, it was decided not to share out the scheme but to refocus it on those who were on the live register for five years or more and on other groups who had particular difficulty in accessing the labour market such as those on disability or invalidity payments. Persons who were in receipt of the BTWA prior to January are not affected by the introduction of the new arrangements.
In line with the committee's recommendation, summer payments under the BTEA scheme will be discontinued this year.