asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state the amount of means which disqualifies an applicant for the receipt of unemployment assistance, and whether it is his intention to raise the limit, if necessary by the introduction of proposals for legislation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance Means Test.
Persons resident in a county borough or in the Borough of Dun Laoghaire whose means exceed £52 per annum, and persons resident elsewhere whose means exceed £39 per annum, are not entitled to qualification certificates and cannot be paid unemployment assistance. The Government's next steps in the matter of social security are indicated in the White Paper issued in October last. When these proposals are implemented the question of improving the unemployment assistance scheme will be considered.
The Minister will admit that he has already altered the limit in respect of old age pensions which was on a level with the minimum amount of means for unemployment assistance. These figures were on a level until he changed the figure for old age pensions. Will he not bring the figure for unemployment assistance into line with the new figure for old age pensions?
I am not insensible to the desirability of doing that but it is a matter of taking things in order. As I said in reply to the Deputy's question, I hope to deal with the matter when we clear the next item on the social security programme.