Any person who satisfies the relevant statutory conditions is entitled to receive social welfare benefit or assistance in their own right, regardless of their sex or marital status. However, in assessing means for social assistance schemes, including unemployment assistance, the income of a spouse is taken into account. The same arrangements apply in this respect to men and women applicants.
Receipt of a social welfare payment is not a prerequisite for entry to FÁS courses designed to prepare people for returning to work. The information supplied by the Deputy indicates that, in the particular case brought to his attention, the person concerned who was not entitled to a social welfare payment had already completed a six-month FÁS course and wished to go on to a social employment scheme.
Social employment schemes are specifically designed to help the long term unemployed to re-enter the active workforce and the rules of the scheme include a requirement that the person be in receipt of either unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance for at least 12 months. I understand that, in the light of the priority which has been given to the long term unemployed there are no plans to change the rules of eligibility for these schemes.
