Kathleen Lynch
Question:31 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Social Welfare the benefits accruing to a person moving from the dole to employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9916/97]
Written Answers. - Employment Incentives.
Over the past few years the Government has introduced a wide ranging programme of new initiatives and extended existing programmes to encourage the unemployed to leave the live register and take up employment.
In so far as my own Department is concerned I have adopted a pro-active and work supportive approach to encourage the unemployed and particularly the long-term unemployed to return to the active labour force and a comprehensive programme of initiatives is in place.
The back-to-work allowance scheme was introduced by my Department in 1993 to allow people who have been long-term welfare dependent to test employment and self-employment options and retain a foothold in the labour market while retaining some financial security for up to three years.
There are over 17,300 people currently in receipt of the allowance along with secondary benefits such as medical card, rent or mortgage subsidy, fuel allowance etc.
A number of other pro employment measures have been introduced by my Department to help unemployed people make the transition to full employment. These measures include the following:
Family Income Supplement
The weekly income thresholds will be increased again by £10 from next June giving an additional £6 per week to most recipients. FIS will now be calculated on earnings net of PRSI contributions and levies.
Child Dependant Allowance
This allowance was introduced by me last year and is payable for 13 weeks to those taking up employment who have been unemployed for at least 12 months.
Part-Time Job Incentive
This allows the long-term unemployed to take up part-time employment and receive a special income tax free supplement. It helps people to make the transition to full employment via part-time work.
Unemployment Assistance
Changes have been introduced in the way earnings are assessed. These have been designed to enable people to retain more take home pay when they take up part-time or casual employment.
There are also a number of measures in place to encourage employers to create new job opportunities for the unemployed and to assist employers in the hard pressed labour intensive industries. Significant improvements have been made in the PRSI system over the past few years to ease the financial burden on employers.
The following measures have been introduced by other Departments as part of the Government's wide range of initiatives to tackle the unemployment problem and to ensure that people are significantly better off in employment: retention of the medical care for three years for those taking up employment after at least 12 months on the live register; and the work-place, Jobs Initiative and Jobstart schemes administered by FÁS.
I will continue to take a pro-active and work supportive approach to job creation and retention of benefits and I will ensure that all the relevant programmes administered by my Department are geared towards this objective.