Assuming that there is no other income earned by either couple, the net weekly income in the case of the long-term UA claimant would amount to £160.30, while that of the UB claimant would amount to £133.90. The difference in net income is accounted for by the fact that where a claimant is in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment, child dependant allowances are payable where children are in full time education up to the age of 22 years, or up to the end of the academic year after the 22nd birthday. This does not apply in the case of short-term payments such as unemployment benefit. The difference is in recognition of the fact that families with children on long-term payments face a higher risk of poverty.
In so far as the social welfare secondary benefits of Christmas bonus, butter vouchers and free fuel allowance are concerned, these are payable only to recipients of long-term social welfare payments. As regards income-related secondary benefits such as rent allowance or mortgage supplements and the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance available under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, medical cards and differential rents, the position is that, in the normal course, former community employment workers who are solely dependent on a social welfare payment should continue, where appropriate, to receive these benefits. Secondary benefits can, however, be retained if the person transfers from a community employment scheme to a back-to-work allowance scheme or Jobstart etc.
