Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 March 2004
175 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason holiday entitlements are being used to reduce unemployment benefit in cases in which employees’ work ceases though no fault of their own as in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8212/04]
View answerUnder social welfare legislation any day on which a person either receives or has entitlement to holiday pay is not regarded as a day of unemployment and a person has no entitlement to unemployment benefit for that day.
The person concerned applied for unemployment benefit on 26 January 2004 due to a one week temporary lay off. Details of holiday pay were sought on 9 February 2004 and were obtained from her employer on 9 March 2004. Based on the information supplied by the employer, the deciding officer calculated that the person concerned had accrued five days holiday pay. Accordingly, the person concerned is not entitled to unemployment benefit for the period in question.
176 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if and when the rent allowance will be offered to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of the fact that they are unemployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8213/04]
View answerThe position is as stated in my reply to Question No. 2654/04, which I answered for the Deputy on 29 January 2004.
The South Western Area Health Board has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person in question. If he wishes to make an application for rent supplement he should contact the community welfare officer at the local health centre so an assessment of his circumstances can be carried out to determine whether he has an entitlement to a rent supplement under the terms of the supplementary allowance scheme.
