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Social Welfare Benefits.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 April 2004

Tuesday, 6 April 2004

Questions (308, 309, 310)

Gerard Murphy

Question:

399 Mr. Murphy asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the regulations can be changed to allow an unemployed person to sign on for a portion of their benefit if they take a job that only offers two to three hours daily. [10732/04]

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Written answers

Unemployment benefit provides for periods of involuntary unemployment. It is not payable in respect of any day during which a person is engaged in insurable employment or self-employment. To qualify for payment a person must be unemployed, available for and genuinely seeking work in respect of each declared day. Also, a person must be unemployed for at least three days in six consecutive days, excluding Sunday, to qualify for payment of unemployment benefit.

My Department administers a number of schemes to assist and encourage people to take up part-time or full-time employment. Among these are the family income supplement. It is designed to provide cash support for employees on low earnings with families, preserving the incentive to take up or remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she claimed other social welfare payments.

Subject to a minimum of 19 hours work per week or 38 hours per fortnight and the expectation that the employment will last at least three months, payment is calculated at 60% of the difference between the family's weekly assessable income and the threshold amount specified for the family size.

The part-time job incentive scheme is designed to encourage people in receipt of long-term unemployment assistance to accept an offer of part-time work in the absence of full-time vacancies. Subject to a maximum of 24 hours employment per week and regardless of earnings, a standard married or single rate of PTJI is payable. A person may claim unemployment assistance, subject to satisfying a means assessment, in preference to unemployment benefit.

The back to work enterprise allowance scheme has a minimum qualification of three years unemployed. The back to work allowance scheme has a minimum qualification of five years unemployed. Both schemes are available to people who wish to take up self-employment or insurable employment for at least 20 hours per week.

Further information on the above schemes may be obtained at any of my Department's local offices. I do not intend to change the unemployment benefit scheme at this time.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

400 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has had their rent support reduced when they received child dependant allowance in respect of their second child; and if this is the normal practice. [10733/04]

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Rent supplements are normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a minimum contribution. At present recipients are required to pay €13 from their own resources.

In the case raised by the Deputy the amount of rent supplement was revised in November 2003 because the person concerned was in receipt of maintenance payments. Rent supplement is determined by the rate of basic supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to a person's circumstances. Account was taken of the second child. A one-parent family payment was subsequently increased to the level appropriate to a person with two children. The adjustment also affected the amount of rent supplement payable.

Jack Wall

Question:

401 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare was refused clothing allowance for two of their children who shall make their confirmation and first communion. [10750/04]

View answer

The South Western Area Health Board refused the application for an exceptional needs payment because the level of household income was considered to be sufficient to provide for the expenses in question. If the person concerned is not satisfied with the decision they may lodge an appeal with the health board appeals officer.

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