People in receipt of deserted wife's benefit were not eligible originally to participate in community employment, CE, schemes operated by FÁS. Access to CE was restricted to those on unemployment payments or the means-tested lone parent's allowance.
Following a review of the CE scheme, it was decided in December 1994 that persons in receipt of deserted wife's benefit, who had dependant children, could participate on a CE scheme if they transferred to lone parent's allowance. It is estimated that approximately 600 deserted wife's benefit recipients transferred to the lone parent's allowance for CE purposes.
In October 2000, the qualifying conditions for participation on CE schemes were changed to allow deserted wife's benefit recipients direct access to CE schemes without having to switch to lone parent's allowance.
Deserted wife's benefit recipients who transferred to a lone parent payment for CE purposes prior to October 2000 have their entitlement to deserted wife's benefit re-assessed when they notify my Department that they have ceased the CE scheme. If they still have an entitlement to deserted wife's benefit, that payment is restored to them. The Department also assesses in each case whether any arrears of benefit are due to cover the difference between the rates of deserted wife's benefit and the one-parent family payment they received during the period that they were on the CE scheme.
I am also arranging for my Department, as soon as possible, to review the entitlements of deserted wives who transferred to lone parent allowance prior to 2000 in order to access a CE scheme and who are still on CE so that any retrospective entitlements they may have can be paid.
