The primary objective of the Department's information policy is to ensure that all citizens are made aware of the wide range of schemes and services available and that they are kept informed of changes and improvements as they occur.
There are 130 Social Welfare offices throughout the country where customers can obtain information and guidance and where implications of a person taking up temporary employment can be explained in detail. In larger local offices there are also staff dedicated to information provision duties that are available to explain all our supports and services and to help and assist people in completing application forms and accessing their entitlements. In addition, the Department produces a comprehensive range of information leaflets covering each social welfare payment or scheme including jobseeker's allowance. These are available in a wide range of outlets across the country, including all Social Welfare Local Offices and Branch Offices, Citizens Information Centres, Post Offices and in other organisations such as local community centres.
The Department's website — www.welfare.ie — provides information on the range of schemes and services including jobseeker's allowance and benefit. A frequently asked questions page in relation to jobseeker's benefit and allowance is also available. Information on supplementary welfare allowance, revenue job assist, back to work, educational supports and PRSI can also be found on the site. The site has links to FÁS, MABs and other Government Departments and agencies.
The Citizens Information Board (CIB), which comes under the aegis of the Department, is the national information agency with responsibility for supporting the provision of independent information and advice on the broad range of social services including social welfare services. Information is provided through Citizen Information Centres and other offices throughout the country, through a phone service which operates from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and on the website at www.citizensinformation.ie. The CIB recently launched a new site www.losingyourjob.ie. It provides information on education, back to work, reduced hours, help with your rent and mortgage as well as tax matters.
The Department works closely with voluntary and community organisations involved in an information provision role. The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) receives funding from the Department towards running of its services aimed at ensuring that unemployed people have access to comprehensive Welfare to Work and Welfare Rights information and advocacy services. They provide free, confidential, impartial information and advise with issues such as jobseeker's and other social welfare payments and on tax, education and community employment schemes. The website www.redundancy.ie and the publication Working for Work are other sources of information to assist the unemployed. The 2008 edition of Working for Work was funded by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Department of Education and Science and FÁS and contains examples of tax and secondary benefits you may be entitled to depending on your circumstances.
The Department regularly reviews of the information that is made available to people, how its accessed and updates information accordingly. I am satisfied that there is a wide range of information available for jobseeker's from a number of sources.