Social Welfare Benefits.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2009

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

Questions (285, 286)

Olwyn Enright

Question:

344 Deputy Olwyn Enright asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance by household type (details supplied); the cost of same between two and three years, three and four years, four years and five years, and five years and more; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40491/09]

Written answers

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

The statistics requested by the Deputy are not available. However, statistics relating to household type and duration of entitlement for jobseeker's benefit and allowance are contained in the Social Welfare Services (SWS) Statistical Information Report published annually by the Department. I am making available relevant extracts of the 2008 report, which is available on the Department's website, www.welfare.ie.

Table F4: Number of Recipients of Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance by Number of Dependants, 2008

Number of Recipients	Job Seeker’s Benefit	Job Seeker’s Allowance	Total
Personal Rate only	99,265	84,540	183,805
With Qualified Adult only	4,663	6,597	11,260
1 full rate Qualified Child	4,245	6,708	10,953
2 full rate Qualified Children	3,715	6,269	9,984
3 full rate Qualified Children	1,775	3,958	5,733
4 full rate Qualified Children	637	1,978	2,615
5 full rate Qualified Children	148	786	934
6+full rate Qualified Children	56	540	596
1 half rate Qualified Child	3,230	850	4,080
2 half rate Qualified Children	2,598	674	3,272
3 half rate Qualified Children	1,077	425	1,502
4 half rate Qualified Children	289	193	482
5 half rate Qualified Children	51	53	104
6+ half rate Qualified Children	14	32	46
Total Number of Recipients	121,763	113,603	235,366
Number of Recipients with a Qualified Adult	13,449	22,872	36,321
Percentage of Recipients with a Qualified Adult	11.0%	20.1%	15.4%
Number of Recipients with Qualified Children	17,835	22,466	40,301
Percentage of Recipients with Qualified Children	14.6%	19.8%	17.1%
Total Number of Children(1)	33,776	50,904	84,680

(1)A Qualified Child Increase is payable at half rate where a spouse, living with the recipient, is not a Qualified Adult. Each spouse may receive half the Qualified Child Increase where both are in receipt of a social welfare payment. This can result in some double counting of the actual number of Qualified Children.

Table F9: Number of Persons on the Live Register in October 2008, Classified by Duration of Claim

Sex/Age	Duration of Continuous Registration
	< 3 mths	3 – 6 mths	6 – 12 mths	1 – 2 years	2 – 3 years	> 3 years	Total
Males
< 20 yrs	3,501	1,388	1,343	753	—	—	6,985
20 – 24 yrs	12,143	5,611	5,066	2,536	1,247	1,189	27,792
25 – 34 yrs	21,652	9,352	8,926	4,567	1,967	3,875	50,339
35 – 44 yrs	13,377	5,660	6,219	3,587	1,703	4,369	34,915
45 – 54 yrs	8,834	3,546	4,186	2,525	1,476	4,870	25,437
55 – 59 yrs	3,256	1,223	1,646	962	474	1,726	9,287
60 – 64 yrs	2,697	1,092	1,640	919	316	969	7,633
Total Males	65,460	27,872	29,026	15,849	7,183	16,998	162,388
Females
< 20 yrs	2,251	919	813	530	—	—	4,513
20 – 24 yrs	7,382	2,748	1,911	1,265	694	700	14,700
25 – 34 yrs	12,494	4,246	3,456	1,558	566	1,180	23,500
35 – 44 yrs	8,554	2,835	2,812	1,586	611	1,301	17,699
45 – 54 yrs	6,717	1,788	1,875	1,153	598	1,730	13,861
55 – 59 yrs	2,549	679	830	595	270	627	5,550
60 – 64 yrs	1,849	559	771	552	219	368	4,318
Total Females	41,796	13,774	12,468	7,239	2,958	5,906	84,141
All Persons
< 20 yrs	5,752	2,307	2,156	1,283	—	—	11,498
20 – 24 yrs	19,525	8,359	6,977	3,801	1,941	1,889	42,492
25 – 34 yrs	34,146	13,598	12,382	6,125	2,533	5,055	73,839
35 – 44 yrs	21,931	8,495	9,031	5,173	2,314	5,670	52,614
45 – 54 yrs	15,551	5,334	6,061	3,678	2,074	6,600	39,298
55 – 59 yrs	5,805	1,902	2,476	1,557	744	2,353	14,837
60 – 64 yrs	4,546	1,651	2,411	1,471	535	1,337	11,951
Total	107,256	41,646	41,494	23,088	10,141	22,904	246,529

Source: Central Statistics Office.

John Deasy

Question:

345 Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there are instances where the back to education allowance is awarded to a qualifying person studying an approved course in another EU country; the reason this information is not made clear on the back to education leaflets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40537/09]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

Under the back to education scheme an applicant can pursue a full-time second or third level course up to and including a Higher Diploma in any discipline and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education. Full-time day undergraduate courses in another EU country which are recognised by the Department of Education and Science for Higher Education Grant purposes may be considered for the back to education allowance scheme. Only postgraduate courses in Ireland are deemed eligible under the scheme.

The back to education leaflet, SW70, sets out summary conditions for the scheme. Detailed conditions for receipt of the back to education allowance are on the Department's website www.welfare.ie.