Social Welfare Overpayments

Thursday, 11 July 2013

Questions (137)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

137. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 97 of 13 June 2013, wherein it stated that the person had engaged in an apprenticeship whilst claiming jobseeker's allowance as a means of attributing an overpayment to them, if her Department is aware of the fact that they received no payment for any training/apprenticeship in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34155/13]

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Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

In addition to a number of other qualifying criteria, a person must be available for full-time employment in order to be eligible for a jobseeker’s payment. The person concerned was disallowed for jobseeker’s allowance as he did not fulfil this qualifying condition while engaged in an apprenticeship. An overpayment against the person concerned was assessed for the period in question on this basis.