The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2015 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €3.01 billion.
Reduced rates for younger jobseeker’s allowance recipients were first introduced in 2009. Budget 2014 further extended the reduced rates of jobseeker’s allowance to recipients under 26 years of age.
This is a targeted measure aimed at protecting young people from welfare dependency. It aims to incentivise young jobseeker’s allowance recipients to avail of education and training opportunities. If a jobseeker in receipt of the reduced jobseeker’s allowance rate participates on an education or training programme they will receive a higher weekly payment of €160.
The jobseekers benefit scheme works differently. A person’s benefits are linked to their employment history irrespective of age.
Under jobseeker’s benefit, recipients with earnings of less than €300 per week in the relevant tax year – for claims in 2015, the relevant tax year is 2013 – get a personal rate ranging from €84.50 to €147.30 per week, and reduced rates for qualified adults may also apply. Jobseeker’s benefit recipients with average earnings over €300 per week in the relevant tax year will receive a personal rate of €188 per week.
These are general provisions for the jobseeker’s benefit scheme which are designed to prevent a disincentive to employment whereby workers on low incomes could have access to weekly social welfare payments in excess of their income from employment.
There are no plans to change these jobseeker’s benefit provisions.
I understand that when a jobseeker’s benefit recipient participates in an Education and Training Board scheme the training allowance rate associated with that participation will be the appropriate jobseeker’s benefit rate which, in terms of personal rate, may range from €84.50 to €188 per week.
