Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2015
50. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the anomaly whereby the spouse of a person who dies while on a community employment scheme does not receive six weeks' payment, but the spouse of someone who dies while on other payments does. [17343/15]
View answerWhen a person in receipt of certain social welfare payments dies, their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may get 6 weeks of this payment after their death. This will be paid at the same rate that the late spouse, civil partner or cohabitant was receiving.
The person may get the 6-week payment if their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant was receiving one of the following payments and it included a payment for them (i.e. an increase for a qualified adult):
- State Pension (Transition);
- State Pension (Non-Contributory) or State Pension (Contributory);
- Pre-Retirement Allowance;
- Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance;
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance;
- Illness Benefit;
- Disability Allowance;
- Invalidity Pension;
- Blind Pension;
- Farm Assist;
- Injury Benefit or Incapacity Supplement.
Participants on the Community Employment scheme are in insurable employment and are not considered to be in receipt of a social welfare payment. Accordingly, the 6 weeks payment is not payable.
