Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2018
17. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons that have faced sanctions and deductions from their social welfare payments as a result of information provided by Jobpath providers; the criteria for such penalties; the right persons have to appeal such deductions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2052/18]
View answerThere are 93,000 clients currently engaged with JobPath of which 483, or 0.5%, currently have a penalty rate applied to their claim. This figure is consistent with the overall level of penalty rate applied across all Job Seekers. In total since the JobPath service commenced, approximately 6,500 or 4.6% of the 141,000 clients who had engaged with the JobPath service (between July 2015 and December 2017) have had, at some point during their engagement period, a penalty rate applied to their payment. JobPath providers do not apply or recommend the application of a penalty rate of payment. They simply advise the Department if a jobseeker is failing to attend activation meetings. Officials in my Department then contact the Jobseeker and seek to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter directly with them. The application of penalty rates is entirely a matter for my Department and officials involved will take all relevant factors into account.
In the interests of natural justice, a jobseeker who fails to participate in the activation process, whether that is provided directly by the Intreo Service or via a contracted service provider, is given both written and verbal warnings and an opportunity to comply before a reduced rate of payment is applied. Furthermore, Jobseekers can, through co-operation with the activation service of my Department, benefit from early re-instatement of the full rate of Jobseeker’s payment.
The legislation underpinning the application of reduced rates of payment is provided for in the Social Welfare Act 2010. All decisions on the application of reduced rates of payment are made by Deciding Officers and are based on all the available evidence and the circumstances of each case. The Jobseeker can appeal the Deciding Officer’s decision through the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).
Reduced rates are only applied where a job seeker fails to engage as requested, and following at least two warnings, with the Department’s employment services.
