The 2018 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseeker’s schemes of €2.17 billion.
Jobseeker’s benefit (JB) is a contingency based social welfare payment typically for employees who have suffered a substantial loss of employment and have sufficient social insurance contributions to qualify. If a person does not qualify for JB they may qualify for means-tested jobseeker's allowance (JA).
There is no disqualification from receiving JB irrespective of the amount of the redundancy payment for claimants 55 years of age or over. A person under 55 years of age who has been made redundant, shall be disqualified from receiving JB for a period of up to 9 weeks from the last date of employment where the person has received or is entitled to a payment in excess of a prescribed amount under the Redundancy Payments Acts or under an agreement with his/her employer. The amounts and periods of disqualification are provided in the tabular statement. The amount includes the gross amount of all payments in respect of the redundancy, e.g. statutory redundancy, top-up or ex-gratia payments related to weeks of service, early encashment of pension entitlements (if from employer's funds), and any other money received under an agreement with the employer.
Where an applicant for JB may have an entitlement to a redundancy settlement which is not yet negotiated, a JB claim may be awarded (if all other conditions are satisfied) pending receipt of the redundancy settlement. When the details of the redundancy payments become available, the JB claim is reviewed. Where necessary a revised decision is then made and a period of disqualification as appropriate applied.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
The following table shows the length of time a person may be disqualified from receiving jobseekers benefit having regard to the gross amount of redundancy received.
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Amount of Redundancy
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Period of Disqualification
|
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€50,000.00 - €55,000
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1 Week
|
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€55,000.01 - €60,000
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2 Weeks
|
|
€60,000.01 - €65,000
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3 Weeks
|
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€65,000.01 - €70,000
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4 Weeks
|
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€70,000.01 - €75,000
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5 Weeks
|
|
€75,000.01 - €80,000
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6 Weeks
|
|
€80,000.01 - €85,000
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7 Weeks
|
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€85,000.01 - €90,000
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8 Weeks
|
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€90,000.01 and over
|
9 Weeks
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