Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2020
534. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the supports in place to facilitate persons with disabilities in entering the workforce; if it will be ensured that both the partial capacity benefit paid to workers and the wage subsidy scheme payment paid to employers can be provided in respect of the same employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35375/20]
View answerIn addition to providing income supports, the Department provides a wide range of employment-related supports for both jobseekers with disabilities and employers seeking to employ a jobseeker with a disability or to retain an existing employee who has or who acquires a disability. The supports available include:
Intreo Service
The Intreo service is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports in the State. Intreo provides tailored employment services and supports to both jobseekers and employers. Jobseekers, including jobseekers with disabilities, who seek support from their local Intreo Centre, work with a case officer with a view to agreeing a suitable personal progression plan in order to access the full range of employment supports available.
Local Employment Service
The Department contracts for the provision of Local Employment Services with 22 companies in 26 locations. Providers deliver a case managed employment service for all Jobseekers (including those with disabilities) who avail of the services. Jobseekers work with a LES Mediator to develop a personal progression plan in order to access the full range of employment supports available. Providers also deliver a recruitment and job matching service for employers. LES Mediators may refer clients of the service to an EmployAbility service provider, if it is felt the person would benefit from this more specialised service.
Employability Services
The Department recognises the additional difficulties some jobseekers with disabilities may experience in securing and maintaining employment in the open labour market, and so contracts for the provision of services to help address these difficulties. The Department contracts with 24 companies for the delivery of EmployAbility services in 31 locations. Jobseekers are referred to EmployAbility providers by Intreo Centres (or by other contractors as designated, e.g. LES providers). Providers deliver a supported employment model of services for jobseekers with disabilities. Jobseekers work with a job Coach who provides both pre-employment and in-employment support and assistance. Providers also deliver a recruitment and job matching service for employers.
The Department also funds a number of other related programmes/services:
- The 'Ability' programme, introduced in June 2018 which is a pre-activation programme for young people with disabilities. Over a three year period, the programme will support over 2,600 young people with disabilities aged between 15 and 29 years of age. The 27 projects funded have been designed to assist young people in their transition from school and other settings into further education and employment. This will be undertaken using person-centred, case management approaches that support participants to achieve their desired employment goals. Funding for this programme is being provided jointly (on a 50:50 basis) under the EU's ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) Operational Programme, 2014-2020 and the Irish Exchequer. Funding has also been provided for an evaluation of the programme to be undertaken, to capture the learnings as an aid to any future programme design.
- The 'Willing Able Mentoring' (WAM) programme, which is a work placement programme that aims to promote access to the labour market for graduates with disabilities. The programme provides graduates with disabilities with the opportunity to undertake a minimum 6 month, paid, mentored work placement with employers.
- Reasonable Accommodation Fund (RAF) which provides a range of employment support grants for people with disabilities and their employers. The fund is comprised of the Employee Retention Grant, Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant, Personal Reader Grant and Job Interview Interpreter Grant.
The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) provides three levels of financial incentives that may be claimed by private sector employers in respect of their employees. The objective of these incentives is to encourage private sector employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities employed in the open labour market. The WSS provides financial support directly related to the individual employees with a disability being employed, and also the costs associated with any additional administrative or supervisory expenditure incurred with such employment. The guidelines state that, for an employment to qualify for a WSS subsidy, an employee must not be in receipt of Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension or Partial Capacity Benefit. This is to avoid a position where there are dual supports being availed of in respect to a single employment.
Persons in receipt of invalidity pension or in receipt of illness benefit for greater than 6 months who wish to return to work can apply for Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB). The PCB scheme is designed for people who are on Illness Benefit, for at least six months, or on Invalidity pension and who have retained some capacity for work and wish to work. If awarded, PCB will allow a person to continue to receive, in addition to their earnings from employment, a percentage of their Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension payment while working.
The personal rate of payment of PCB is based on a medical assessment of a person's restriction, regarding their capacity for work, whether the person was in receipt of Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension and their current rate of payment. After the medical assessment, if a person's disability is rated as moderate, severe or profound their previous payment continues at 50, 75 or 100 per cent, respectively. There is no limit on the number of hours a person awarded PCB may work.
Both the WSS and PCB seek to improve employment outcomes for persons with disabilities. However, both supports are not available in respect of a single employment.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
