Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 September 2021
460. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the eligibility criteria for jobseeker’s allowance in order that adult children living with their parents can be assessed as individuals regardless of household income in order for them be eligible for the workplace experience programme and similar schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43216/21]
View answerJobseeker's Allowance is a means tested payment for people who are unable to obtain full time employment and satisfy the schemes qualifying conditions. The revised estimated expenditure for the Jobseeker's Allowance scheme in 2021 is approximately €1.64 billion.
Social welfare legislation provides that where a person aged under 25 year of age claims Jobseeker’s Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance and is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, an assessment is made of the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of residing there. The value of the benefit and privilege assessed is based on the level of the parents' assessable income. Parental income is calculated as gross income less tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge, superannuation and union dues. Rent or mortgage repayments are then disregarded, where appropriate, and, finally, a parental allowance of €600 per week per couple plus €30 per week in respect of each additional dependent children is also disregarded. The balance is assessed at 34% and this constitutes the weekly value of benefit and privilege to the claimant. This weekly value is deducted from the maximum personal rate applicable to determine the level of weekly entitlement. Where the level of entitlement as calculated is at least €1 per week and less than €40 per week, a minimum rate of €40 per week is payable.
No assessment is made where a son or daughter and his or her spouse / civil partner / partner is living a parent or step-parent in the family home. In addition, where a person returns to the parental home having lived independently for at least three years, the assessment in this case is €7 per week.
Jobseekers of any age who are in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment, regardless of the rate of payment including where there is an assessment of any benefit and privilege, and is unemployed for at least 6 months may be eligible for the Work Experience Programme. Participants on the programme receive a weekly rate of €306.
Any change to the assessment of means for jobseeker’s allowance and supplementary welfare allowance claimants who live in the parental home would have to be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
