Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2021
46. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether including PhD stipends and scholarship awards for a PhD from the means test for the one family payment is an active barrier facing students who are parenting alone or heading one parent families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48688/21]
View answerThe social protection system includes a variety of social assistance payments with different rules in relation to means testing, reflecting the different contingencies under which payments are made. The means assessment reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use these resources to support themselves so that social welfare expenditure can be directed towards those who need it most. My Department encourages social welfare recipients to avail of education and training through the Back to Education scheme, as well as by referrals to Education and Training Board courses through the Department's Intreo service. In addition, income received from the SUSI grant is disregarded in the means test for most social welfare schemes.In addition, there are a number of scholarships, such as those awarded by certain charitable organisations, which are not assessed as part of the means test for social welfare payments. These include payments under the 1916 Bursary Fund and under Higher Educational Scholarships for Adult Learners from Uversity to a maximum of €7,000 per annum. Uversity is a registered charity that has been awarding Higher Education Scholarships to adult learners since 2018. For disability allowance, the disregard includes any amount of a bursary, scholarship or stipend awarded for completion of Doctoral Degree studies at an approved institution up to a maximum of €20,000 per year.Disregards across all of the Department's schemes are kept under constant review and any changes will be considered in a budgetary context.
