Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:384. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the jobseeker’s transitional payment scheme age cut-off to 18 years of age. [23960/23]
View answerThursday, 18 May 2023
Questions (384)
Written answers
The Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment provides income support to lone parents whose youngest child is aged 7 to 13 years, inclusive. When their youngest child turns 14, a person may be eligible for the Jobseeker’s Allowance payment.
The Working Family Payment is available to lone parents who are working 38 or more hours per fortnight. That scheme is payable where a person has a child up to age 18 or age 22 if in full time education.
A person who takes up or is in insurable employment or takes up self-employment within four weeks of the end of their Jobseeker's Transitional Payment claim can qualify for Back to Work Family Dividend which is payable over a two year period. In year one, the rate of payment is based on the person's Qualified Child entitlement, subject to a maximum of four children, on the date of exit from their previous payment. Fifty per cent of that amount is payable in year two.
Working Family Payment and Back to Work Family Dividend can be paid concurrently.
The full year cost of extending the means tested Jobseeker's Transitional Payment for four years and paying it until the youngest child in an individual family reaches age 18 would be very difficult to estimate accurately. This is because, for example, in addition to population and family demographics, many customers will be in receipt of other payments, such as Jobseekers Allowance, Back to Work Family Dividend and Working Family Payment; others may not be in receipt of a payment; while still others will be in employment and may not qualify for a means tested payment. Therefore the numbers who would qualify were the scheme to be extended for four years is not known.
The current approach aims to support lone parents by reducing long-term welfare dependency, and associated poverty, among this group by focusing on their access to education, training, and employment support services. Access to these services will enhance their skills-set and job-readiness, thereby assisting with their transition into the workforce, and with their subsequent attainment of financial independence.
For these reasons, I have no plans to change the position at this time. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.