Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:385. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the one-parent family payment scheme age cut-off to 14 years of age. [23961/23]
View answerThursday, 18 May 2023
Questions (385)
Written answers
The One-Parent Family Payment is a means tested payment for lone parents under 66 who are not cohabiting, and whose youngest child is under 7. The Jobseekers Transitional Payment is also means tested, and is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme for lone parents under 66, who are not cohabiting and whose child/children are between 7 and 14 years old. Where their youngest child is aged 14 or over, lone parents may qualify for the Jobseeker’s Allowance.
The Working Family Payment is also available to recipients of One-Parent Family Payment who are working for at least 38 hours per fortnight and who satisfy the qualifying conditions. Lone parents who move off the One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment into employment may qualify for the Back to Work Family Dividend.
The full year cost of paying One-Parent Family Payment until the youngest child reaches age 14 would be very difficult to estimate accurately. While people whose youngest child is aged between 7 and 14 may already be in receipt of Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment, others will be in receipt of the Back to Work Family Dividend, while still others might not be in receipt of any social welfare payment. The numbers who would qualify for One-Parent Family Payment, were it extended, are therefore not known.
As a result, I am advised that the Department is not in a position to provide the costing requested.