asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the part-time job allowance scheme gives those participating an allowance in respect of a spouse, but no allowance in respect of dependent children, as do other social welfare schemes; and the cost of extending such an allowance to include provision for children on an equivalent basis.
Written Answers. - Job Allowance Scheme.
123.
The part-time job allowance scheme has been operating on a pilot basis since September 1986. Under the scheme, an unemployed person may take up part-time employment for up to 24 hours a week and still retain entitlement to a basic income maintenance payment by way of a flat-rate allowance from my Department. The allowances are £25 for a single person and £40 for a married person with a dependent spouse. In the Cork area there was throughout the pilot scheme an additional payment of £2 per week in respect of each dependent child.
The amount of earnings from part-time work do not affect the allowances payable and the incentive which is built into the scheme is the fact that participants are free to maximise their earnings from part-time working without suffering any reduction in the allowance. The part-time job allowance scheme is, therefore, different in a fundamental way from other payments under the social welfare code, such as unemployment benefit or assistance.
Information is not readily available on the family status of married participants and it would be difficult to estimate the numbers that might participate in the scheme if the payment structure were changed. However, there is not evidence from the pilot phase that the different payment structure in the Cork area was a positive factor in the take-up of the scheme in that area.
As already announced the part-time job allowance scheme is to be extended nationwide with effect from April 1988 and the allowance for a participant with a dependent spouse will be increased to £45 a week. This scheme will continue to be monitored by my Department and it will be subject to review in the light of the experience of the extended nationwide scheme.