Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 16 Feb 1993

Vol. 426 No. 1

Written Answers. - Part-time Workers.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

19 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the discriminatory effect which the new rules governing claims for benefit by part-time workers are causing; and if he will modify these rules.

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

25 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social Welfare the intended effect of S.I. No. 448 of 1992; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this order undermines the rights of women part-time workers which they acquired under the Worker Protection (Regular Part-Time Employees) Act, 1991; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

68 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make a statement on new regulations affecting new claimants' unemployment benefit who are being disqualified from claiming on a two day per week basis if they are already working a three day week; and if he will rescind this particular regulation due to the financial hardship affecting some claimants who are losing up to £40 per week.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

73 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will review the social welfare regulations introduced on 4 January 1993, particularly as they apply to part-time workers in view of the impact they will have.

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

82 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to moderate or reverse any of the recent changes introduced in relation to eligibility for part unemployment assistance for part-time workers; if in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin unemployment assistance will be paid for the days each week on which the person is not working; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 25, 68, 73 and 82 together.

In April 1991, social insurance cover was extended to all employees earning £25 per week or more. As a result, over 26,000 part-time workers were brought into social insurance and can now be eligible for unemployment, disability, maternity and treatment benefits.

Changes in the benefits system were required to accommodate this group. The 1991 and 1992 Social Welfare Acts provided for these. Detailed provisions were set out in regulations signed by my predecessor late last year. The new regulations came into force on 4 January, to coincide with the change in the benefit year.

There are two aspects to the new arrangements. First, there are graduated rates of payment for workers on very low earnings. It would not make sense to pay £53 per week, the current single person's rate of disability or unemployment benefit, to someone whose earnings, when they were working, had only been say £25 or £40. A person in that situation would have an incentive to give up their job and claim benefit instead. So, for people on very low earnings, benefit levels are related to the earnings they had when they were employed.

The second feature of the new regulations relates to loss of employment. The purpose of unemployment benefit is to provide a replacement income for people who have lost their jobs. Now that so many part-time workers, some of whom normally only work a day or two per week, are covered for social insurance, it was necessary to review the conditions for unemployment benefit to ensure that they were in line with the scheme's objectives. In the new regulations the conditions for receipt of unemployment benefit were changed to include the requirement that the claimant has suffered a loss of employment.

Unemployment assistance is not affected by this change.

I am monitoring the effect of these regulations and will advise the Government of my findings.