Vol. 444 No. 7
41 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if working spouses on community employment schemes have a flat-rate disregard of £30 applied to their earnings; and his views on whether this is fair in comparison with other workers who have a £45 per week disregard.
Social Welfare legislation provides that the earnings of a claimant's spouse are assessable as means for Unemployment Assistance purposes. However, in computing the means an amount of earnings is disregarded in recognition of the work related expenses incurred by the working spouse. This amount is fixed at £45 per week where the spouse works for four days or more per week and at £30 where three days or less are worked. These disregards apply to all working spouses including spouses working in Community Employment.
Persons engaged in Community Employment work part-time, up to 20 hours or 2½ days per week. Accordingly the allowance appropriate to persons engaged in Community Employment is £30.
Community Employment participants are allowed to take other part-time work and in such cases the higher £45 allowance (four days or more per week) applies.
