Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:136 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount of unemployment assistance a married couple is entitled to with one child dependant with assessable means of £6,000 from self-employment. [3239/97]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Social welfare legislation provides that where a person has means the amount payable is equal to the standard rate of unemployment assistance appropriate to the person reduced by £1 for every £1 of means assessable.
The appropriate maximum weekly rate of long-term unemployment assistance payable to a married couple with one child is £116.20 per week. Accordingly, if their net assessable means following deductions for PRSI, tax, work related travel, medical insurance, and other allowable business expenses were £6,000 a year, the couple would be entitled to a weekly payment of £116.20 less their weekly means of £115 — £6,000 — giving a weekly payment of £1.20. Their maximum weekly rate will be increased to £120.70 in June giving them a weekly rate of £5.70.
In my reply to Question No. 43 of 29 January last from the Deputy, I explained how means from self-employment are assessed after work-related expenses such as travel, PRSI, tax and medical insurance are excluded. As these vary from case to case, it is not possible to determine the exact amount of unemployment assistance payable in any particular case without all the relevant information. However, as an example assuming £4,000 expenses to be disregarded the means assessed would be £2,000, giving a weekly unemployment assistance rate of £78.20.