One-Parent Family Payment Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Ceisteanna (67)

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

67. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will acknowledge that it is current Government policy to discourage lone parents from engaging with postgraduate education in view of the fact that it is virtually impossible to undertake a postgraduate course without a maintenance grant; her views on whether the provision for the special rate is in actual fact a smoke screen to convey that such an option is a possibility for some when in reality, under the current legislation, any support, scholarship or moneys granted for the purpose of completing a Master of Arts degree can result in the withdrawal of the provision of fees at the special rate; in view of the fact that 98% of lone parents are women, if she acknowledges that the reforms discriminate against lone parents on grounds of class and gender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14268/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

Procedures have been agreed between the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Education and Skills (D/ES) that ensure that all one-parent family payment (OFP) recipients who are participating in full-time education on a qualified course, including on a post-graduate course, will be able to complete their course with income support – subject to the normal OFP scheme conditions.

OFP recipients who are in mid-course, and who are scheduled to transition out of the OFP scheme up to, and including on, 2 July, 2015, can remain on the OFP payment until their course finishes, and then transition to either the jobseeker’s allowance (JA) scheme or the JA transitional arrangement, as appropriate.

OFP recipients who are undertaking a qualified education course, and who are also in receipt of a SUSI grant from the D/ES, can retain both their OFP payment and their grant, including the maintenance portion of it, until their course finishes – subject to the normal D/ES conditions for the grant. The majority of OFP recipients who are eligible for a SUSI grant qualify for the special rate grant. This consists of a student maintenance portion of €5,915 per annum (or €113.75 per week) if the course is located over 45 kilometres from the student’s home, or €2,375 per annum (or €45.70 per week) if the course is located within 45 kilometres of the student’s home. They also receive tuition fees – the rate of which depends on their course.

All customers who will be transitioning out of the OFP scheme from 3 July, 2015, onwards, will have a youngest child who has just turned 7 years of age. For that reason, any of these customers who are in mid-course, including at post-graduate level, will be moved to the JA transitional arrangement, where they will have 7 years to complete their course before moving to the JA scheme, where the normal JA scheme rules in relation to education will apply. In addition, any SUSI grant recipients within this cohort will have their grant disregarded for means when moving to the JA transitional arrangement.