Ruth Coppinger
Ceist:398. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to the State of restoring all jobseeker's payments to €188 a week. [26908/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 27 September 2016
Ceisteanna (398)
Freagraí scríofa
Reduced rates for younger jobseeker’s allowance recipients were first introduced in 2009 and Budget 2014 further extended the reduced rates to recipients under 26 years of age. If a young jobseeker in receipt of the reduced jobseeker’s allowance rate participates on an education or training programme they will receive a higher weekly payment of €160.
The 2016 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme of €2.45 billion.
The full year cost of increasing the rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance paid to recipients under 26 years of age to the maximum rate of €188 per week is estimated at €128.4 million in 2017. This cost includes increasing the rate of Supplementary Welfare Allowance for recipients under 26 years of age to the maximum weekly rate of €186 per week and increasing the €160 Back to Education Allowance rate to the max rate of €188 per week.
However, this does not include the additional cost that would be incurred of paying the full weekly rate of €188 to under 26s who are on other relevant education and training schemes, that fall under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills and are currently receiving €160 per week.