Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
558. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of making jobseeker's transitional payment and the SUSI grant payable to lone parents regardless of the age of the youngest child or whether the family is in receipt of rent supplement. [13852/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraLone parents who wish to undertake a full-time third level education course can continue to receive income support from my Department irrespective of the age of the youngest child or whether or not they are in receipt of rent supplement.
For those lone parents in receipt of the Jobseeker’s Transitional payment, without rent supplement, they may have access to both the SUSI maintenance grant and the SUSI free fees grant.
For those lone parents who are in receipt of rent supplement and who wish to undertake a full-time course, they must transition to the Back to Education Allowance to continue receiving their income support from my Department. These lone parents may also be eligible for the SUSI free fees grant. However, they are not eligible for the SUSI maintenance grant in accordance with SUSI eligibility rules, which fall under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills.
Any changes to the rules of eligibility to the SUSI maintenance grant are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills. The estimated cost of paying the SUSI maintenance grant to a lone parent, irrespective of the age of the youngest child and whether or not they are in receipt of housing support, is therefore a matter for the Department of Education and Skills.
