Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
2595. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to remove child maintenance payments as means for social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35336/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra2597. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has had contact with the Department of Justice and Equality regarding child maintenance payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35338/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2595 and 2597 together.
My Department operates a range of means tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test for these schemes takes account of the income and assets of the person and a spouse/partner, if applicable. Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as property owned (other than the family home) and capital such as savings, shares and other investments.
For social assistance schemes, such as jobseeker’s allowance, one-parent family payment, disability allowance and the state pension non-contributory, maintenance payments (including maintenance payments made to or in respect of a qualified child) are assessed by first disregarding any housing costs incurred (up to €4,952 per annum or €95.23 per week), and then assessing the remainder at 50%.
Accordingly, the total value of any maintenance payments is never assessed as means for these weekly income support payments and the total income received by the family (social welfare payment and maintenance payment combined) will be higher than someone not receiving maintenance payments.
Maintenance payments made to qualified adults of social insurance payments, as well as working family payment recipients, are also assessed as means.
The purpose of means testing is to ensure that resources are targeted to those with the greatest financial need. The current method of means assessment ensures that appropriate levels of support are available to those who need them, across the wide range of income supports available from my Department.
Any changes to the means assessment of maintenance payments would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.
With regard to contact with the Department of Justice and Equality, I understand the Deputy to be referring to the requirement for recipients of one-parent family payment to seek maintenance. My Department is currently reviewing the maintenance and liable relative procedures, insofar as they relate to the one-parent family payment scheme, and has had an initial preliminary contact with the Department of Justice and Equality. Further formal contacts with that Department, which is the Department responsible for the Family Law Acts, which govern family maintenance arrangements, will be required in the context of this review.
