Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2020
36. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider including the PCP in the WSS scheme administered by her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40142/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThrough the Comprehensive Employment Strategy, the Government recognises the importance for people with disabilities of participation in employment. As part of the Strategy, my Department is committed to improving employment outcomes and removing barriers to employment for persons with disabilities. The supports provided by the Department of Social Protection have been designed to enable people with a disability to achieve their employment ambitions by focusing on the individual’s ability and capacity. While both the Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) and Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) seek to improve employment outcomes for persons with disabilities, they operate in different ways and with different qualifying conditions. In particular, the Wage Subsidy Scheme is a support to employers while Partial Capacity Benefit is a support provided to individuals on Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension to assist them in returning to work. For a private sector employer to qualify for a WSS subsidy for an employment position, the employee must not be in receipt of Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension or Partial Capacity Benefit. This is to avoid a situation whereby a dual subsidy being paid in respect of a single employment position. Allowing the direction of two support payments to a single employment position would have significant cost benefit implications. The WSS is an incentive to encourage private sector employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to people with disabilities by providing financial incentives to employers who offer employment of at least 21 and up to 39 subsidised hours per week. It is not designed as a subsidy for part-time work of less than 21 hours. The Department offers alternative supports to people with disabilities who may not be in a position to, or may not wish to, work full-time. The Partial Capacity Benefit scheme is available for people who have an underlying entitlement to, and have been in receipt of, Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit for at least six months. To provide clarity to the existing practice, the WSS guidelines were amended in April 2019 to explicitly state that Partial Capacity Benefit, together with Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension, is included on the list of schemes which an employee must not be in receipt of if the employer is to receive a WSS subsidy. The position regarding both WSS and PCB payments not being made in respect of the same employment has not changed. There is no restriction on earnings or the number of hours a person can work on Partial Capacity Benefit. I will continue to keep the Department’s employment support schemes for people with disabilities, including the Wage Subsidy Scheme, under review to ensure that they continue to meet their policy objectives. However, any potential changes to these schemes can only be considered as part of the wider budgetary context.
