Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
973. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people on jobseekers allowance who are long-term unemployed and who had penalties applied to their payments in 2023 due to failure to engage with her Department's labour activation services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1680/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra974. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people on jobseekers allowance who are currently in receipt of a reduced jobseekers allowance payment due to a penalty imposed on their payment for failure to engage with her Department's activation services; if she will consider stepping up control work in this area in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1681/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 973 and 974 together.
My Department is committed, under Pathways to Work, to encourage the take-up of Employment Support opportunities, including implementing sanctions for non-engagement with the Intreo Employment Service. Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) offers income support to people who are unemployed and are available for and genuinely seeking work. Customers who do not engage with the Intreo ES process or who fail to participate in an appropriate employment intervention can have their jobseeker’s payment reduced and subsequently be disqualified from their payment for up to 9 weeks. They may also have their entitlement to Jobseekers Allowance reviewed based on a failure to genuinely seek work. These sanctions were introduced to encourage Jobseekers to engage with Employment Services with a view to ensuring that jobseekers access the supports available to find sustainable employment.
- As at the 7 January 2024 there were 420 JA recipients in receipt of a reduced rate due to non-engagement with Intreo Employment Services.
- In 2023, just over 5,200 reduced rates were applied, with just under 4,900 of those relating to recipients of JA.
Jobseekers who are long-term unemployed are those jobseekers who remain on the live register for a period greater than 12 months. A distinctive client journey has been embedded into the employment services process, whereby jobseekers on the live register, after engaging with Intreo Employment Services in the first 12 months, are referred firstly to the Intreo Partner National Employment Service (NES) and after 24 months to the Intreo Partner Local Area Employment Service (LAES), which is designed to engage with those with greater barriers to the labour market. In this way, the jobseeker is referred to the most appropriate service at each point in time on their jobseeking journey.
It is not possible to specify if a jobseeker was short term unemployed or long term unemployed at the time of the application of a reduced rate of payment in 2023.
The application of reduced rates is a robust process and Intreo ES will continue to ensure that the necessary controls are in place to monitor engagement with the Department’s Employment Support Services, and that failure to engage is managed promptly and appropriately.
