Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 April 2024
229. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a one-parent family payment or other allowance is payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18700/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the details supplied within the parliamentary question for the person concerned do not match the records of my department, and without information relating to the circumstances of the person concerned, my officials are unable to advise on an income support payment.
My department is responsible for the administration and payment of a range of supports to assist an eligible person who is parenting alone including the One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment, described below:
• One-Parent Family Payment (OPFP) is a payment for parents under 66 years who are parenting without the support of a partner and whose youngest child is under 7 years of age.
• Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) is a is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme which a person may qualify for if they do not live with a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant and their youngest child is between 7 and 14 years old.
A person can also apply for assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme provides income support to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs). The basic SWA provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.
Qualifying conditions for all schemes and application forms can be found at www.gov.ie. If the person has any queries regarding the schemes available to them, they can also call the National Intreo Contact Centre, by freephone on 0818 405060 for further information. Alternatively, if the Deputy can provide contact information for the person concerned to the dedicated public representative mailbox for the Eastern Region at TDREPSEASTERNREGION@welfare.ie, an official will phone the person directly and provide information on the appropriate schemes.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
