Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 18 January 2024
Public Accounts Committee
Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Social Insurance Fund 2022
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022
Chapter 13 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 14 - Ex gratia Payments of €1.4 million to Social Welfare Branch Managers
Chapter 15 - Raising Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 16 - Recovery of Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 17 - Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund
9:30 am
Mr. John McKeon:
We are conscious of that, Chairman. I will give two of the design features before I talk about the cost. There is a cap, which is €450. Therefore, the worker on €100,000 will not be getting 60% of €100,000. The cap is €450. We have also increased the minimum payment. There is a minimum payment on jobseeker's benefit at the moment of €100 per week. In fact, not many people realise that the existing jobseeker's benefit is pay related, but the pay related levels are so low that most people get the maximum rate. However, there is a €100 minimum rate. We have actually increased that to €150. That is what we are saying the new minimum rate will be. The cost to the social insurance fund is estimated at €130 million per year.