Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I move amendment No. 9:

In page 5, line 8, to delete "section 178A(7)" and substitute "section 178C".

The Bill provides for the age limit of the youngest child for receipt of one parent family payment to be reduced to age 12 in 2012, age ten in 2013 and age seven in 2014 for new lone parent claimants. It is standard practice when introducing such changes to put in place transitional arrangements for existing claimants for a period. This ensures that existing claimants are given notice of the change and are not abruptly affected. At the same time, from an administrative efficiency point of view, it is not feasible to have different claimants on the same scheme being treated in a different manner for an indefinite period. The reduction in the age limit is being applied to new and existing claimants on a phased basis and will not affect existing claimants until 2013. Existing claimants will not be impacted by the age seven limit until 2015.

Section 5 provides for this in respect of existing customers. I will set out how these new arrangements will apply. They will depend on whether the person's one-parent family payment claim was made prior to 27 April 2011, between 27 April 2011 and May 2012, or after May 2012. If the claim commenced before 27 April 2011, payment will continue until the age of 18 in 2012, until the age of 17 in 2013, until the age of 16 in 2014 and until the age of seven in 2015. If the claim commenced between 27 April 2011 and May 2012, payment will continue until the age of 14 in 2012, until the age of 12 in 2013, until the age of ten in 2014 and until the age of seven in 2015. If the claim commences after May 2012, payment will continue until the age of 12 in 2012, until the age of ten in 2013 and until the age of seven in 2014. If the person has an entitlement to one-parent family payment based on the age of the youngest child in his or her family, the increased payment in respect of a qualified child will continue for the older children in the family until they reach the age of 18, or 22 if they are in full-time education.

Special provisions have been put in place for people who are in receipt of domiciliary care allowance. In such cases, one-parent family payment will continue to be paid while the domiciliary care allowance is payable for the child in question. At present, the allowance is payable until the child reaches the age of 16, at which point he or she can claim disability allowance in his or her own right. Special provisions have also been put in place for the recently bereaved. In such cases, the one-parent family payment will be payable for two years from the date of the death of the spouse, partner or cohabitant, or until the youngest child reaches 18 years of age.

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