Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy should bear in mind that the move to a transitional payment is in respect of children up to 13 years of age.

Some 69,884 lone parents are being supported under the one-parent family payment scheme, at an estimated cost to the Department of Social Protection and taxpayers of approximately €607 million in 2015.

When introducing the one-parent family payment scheme age change reforms in 2012, a special provision was included for recipients who are claiming the domiciliary care allowance for a disabled child aged under 16 years. This special provision ensures that lone parents who care for a child with a disability qualifying for the domiciliary care allowance will continue to receive support until that child reaches the age of 16 years and can apply for the disability allowance in their own right. As a result of this provision 1,650 lone parents will not be affected by the next phase of the one-parent family payment age reforms, which is due to take effect in July.

It is expected that on foot of the final phase of one-parent family payment scheme age reforms, another cohort of recipients who are in receipt of the half-rate carer’s allowance, as they are caring for another person, namely, an adult or a child aged 16 years or over, may be affected by the July changes. I am therefore working with my officials in examining the position of these lone parents and the potential impact of the July change. I expect those deliberations will conclude in the coming weeks. In this regard, Deputies will recall that before Christmas I reviewed the reduction to the income disregard for lone parents due to be introduced last January and in January 2016. In order to maintain the existing incentive for employment, I brought forward provisions to maintain the level of disregard at 2014 levels.

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