Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have a particular concern with people who are unemployed in their 60s. Again, everybody's individual story is different. Somebody may have been working for decades and may have been made redundant in his or her 60s. Another person may be in his or her 60s and may not have worked for decades. This is a very different person, and that is why it is important to assess people individually. In some cases, people are not able to work due to health issues and it is more appropriate for them to apply for an alternative payment such as an illness payment or a disability payment. The proportion of people in receipt of illness and disability payments rises through the 40s, 50s and 60s. If they are able to work and do not have a disability, they are considered to be jobseekers.

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