Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 327: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the outgoings of a household have a bearing on a claim or an appeal for jobseeker's allowance. [19439/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The outgoings of a household are not taken into account in the means assessment for jobseeker's allowance. The assessment is based on income. All the income of the customer and his/her spouse/partner is taken into account. However certain disregards apply. For example, the first €20,000 of any savings or investments is disregarded. If the customer or his/her spouse/partner is working in insurable employment, PRSI, Union Subscriptions, Personal Retirement Savings Accounts and Additional Voluntary Contributions are disregarded. There is a further daily disregard of €20 for each day worked up to a maximum of €60 a week and the balance is assessed at 60%.

Where the person has a mortgage on the property in which he/she resides, the mortgage repayment is not taken into account. The value of this property is not assessed for means purposes. Where a person owns a second property, any outstanding mortgage on this property is disregarded from the capital value of the property and the balance is assessable. In the case of self-employed customers and farmers all reasonable business expenses are disregarded in the means assessment. There are no disregards for mortgage repayments on the family home or loans. However, supports are available under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to assist people in certain circumstances where they experience difficulties with mortgage payments or other household bills.