Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 316: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on whether rules and regulations for various unemployment and training social welfare schemes are outdated in the current economic climate in view of the varied profiles of the people applying for State assistance; if she will review the rules pertaining to self-employed people who apply for jobseeker's benefit; if she will amend the rules regarding savings amounts held by people applying for jobseeker's benefit; if she proposes to make changes to rules for people wanting to join back to work schemes regarding the requirement that the recipient to be in receipt of jobseeker's benefit for 12 months prior to qualifying for the scheme; and if she will engage with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to introduce new schemes to retrain and reskill unemployed people or programmes to place skilled unemployed people in skill shortage areas. [8698/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Self-employed workers are not insured against short-term benefits such as illness and jobseeker's payments — these are only available to persons covered by PRSI Classes A, E, H and P. Self-employed people are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 3% and are consequently eligible for a narrower range of benefits than general employees who, together with their employers, pay a total social insurance contribution of 14.05%, excluding levies, under the full-rate PRSI Class A. There are no immediate plans to extend cover for short-term benefits to this group of insured workers. Any such measure would have significant financial implications and would have to be considered within a budgetary context. Consideration would also have to be given to an appropriate increase in the rate of the PRSI Class S contribution.

As the self-employed are not normally insured for jobseeker's benefit, they can instead apply for the jobseeker's allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services.

Jobseeker's allowance is a means-tested payment and in assessing a person's means for the purposes of this allowance account is taken of all income which the person may reasonably expect to receive during the succeeding year. In addition, account is also taken of any property that the person may own, apart from their family home, together with any savings and investments they may have and any other cash income such as a pension from a former employer or from another country. In Budget 2005, it was announced that the amount of capital disregarded for means test purposes for all social welfare schemes (except supplementary welfare allowance) would be increased, with effect from June 2005, from €12,697.38 to €20,000, an increase of over €7,300. This applies to all capital regardless of where it is or was held, be it in a SSIA, a Credit Union, with An Post or any other account with a bank or other financial institution.

The back to work allowance (BTWA) scheme is designed to assist and encourage the long term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities and other social welfare recipients to return to the active labour force. There are two strands to the scheme, the back to work enterprise allowance for the self-employed and the back to work allowance for employees. These allowances provide a monetary incentive for people who are long term dependant on social welfare payments and aim to make the return to work financially attractive and viable.

This scheme has been subject to review and modification over the years. The requirement to be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for a minimum period has always been a feature of the scheme. People who have been unemployed for a very short time are not the main focus of the schemes. The qualifying conditions will continue to be monitored in the context of the objectives of the scheme and the changing economic circumstances.

The Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS to improve the services available for progressing people who are dependant on social welfare progress to education, training and employment in the context of the changed economic circumstances.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 317: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number and value of child benefit payments made to children resident outside this State; the corresponding figures for the childcare supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8729/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The number of EU workers in receipt of Child Benefit for their non resident children at end February 2009 is 6,200, in respect of some 10,500 children. This equates to a monthly expenditure of €1.75m.

The Early Childcare Supplement (ECS) is administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs on behalf of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The number of non resident children in receipt of the ECS payment at end February 2009 is approximately 4,200. This equates to a monthly expenditure of €386,000.