John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Question 342: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her rationale for changing the jobseeker's payment from over a six day week to over a five day week as it will act as a disincentive to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27714/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In the last four years the numbers in receipt of a jobseekers payment who are also working on a part-time or casual basis has increased by almost 200%. At the end of May 2012 there were some 87,578 people in this situation on the Live Register and some 40,687 of these were claiming jobseeker's benefit.

In line with other Budget measures the effect of this measure will not impact on any person whose sole income is from social welfare. It will only apply to those who have earned additional income from working some days during the week.

The effect of this measure will be to reduce the contribution from jobseeker's benefit to the weekly amount of total income and help towards a reduction in the reliance on the welfare system among those who currently avail of a mix of welfare and earned income. As a savings measure, the change will reduce costs within the jobseeker's benefit scheme but the scheme will continue to deliver incentives towards additional employment for part-time and casual workers. It is important to note that the measure applies to jobseeker's benefit only and that recipients of jobseeker's benefit may opt for jobseeker's allowance, which is subject to a means test.

Entitlement to jobseeker's benefit is based, inter alia, on the claimant being unemployed for three days in any period of six days with benefit being paid at a flat rate, irrespective of earnings. Jobseeker's allowance is also based on satisfaction of 'three in six' criteria but entitlement is thereafter determined by reference to weekly means. Therefore the jobseeker's allowance scheme takes account of the earnings of part-time and casual workers, via means reduction in respect of any day in which they have earnings from employment.