David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she is still considering a form of combined income support payment to all low income families including lone parents, similar to that referred to in her Department's report Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents which examined various options regarding one parent family payment, family income supplement and child dependent allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4043/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The number of one-parent family payment (OFP) recipients stood at 87,918 in December, 2012. The cost of the OFP scheme in 2012 was €1.06 billion. The reforms introduced in recent Budgets of the OFP scheme build on my Department’s report Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents. While there are no current plans to introduce the Parental Allowance the reform of the scheme is ongoing. Two significant changes are in the process of being introduced. The maximum age limit of the youngest child for receipt of the OFP is being reduced to 7 years by 2015 and the earnings disregard is being reduced on a phased basis to €60 per week in 2016. The Department is also examining a proposal to create a single social welfare payment that would cover all people of working age, including those who would currently be classified as unemployed, with a disability, or parenting alone.

The single payment would be an opportunity to streamline a number of different payments for people of working age. A prerequisite to the introduction of the single payment is the enhancement of the range of supports and services that recipients of the single payment would require in order to progress into employment. However, no decisions have been made on whether to proceed with the single payment. In addition to the reforms of OFP, I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare in 2011, which has been tasked with recommending cost-effective options as to how employment disincentives can be improved and better poverty outcomes achieved. The Advisory Group prioritised the area of family and child income supports and has completed its work on this area. Their report is currently receiving my consideration and will be published in the near future.