Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if jobseeker's benefit or other unemployment entitlement is payable while an applicant is in receipt of one parent family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6548/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Prior to February 2012 a person may have qualified for half-rate jobseeker’s benefit while in receipt of one parent family payment. From 2^nd February 2012 a person cannot qualify for a new jobseeker’s benefit payment and a one parent family payment concurrently.

People who were in receipt of the two payments at that time, and people who made a post-February 2012 jobseeker’s benefit claim which was linked to a pre-February 2012 half rate jobseeker’s claim, continued to be entitled to both payments up to the expiry of the jobseeker’s benefit claim.

In addition, where a customer is in receipt of a reduced rate one parent family payment (e.g. due to a means assessment), jobseeker’s benefit (JB) may also be payable. However in such cases the JB payment combined with the one parent family payment must not exceed the maximum rate which would be payable on JB in respect of the customer’s family circumstances.

There are no other circumstances where a person may be entitled to any jobseeker’s payment while in receipt of one parent family payment.