Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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29. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will take property tax rates into considerations when means testing income to determine if an individual is eligible for jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18693/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Jobseeker’s allowance is a means tested social assistance scheme operated by my Department. For means test purposes, account is taken of the income and assets of both the claimant and his or her spouse/partner including the earnings of the spouse. Where a jobseeker’s allowance claimant or their spouse is paying the local property tax, their means for social welfare purposes are their means before they make this payment i.e. no account is taken of such payments in the means assessment. Where a jobseeker’s allowance claimant or their spouse is paying the local property tax, their means for social welfare purposes are their means before they make this payment i.e. no account is taken of such payments in the means assessment. Any changes to the arrangements outlined above would have to be considered in the context of the on-going review of all Government expenditure and Budget 2014.