John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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368. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the payment of a scholarship to a recipient of a one parent family benefit is considered as cash income and deducted from their weekly payment when that same person can retain their full benefit payment and earn up to €110.00 per week; if she considers this to be an anomaly; if she will address the matter as it is an obstacle to those attempting to improve their qualifications for employment. [22925/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of nearly €935 million on the one parent family payment scheme in 2013.

When assessing means for the one parent family payment, account is taken of all cash income which the person is receiving. Where a recipient has earnings from employment, the first €110 per week is disregarded and the balance is assessed at 50%.

There is no similar disregard in place where a recipient has income from a scholarship. Any changes to the current arrangements would have to be considered in a Budgetary context and have regard to the on-going requirement to contain public expenditure.