Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Where a jobseeker’s allowance customer finds work for a period of time and makes a repeat claim within 52 weeks of the previous claim, the second claim is treated as a linked claim, i.e. as a continuation of the previous claim, rather than as a new claim.

The new Budget 2014 provisions relating to jobseeker’s allowance, for those aged 18 to 24 years of age and for 25 year olds, will apply to all new claims from 15^th January 2014 and to existing jobseeker’s allowance customers who reach a relevant age (21 or 25 as applicable) after that date.

These provisions extend payment of the jobseeker’s allowance weekly personal rate of €100 to age 25 where there are no child dependants (this provision previously applied only to those aged 18 to 21 years inclusive) and to customers aged 25 years of age who will be paid a personal rate of €144where there are no child dependants (this rate previously applied to customers aged from 22 to 24 inclusive).

The new provisions will not apply to a person who makes a linked jobseeker’s allowance claim and where a higher rate of jobseeker’s allowance had been in payment on the previous claim. However, they will apply where that person reaches a relevant age on any date after returning to the live register.

In summary, where a customer had already reached age 21 on a previous linked jobseeker’s allowance claim and where the rate of payment had already increased from €100 to €144 and where there are no other relevant change in circumstances, this rate will continue to be paid. However, the full personal rate of €188 will not apply until the customer reaches 26 years of age.

Where a customer had already reached age 25 on a previous linked jobseeker’s allowance claim and where the rate of payment had already increased from €144 to €188 and where there are no other relevant change in circumstances, this rate will continue to apply.