Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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317. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a person who is in receipt of partial capacity benefit wishing to take up employment under the wage subsidy scheme; if it is permissible for a person who is in receipt of partial capacity benefit to take up an employment position when the employer is in receipt of wage subsidy scheme for the position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24318/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Partial capacity benefit (PCB) is a statutory scheme introduced by the Department in 2012 which is open to people who currently are in receipt of illness benefit for a minimum of 6 months or are in receipt of invalidity pension. The objective of the scheme is to support people who acknowledge that they may have capacity to undertake some level of employment and wish to return to the workplace. Under PCB, a person may return to work and continue to receive a payment from the Department. Payment of partial capacity benefit lasts as long as the person has an entitlement to illness benefit or invalidity pension.

On the other hand, the wage subsidy scheme (WSS) is an employer support payable to the employer where a person with a disability is hired and works a minimum of 21 hours per week.

However, as PCB and WSS are stand- alone supports, one aimed at employees the other at employers, both are not available simultaneously to support a single employment vacancy. So, if a person in receipt of PCB wishes to resume employment, the employer cannot also claim WSS in respect of that employment.