Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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52. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if mortgage repayments are taken into consideration when a means assessment is carried out for jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39585/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Jobseeker's allowance is a means tested social assistance scheme. For means test purposes, account is taken of the income and assets of the claimant and their spouse or partner including the earnings of the spouse. No account is taken of outgoings such as mortgage repayments, rent or other financial commitments in calculating means for social assistance schemes generally, including jobseeker's allowance.

In relation to mortgages, the Government's priority is to provide an environment where mortgage holders can pay for and stay in their home but, where people have genuine difficulty in meeting their financial commitments, they have a framework to address and resolve that difficulty in an appropriate and fair way having regard to the particular circumstances of the case.

The most appropriate way in which customers experiencing short term mortgage difficulties can be supported is through engagement with their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process. Lenders must explore all options for repayment arrangements in order to determine which options are viable for each particular case. These options may include interest only arrangements and deferring payment of all or part of the instalment repayment for a period.