Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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45. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 140 of 9 December 2014 her views on a change to the current legislation and rules in relation to income earned on a once off basis as a polling clerk being deducted in a means test for a couple in receipt of carer's allowance and jobseeker's allowance. [49661/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Parliamentary Question 140 of last December relates to the case of an individual who is in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance. He is also paid an increase in respect of a qualified adult (his spouse) and an increase for a qualified child.

His spouse is also in receipt of a half-rate carer’s allowance. She was employed as a polling clerk for one day last year. A person in receipt of half-rate carer’s allowance is entitled to work in paid employment for up to 15 hours per week and any such income from employment is assessed as means. In this regard, a couple can have means of up to €665 per week without affecting entitlement to a maximum rate of either a full-rate or half-rate carer’s allowance payment. Payment is reduced at a tapered rate (50%) where means are in excess of €665 per week. Accordingly, the income form employment as a polling clerk did not affect the rate of half-rate carer’s allowance payable.

When the spouse of a person in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance is in employment, his or her earnings are assessed as means for the purposes of establishing the level of entitlement to the payment. Means are assessed by applying a €20 earnings disregard per day worked (up to a maximum of €60), with the remainder of earnings assessed at 60%.

In the case in question, the spouse worked for one day as a polling clerk and earned €350.00. The means assessment was calculated as follows:

€350.00 - €20 (disregard) = €330.00 x 60% = €198.00 weekly means.

These means reduced the level of entitlement for the week in question by €198 and an overpayment of this amount arose. In the case of the individual concerned, there was a previous overpayment of €134.10, which accounted for a total overpayment position of €332.10.

Employment as a polling clerk is treated in the same manner as any other form of employment in relation to means testing. There are currently no plans to make any changes to these arrangements. It is considered that the current arrangements offer sufficient incentive for jobseekers and other means tested recipients including qualified adults to engage in employment, as earnings as assessed on a partial basis only and weekly or daily income disregards apply.