Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the details of the reduction to widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner’s pension in the past two budgets; if further cuts are envisaged; when the pensions will be restored to their previous levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3284/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The widows pension was introduced on 1st January 1936; it was extended to widowers on 28th October 1994, and extended to surviving civil partners from 1st January 2011. Once in payment, the pension remains payable while the person remains widowed or a surviving civil partner, (i.e. it is withdrawn if they re-marry), and is increased to the level of the State pension contributory at age 66.

The Deputy may wish to note there was no reduction in the last two budgets to the widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension. The rate of payment for this pension has remained unchanged since January 2011, at €193.50 for those under age 66 and €230.30 for those aged 66 or over. Both of these are the maximum personal rates, with additional allowances payable in certain circumstances (e.g. dependent children).

In Budget 2015 the Government increased the living alone allowance to €9.00 for those who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments including the widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension.

The overall concern of the Government in recent budgets has been to protect the primary weekly social welfare rates where possible. Maintaining the rate of the widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty. The Government has no plans to change this policy.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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167. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the current schemes and supports available to a self-employed person who has lost their business and is now unemployed. [3286/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) as well as maternity benefit, adoptive benefit and guardians payment (contributory).

Self-employed workers may also access social welfare supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. In assessing means from self-employment, income from the previous twelve months is used as an indicator of likely future earnings. Given the variety of self-employment situations, the means assessment procedures are applied in a flexible manner to ensure that any circumstances that would be likely to lead to a significant variation, either upward or downward, in the level of a person’s income from one year to the next are taken into consideration. It is recognised that the downturn in the economy had an impact on many self-employed persons with a consequent reduction in their income and activity levels. This may be reflected in any assessment of their means from self-employment for jobseeker’s allowance purposes. As in the case of a non-self-employed claimant for jobseeker’s allowance or disability allowance, the means of husband/wife, civil partner or co-habitant will be taken into account in deciding on entitlement to a payment.

Self-employed people in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance have access to the full range of activation measures available through the State. Given the scale of unemployment levels, the key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective prioritises scarce resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments. Accordingly the employment services and schemes provided by the Department are focused in the first instance on this cohort of unemployed people. However, many services are available to the formerly self-employed who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment.

Some employment services, such as assistance with job-search activities and the use of online job search tools, are available to people if they register with the Department’s employment services offices, regardless of their social welfare status. Unemployed persons, including the previously self-employed, not in receipt of payments may also be eligible to avail of up-skilling opportunities but are not eligible to receive a training allowance while undertaking the course. Springboard courses are open to people who were previously self-employed, regardless of their social welfare status.