Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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169. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if parents' disability benefit or social welfare payments will be made non-assessable for means tests for adult children who are living with their parents and applying for the jobseeker's allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11249/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Social welfare legislation provides that where a person under 25 years of age claims jobseeker's allowance and is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, an assessment is made of the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of residing there.

The value of the benefit and privilege assessed is based on the level of the parents' assessable income. Parental income is calculated as gross income less tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge, superannuation and union dues. Rent or mortgage repayments are then disregarded, where appropriate, and, finally, a parental allowance of €600 per week per couple plus €50 per week in respect of other dependent children are also disregarded. The balance is assessed at 34% and this constitutes the weekly value of benefit and privilege to the claimant.

There are two exceptions to this rule. No assessment is made where a son or daughter and his or her spouse/civil partner/partner is living with his/her parents. In addition, where a person returns to the parental home having had an independent life elsewhere in Ireland or abroad for an appreciable length of time e.g. at least three years, the assessment in this case is €7 per week.

Social welfare payments such as illness benefit and disability allowance are included in the means assessment as they contribute to the total available income in a household. There are currently no plans to alter these arrangements for the jobseeker's allowance scheme.

It should be noted that once a person reaches 25 years of age, the value of any benefit and privilege is no longer be regarded as means.