Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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23. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the administrative procedures in place whereby persons can easily have their payment amended due to a change in their circumstances when they are participating in community employment, Tús - work placement initiative and the rural social scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12205/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Scheme participants are obliged to notify their employer (CE/Tús/RSS scheme) immediately of any change in their family circumstances. This change could relate directly to the scheme participant (i.e. marriage, civil partnership, co-habiting, divorce, separation or death of spouse), or it could be that their existing adult dependant has a change in circumstances (e.g. finds/loses employment; receives or stops receiving a social welfare payment in their own right or is absent from the state, etc.). There could be a change in child dependant circumstances (e.g. birth/adoption/death of child, child reaches 18, child no longer resident with the participant/in the State or child now receiving a DSP payment in their own right).

Most changes are straightforward and simply require the addition or cessation of the relevant dependant allowance. However, where the family incomechanges, the new rate of payment must be calculated to reflect what the person would be entitled to under their original social welfare payment arrangements. The main instances where this occurs is when a participant gains an adult dependant (i.e. marriage/civil partnership/cohabitation), or where the existing adult dependant has a change in income (i.e. gains or loses employment, or is no longer receiving a social welfare payment).

Once the participant has notified the employer that they have had a change in circumstances, a form will be issued to them for completion and forwarding to the Department for processing. The participant will be notified of the revised rate of payment and how it was calculated. The employer will be advised of the new rate and the effective date. Please note that the employment schemes concerned have a standard minimum payment rate of €208.00 per week.

The Department is currently updating its procedures for dealing with change of circumstances on such schemes to streamline and simplify the process for the participants.