Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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198. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for disallowing a claim for supplementary welfare allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 who has a claim for jobseeker's allowance made in March 2015 pending, following that person's dismissal from employment after 15 years in employment. [20114/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The client, who holds an Immigration Stamp 1 until 5 June 2015 applied for Jobseeker’s Benefit on the 19th of March 2015 following dismissal from his employment a month earlier. His work permit enables him to remain in Ireland if he does not enter employment without his employer obtaining a permit and he may not remain later than the specified date.

On making his application, the client was advised to notify the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) that he had lost his job, to seek a review by them of his leave to remain in the State and to provide confirmation accordingly. Four separate attempts were made to contact the client by telephone, email and finally by post during March to remind the client of the need for this evidence to no avail, hence the Jobseeker’s claim was closed.

When the client re-presented in early May 2015, he was again advised of the necessity to contact the GNIB and that he could claim Supplementary Welfare Allowance in the interim. Advice from the Department of Justice and Equality has been that the client holds a work permit which will expire on 5th June 2015, but no further application has been received for leave to stay in the country.

Accordingly, a decision was made to award the claim up to the date the work permit expires. The claim was backdated to 18th February 2015, i.e. when he ceased working, but with an effective payday only from 23 April as he incurred a nine week disqualification period due to his dismissal from the employment. His first payment will be in the Post Office on Wednesday 27 May 2015.