Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The final phase of the one-parent family payment scheme reforms took place on 2 July, 2015, when the maximum child age threshold for the scheme was reduced to 7 years for all recipients. On that day, the Department supported all affected customers to transition to an alternative income support payment, including the jobseeker’s transitional payment, the jobseeker’s allowance (JA), and the family income supplement (FIS).

The reforms seek to address the long-term social welfare dependency and poverty experienced by many lone parents by providing them with improved access to the Department’s range of education, training, and employment supports to assist them to move towards sustainable employment.

FIS is the most financially advantageous option that is available to affected lone parents and on the basis of advice from Intreo staff the Department has processed up to 1,600 new FIS applications to date from the affected customers. These customers increased their hours of employment to 19 hours per week, or 38 hours per fortnight and can now also claim the back to work family dividend (BTWFD) where they can retain the child increase portion of their payment. This is worth €1,550 per child in the first year with 100% entitlement and €775 in the second year per child as entitlement reduces 50%.

It is important to note that to reach the threshold hours for FIS an individual can work for one employer or can combine hours from a number of employers.

The majority of customers who transitioned out of the one-parent family payment scheme on 2 July, 2015, moved to the jobseeker’s transitional payment, which is available to lone parents who have a youngest child aged 7 to 13 years inclusive and who qualify for a jobseekers allowance payment. These customers are exempt from the jobseeker’s allowance conditions that require them to be available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. As such, no lone parent with a youngest child aged under 14 years is required to take up employment in order to receive income support from the Department. They can also move into education and/or employment, including into part-time employment (for example, during the mornings, when their children are at school), if they so wish, and still receive payment, subject to a means test.

Jobseeker’s transitional payment recipients are required to engage with the Department’s Intreo services and, more significantly, can avail of a wide range of employment support programmes, including the community employment scheme, JobBridge, the back-to-work enterprise allowance, the rural social scheme, and JobsPlus. These customers can also avail of a wide range of educational options. They can apply for both the SUSI maintenance and tuition grants and, if eligible, their maintenance grant will not be assessed as means for the jobseeker’s transitional payment. They can also participate in a wide range of SOLAS and education and training board courses.

Access to these services and supports is imperative for lone parents, in order to ensure that their prospects of securing employment and financial independence are improved.

Former one-parent family payment recipients who have a youngest child aged 14 years or over who are either not working or working under 19 hours per week, transitioned to a jobseeker’s allowance payment – with the full conditionality of that scheme applied. These customers receive the same level of activation supports as all other jobseekers.

For any affected customers who are currently working less than 19 hours per week and are having difficulty increasing their hours to qualify for the FIS and BTWFD payments, the Department will work with these customers and employers to assist them to find additional employment.