Written answers

Tuesday, 15 December 2015

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

82. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance does not qualify for the Christmas bonus payment. [44678/15]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A bonus of 75% of the normal weekly payment was paid in December 2015 to people getting a long-term social welfare payment. For clients in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance (JA), long term is defined as over 15 months or over 390 days of unemployment. Periods spent on JobBridge internships are not reckonable for this purpose.

The current JA claim for the person concerned commenced on 28 September 2013. In the meantime, he has had two internship periods of nine months. As the person concerned had not been in receipt of a JA payment for the required number of days of unemployment, he was not eligible for the bonus payment.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.