Written answers

Thursday, 2 June 2016

Department of Social Protection

Employment Support Services

Photo of Jim DalyJim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

206. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if persons in receipt of a payment under the jobseeker's allowance or otherwise who are eligible for supported employment due to illness, injury, mental ill health or disability will not be denied access to the additional client-centred specialist support they need, via employability services, whilst working with payment-by-results JobPath providers, Turas Nua or Seetec, given that the majority of clients utilising supported employment in west Cork are not in receipt of payment under disability allowance or invalidity allowance scheme and given the growing trend for referrals due to mental ill health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14092/16]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The EmployAbility service is a national employment service dedicated to improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities who wish to take up employment. The budget for 2016 provides €9.6 million to run the service.

EmployAbility participants are people with a disability, which can range from physical to mental ill health, who are “job ready” (typically able to work a minimum of 8 hours per week and motivated to work) and need the support of a job coach to obtain employment in the open labour market. All potential EmployAbility clients must be referred through a Department of Social Protection Intreo office, or a Local Employment Service.

Participants should be in receipt of a disability-related social welfare payment, such as disability allowance, illness benefit, or invalidity pension. Where a potential client is not on a disability-related payment but on another payment, such as jobseeker’s payments, a medical certificate or letter from their GP to verify their illness/injury/disability is required for registration on the service. There are no plans to change the eligibility criteria in this regard to access this service.

JobPath is a new approach to employment activation that supports people who are long-term unemployed and who are most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. Only clients in receipt of a jobseeker payment are referred to JobPath. Where it transpires that a jobseeker’s allowance recipient on JobPath requires additional supports that are not available on JobPath and where such supports are available under the EmployAbility service, then arrangements may be made for the person to avail of the EmployAbility service if they meet the eligibility criteria for that service.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.