Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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167. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the position regarding jobseeker's allowance applicants (details supplied). [12209/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Social welfare legislation provides that where a person under 25 years of age claims jobseeker’s allowance and is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, an assessment is made of the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of residing there.

The value of the benefit and privilege assessed is based on the level of the parents' assessable income. Parental income is calculated as gross income less tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge, superannuation and union dues. Rent or mortgage repayments are then disregarded, where appropriate, and, finally, a parental allowance of €600 per week per couple plus €30 per week in respect of each additional dependent children is also disregarded. The balance is assessed at 34% and this constitutes the weekly value of benefit and privilege to the claimant.

There are two exceptions to this rule. No assessment is made where a son or daughter and his or her spouse/civil partner/partner is living with his / her parents. In addition, where a person returns to the parental home having had an independent life elsewhere in Ireland or abroad for an appreciable length of time e.g. at least three years, the assessment in this case is €7 per week.

It should be noted that once a person reaches 25 years of age, the value of any benefit and privilege is no longer regarded as means.

Any change to the assessment of means for jobseeker’s allowance claimants who live at home will have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.