Written answers

Tuesday, 7 November 2017

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Farm Assist Scheme

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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1241. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if changes will be made regarding the terms and conditions for those in receipt of farm assist in the context of the Social Welfare Bill for budget 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46523/17]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2017 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €82.8 million on the farm assist scheme.

Budget 2017 introduced measures in relation to the assessment of means for farm assist which reversed all changes introduced in Budgets 2012 and 2013. These measures included that farm income would be assessed at 70% (down from 100%) with an additional annual means disregard of €254 for each of the first two children and €381 for the third and subsequent children. These improvements came into effect in March 2017. In addition, Budget 2017 increased the rate of payment for farm assist by €5 per week to €193 per week.

Farm Assist recipients will benefit from the following measures which I provided for in Budget 2018; the €5 per week increase in the maximum weekly rates of payment, proportionate increases in weekly payments for qualified adults, a €2 per week increase for each qualified child; the 85% Christmas Bonus. These changes are being introduced by the Social Welfare (Budget) Bill 2018. In addition, farm assist recipients are eligible to avail of the 250 additional places on the Rural Social Scheme which I announced as part of the Budget 2018 package.

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