Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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584. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) did not qualify for the back-to-work enterprise allowance. [5547/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The person in question was awarded Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) from 12 September, 2017 and is currently in receipt of this payment. The person in question was in receipt of Carer’s Benefit immediately prior to JA. To qualify for Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) a client is required to have 9 months' continuous entitlement to a primary eligible payment. Time spent on Carer’s Benefit does not count towards the qualifying period for BTWEA. As the person concerned has not been on an eligible payment for 9 months, she does not qualify for BTWEA at this time.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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585. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to reduce the qualifying waiting criteria from nine to six months in the case of a person (details supplied) in view of previous contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5548/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) is designed to provide a monetary incentive for people who are on social welfare payments to develop a business while allowing them to retain a reducing proportion of their qualifying social welfare payment over two years: 100% in year 1 and 75% in year 2.

In 2016 a review of the BTWEA scheme was conducted. Overall, the review found that the scheme offers effective support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a useful role in supporting the development of new enterprises.

Budget 2017 introduced a change to the eligibility conditions for the BTWEA. From January 2017, jobseekers taking up self-employment are able to access the BTWEA after 9 months, down from 12 months previously. This change has enabled those wishing to commence self-employment at an earlier stage of their unemployment to access the supports of the BTWEA.

To qualify for BTWEA a client is required to have 9 months' continuous entitlement to a primary eligible payment. As the person concerned has not been on an eligible payment for 9 months, she does not qualify for BTWEA at this time.

There are no plans to reduce the qualifying waiting criteria for BTWEA from nine to six months.