John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

891. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the social welfare payments in place specifically for lone parents; and the criteria in place to qualify for each. [30838/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The social welfare payments in place specifically for lone parents are the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) and Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST).

Under the current social welfare legislation in order to qualify for payment of OFP, an applicant must be a qualified parent of at least one relevant child who is ordinarily resident in the State, is not detained in a children detention school, and has not attained the relevant age, which is currently 7 years old.

There are special provisions for OFP recipients who have a child on Domiciliary Care Allowance, or are on the half-rate Carer’s Allowance, or are on the Blind Pension, that extends payment until their youngest child reaches 16 years old.

To qualify for OFP an applicant must be under 66 years old; be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian and main carer of a relevant child, and the child must live with the applicant.

The applicant must satisfy a means test and if they have earnings from employment these earnings must be less than €425 per week. The applicant must be habitually resident and must not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting.

Under the current social welfare legislation in order to qualify for payment of JST, an applicant must be a qualified parent of at least one relevant child who is ordinarily resident in the State, is not detained in a children detention school, and has not attained the relevant age which is currently 14 years old.

The applicant does not have to be available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. The applicant must satisfy a means test and does not have to be fully unemployed for 4 out of 7 days.

The applicant must be habitually resident and must not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting.