Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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254. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address matters raised by an organisation (details supplied) relating to budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40129/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Budget 2018 measures that took effect from 29 March this year, specifically the increases to the income disregard, the primary rate and the increase for a qualified child, assisted a lone parent in receipt of the one-parent family payment or jobseeker’s transitional payment, working 15 hours a week on the National Minimum Wage, to be better off by almost €1,000 per year.

The income disregard on the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) scheme has increased from €60 to €130 across Budgets 2016 to 2018. The One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) income disregard increased from €90 to €130 across Budgets 2017 and 2018.

In relation to the working hours requirement associated with qualification for payment of the Working Family Payment (WFP), a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week.

This has reduced from 30 hours when the scheme was initially introduced in 1984. It is important that the WFP does not inadvertently subsidise unsustainably low earnings or encourage employers to offer minimal hours of employment.

If a person cannot meet the 19 hours WFP threshold, or if their hours vary significantly from week to week, the Department offers a number of other schemes that can provide income support that can be combined with earnings from employment, subject to each individual’s circumstances. These include the jobseeker schemes, disability allowance, carer’s allowance, the one-parent family payment, jobseeker’s transitional payment and the part-time job incentive scheme. Combined, the Department provides an extensive system of social welfare supports which facilitate recipients taking up some employment while maintaining their social welfare payment.

Any changes to the rules of eligibility of the SUSI maintenance grant and the cost implications of such changes are a matter for the Department for Education and Skills.

Any changes to OFP and JST in Budget 2019 will have to be considered in the overall budgetary context, in light of available resources and other priorities.