Written answers

Wednesday, 8 May 2019

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Jobseeker's Allowance Data

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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1461. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the procedures for a self-employed person that is signing for jobseeker's allowance on a casual basis; the number of days they can sign during the course of a week, month or calendar year; the income they can earn from self-employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19652/19]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s main social welfare schemes for people who are unemployed are the means tested jobseeker’s allowance (JA) and the social insurance contribution based jobseeker's benefit (JB). The 2019 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseeker’s schemes of €1.95 billion.

The JA scheme is available to all jobseekers including employees and those in self-employment. A self-employed person may qualify for JA if their business ceases or if they are on a low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their business. They also have access to employment supports available to other JA recipients.  

  In assessing means from self-employment, income from the previous twelve months is used as an indicator of likely future earnings. Given the variety of self-employment situations, the means assessment procedures are applied in a flexible manner to ensure that any circumstances that would be likely to lead to a significant variation, either upward or downward, in the level of a person’s income from one year to the next are taken into consideration. The income from self-employment is generally taken to be the gross profit less allowable work related expenses such as travel, lighting, heating, motor running costs applicable to the business. In the case of a single person, if the weekly means exceeds the weekly JA scheduled rate which is currently €203 there is no entitlement to JA. If the weekly means is less than the scheduled JA rate the weekly entitlement for the claimant is the maximum weekly rate of payment for the person less the means calculated. 

When a person applies for a jobseeker’s payment they must declare that they are available for and genuinely seeking work but unable to find work, which is known as ‘signing on.’ Most Intreo centres and branch offices have a monthly signing arrangement and the jobseeker will be given a date and time to sign.  Alternative arrangements may be made if the date or time is not suitable subject to agreement by the Intreo Centre/Branch Office.  

The new scheme for self-employed people, which I announced as part of the 2019 Budget measures, will extend a social insurance contribution based benefit to those who lose their self-employment. This scheme will be introduced in November 2019 and builds on other significant improvements for self-employed people in recent years such as access to invalidity pension and treatment benefits in 2017.  This measure is part of the Government’s stated aim of creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurship, including providing an income safety net to employees and self-employed people alike.

I trust that this clarifies the matter and if the Deputy has a particular case of a self-employed person he should forward the details to my Department for review of the individual circumstances.

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1462. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of young persons under 26 years of age in receipt of the jobseeker's allowance payment who also receive the qualified adult allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19689/19]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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At the 27th of April there were 17,310 persons under the age of 26 years in receipt of a Jobseeker's Allowance payment. Of these, 1,796 were in receipt of an allowance for a qualified adult.

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1463. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of young persons under 26 years of age who are recorded as homeless and who are in receipt of the €112.70, €157.80 and €203 per week rate of jobseeker's allowance payment in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19690/19]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In line with other EU and OECD jurisdictions reduced jobseeker’s allowance (JA) rates for young unemployed people were introduced to deal with high youth unemployment. Receiving the maximum rate of JA without a strong financial incentive to engage in education, training or employment can lead to long-term welfare dependency from a young age. As a result, if a young jobseeker on a reduced JA payment participates on an education or training programme they receive the maximum weekly personal payment of €203.

A breakdown of the total number of people aged 18-25 in receipt of JA payments €112.70,

€157.80 and €203.00 is provided in tabular form in Appendix 1.  Statistical information is not available in respect of persons receiving JA who are homeless - this information is not currently recorded by my department. However, CWS staff have extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders and advocacy groups working with vulnerable people, and, for example, engages in local inter-agency responses to homelessness through its work in the Homeless Persons Unit in Dublin and engagement with Homeless Action Teams (HATs) throughout the country.  

 The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) which I launched on 24 September 2018 is a new work experience scheme targeted exclusively at young jobseekers, aged 18 to 24, who are either long-term unemployed or face significant barriers to employment.  All participants will receive a payment of €229.20 per week from my Department. Participants whose underlying entitlement is in excess of that amount will continue to receive their weekly payment with an additional top-up allowance of €22.50 per week.

Age-related reduced rates do not apply to jobseekers with a qualified child, those transferring directly to JA from Disability Allowance or if their claim is linked to a previous JA claim made within the previous 12 months to which the maximum personal rate applied. Jobseekers aged 18-25 years who were in the care of the Child and Family Agency (TUSLA) during the period of 12 months before age 18 are not subject to age-related reduced rates (this also includes young unaccompanied minors who were in the care of TULSA). My Department’s community welfare service (CWS) actively engages with Tusla and non-Government organisations to provide supports to vulnerable young people leaving care on a case by case basis who are experiencing homelessness or are in insecure situations. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  ENPs can be paid to assist with rent deposits and the costs of setting up home, including to young persons leaving homeless services and moving into the community.  

I trust that this information is of assistance and if the Deputy is aware of a particular case where a vulnerable young person requires the assistance of my Department, the details should be provided for review.

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