Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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142. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) who is financially independent is currently being paid €5.45 per day in short-time work support while the person's over-25s colleagues with the same employer and with the same reduced hours of employment are currently being paid €40 per day in short-time work support possibly in breach of the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39082/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) is subject to age-related rates of payment for persons under 25 years. It is also a means-tested scheme and, in accordance with the legislation governing entitlement to JA, what is known as benefit and privilege is assessed where a person is living at home with parents who are working.

The person concerned was awarded a JA payment with effect from 05/10/2020.

A review of the person’s entitlement has been undertaken which has determined that the person concerned has means in excess of the prescribed limit for receipt of JA. A letter of disallowance issued to the person concerned on 24/11/2020 advising her of this revised decision. A UP80 form has also issued to the employer of the person concerned so that a full review of her JA entitlement can be undertaken from the original claim date of 05/10/2020.

A member of staff at Balbriggan Intreo Centre contacted the person concerned on 24/11/2020 to advise her of the revised decision on her Jobseeker’s Allowance. She was also asked to contact the Intreo Centre should her circumstances change and her eligibility for a payment can be reviewed again. It is open to the person concerned to submit a Jobseeker’s Benefit application in January 2021 so that she may have her entitlement assessed based on the Governing Contribution Year of 2019.

If the person concerned is not satisfied with this decision, she may send in any supporting facts or evidence to my Department and a Deciding Officer will review the decision. Alternatively she may appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office which functions independently of my Department.

Should the person concerned experience financial difficulty she can contact her local Community Welfare Service at the Balbriggan Intreo Centre, where her circumstances will be assessed. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment to help meet essential once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no automatic entitlement to these payments which are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case, in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. The Community Welfare Service can be contacted by phone at (01) 6984300.

I trust this clarifies the matter.