Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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219. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 416 of 5 May 2021, if matters raised by the person (details supplied) will be examined. [28828/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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With reference to the details supplied, the person was not working part-time with the company before the Covid 19 pandemic. However, as this person was put on a shorter working week by the company due to the pandemic they are now classified as a part-time worker for the purposes of Jobseeker's Benefit. A person who works on a part-time basis and is employed for a set number of days each week and knows the days on which they will be employed may receive a jobseeker's payment as a part-time worker. The person was categorised as a part-time worker by the deciding officer based on the information supplied and their working pattern. While both casual and part-time workers may be referred to internally in my Department as Casuals, my officials have confirmed that the correct categorisation in this instance is part-time.

The Jobseeker’s Benefit payment week is calculated on a 6 day week with 1/5th deducted for each day worked. This means the number of unemployment days paid to a part-time worker in any week will reduce by one. For example if a person is paid Jobseeker's Benefit for 2 days, 3 days will be added to the cumulative total number of days for that week. As previously advised in PQ 416 my officials have examined the cumulative total of days paid in the individual’s claim to date and I am advised that that the figure recorded in the Department is correct.

The duration of payment for Jobseeker’s Benefit for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid is 234 days, the equivalent of 9 months for a fully unemployed person. It is paid for 156 days for people with fewer than 260 PRSI contributions paid.

My Department corresponds with the Jobseeker's Benefit recipient in advance of the expiry date of their claim and advises of rules governing re-qualification for Jobseeker’s Benefit and also of the option to apply for the means tested Jobseeker's Allowance scheme.

In order to requalify for jobseekers benefit when a claim exhausts benefit, in addition to satisfying the PRSI conditions, a part-time worker would have to suffered a further substantial loss of employment and earnings. A person is regarded as having sustained a substantial loss of employment if they have lost at least one day of insurable employment in any period of 7 days, provided their reckonable earnings or reckonable income are reduced as a consequence of the loss of employment. In short, the number of days worked in any Jobseeker's Benefit week (i.e. Thurs - Wed) must be less than the normal number of days worked prior to the date of claim. Where a person’s earnings have remained the same or increased since the original Jobseeker’s Benefit claim, they would not be considered to satisfy the substantial loss condition for reckonable earnings/income. These conditions as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended).

Jobseeker's Allowance has no duration limit as long as a person meets the qualifying scheme conditions including the means test.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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220. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will have regard to correspondence and advise urgently (details supplied). [28830/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned was awarded Jobseeker’s Benefit from 30 March 2020. She was advised by letter on 27 Jan 2021 that the duration of the claim was 234 days. It was not possible to give a definitive date when 234 days would be reached, due to the casual status of the employment in this case.

A further letter on 19 May 2021 advised that benefit would end on 21 May 2021 and of the right to re-apply for Jobseeker’s Benefit, or Jobseeker’s Allowance, as would be the case with all casual Jobseeker’s claims.

The person concerned should contact her local branch office in Fermoy if she wishes to discuss her case further.