Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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357. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will facilitate employees of an airline (details supplied) to continue to receive jobseeker’s benefit when eligibility for this payment has been exhausted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36177/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The two main statutory income support payments (apart from the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment) for people who have lost work and are unable to find full time employment are jobseeker's benefit, which is based on a person’s social insurance contributions paid from employment, and means tested Jobseeker's Allowance. Both of these schemes allow individuals to work up to 3 days a week and retain access to a reduced jobseekers payment.

Jobseeker's Benefit is paid for up to 9 months (or 234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid. It is paid for up to 6 months (or 156 days) for people with fewer than 260 PRSI contributions paid.

It is a fundamental feature of a range of the Department's benefit payments, including Jobseeker's Benefit, that the payment is time-limited. Time limits apply across a range of PRSI related schemes, such as maternity benefit and illness benefit.

Where a person exhausts their entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit, they may be eligible for support under the means-tested Jobseeker's Allowance scheme. The Department contacts the Jobseeker's Benefit recipient in advance of the expiry date of their claim to advise them that their entitlement is due to expire and that they can make an application for Jobseeker's Allowance, which is also included in the correspondence.

Entitlement to Jobseeker's Allowance ensures that those most financially disadvantaged will continue to receive income support. The maximum weekly personal rate of Jobseeker's Allowance and Benefit schemes are aligned at €203. Jobseeker's Allowance has no duration limit as long as a person meets the qualifying scheme conditions including the means test.

The Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme provided by the Community Welfare Service is also available to any person who is in need of financial assistance. There are several payments within the scheme, including basic weekly Supplementary Welfare Allowance, supplements, Exceptional Needs Payments and Urgent Needs Payments.

The wide ranging nature of the assistance available to those impacted by Covid-19, including the Employment Wage Subsidy scheme for employers, constitutes a comprehensive suite of supports and there are no plans to extend the duration of Jobseeker's Benefit at this time.

I trust that this clarifies the position.