Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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90. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a full review will take place into the application for jobseeker’s allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36706/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned applied for a Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) payment with effect from 28/06/2021 after his entitlement to Jobseeker’s Benefit expired on 26/06/2021. JA is a means tested payment. A means test is an assessment of all household income, savings, shares, investments or property that a person owns, apart from their own home. The means test will also include any income that a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant has.

On 28/06/2021 a decision letter issued to the person concerned to advise that his claim for JA was disallowed. Following the means assessment undertaken by my officials, the person concerned was deemed to have weekly means of €990 which is in excess of the prescribed limit of €337.70 for a person with his family circumstances. Means were derived from land, a second property, spousal earnings, savings and shares. The property valuation was self-declared and when a requested auctioneer’s valuation for the land was not submitted the value was estimated by my officials.

If the person concerned is not satisfied with this decision of the deciding officer, he may send in any supporting facts or evidence to my Department and request a review of the decision. An auctioneer’s valuation of land owned by the person concerned will be required in order to review the means assessment. The person concerned can also appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office, D’Olier House, D’Olier Street, Dublin 2 setting out the grounds for his appeal.

I trust this clarifies the matter.