Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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328. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to social welfare regulations that disincentivise workers from taking on extra employment; if her Department plans to review the eligibility criteria for social welfare supports for those engaged in part-time work; if a cumulative-hours-worked basis of assessment is being considered to replace the current days-worked assessment; if these measures can be considered for industries facing specific recruitment and retention challenges including home-care and others; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47089/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There are a range of supports available from the Department of Social Protection for individuals who have part time employment by allowing them retain access to a social welfare payment.

The main social welfare schemes for people who are unable to find full time employment are the social insurance contribution based Jobseeker's Benefit and the means tested Jobseeker's Allowance. These schemes provide that a person can work up to 3 days per week, where they are fully unemployed for at least four in any seven consecutive days. In relation to Jobseeker's Allowance a disregard of €20 per day up to a maximum of €60 per week (3 days) applies to earnings from employment. The balance is then assessed at 60%.

In addition to the Jobseeker schemes, the Working Family Payment (WFP) is a tax free in-work support which provides an income top-up for low-earning employees with children. Once awarded, WFP is generally payable for a minimum period of 52 weeks as long as the recipient continues to be engaged in paid employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight with the same employer. There is no upper limit on the number of hours or days a person can work. The average total weekly family income must be below the relevant income threshold for the family's size. The payment is calculated at 60% of the difference between the total family income and the income threshold that applies to the family.

The Back To Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) scheme supports those who had been in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment (including Jobseeker’s Transition payment) and One-Parent Family Payment, to retain their full increase for a qualified child payment for the first year of employment, tapering to 50 per cent in the second year.

There is no limit on the number of hours or days a person in receipt of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) or Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) for lone parents, subject to satisfying the means test. Under these schemes the first €165 of gross weekly earnings is disregarded and only half of the remainder is assessed as means.

A primary qualifying condition for the Carers Allowance, Carers Benefit and Carers Support Grant payments is that the applicant provides full-time care and attention to a person in need of such care. However, a carer can work or engage in education or training for up to 18.5 hours per week.

In terms of reviewing working age social welfare supports, consideration is being given to the development of a new pay-related Jobseeker's Benefit payment as committed to in the Programme for Government. Consideration is also being given to the development of a new Working Age Payment, as committed to in Pathways to Work 2021-2025. Options will be examined to modify the longer-term assistance payment, including Jobseeker's Allowance, by utilising Revenue real time earnings data to adjust payment levels in line with a person’s weekly earnings, to guarantee a basic income floor, and to ensure that in all cases a person’s income increases when they work.

I trust that this clarifies the position at this time.