Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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641. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there has been a change in the way that joint bank accounts are assessed as means (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54360/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – such as disability, unemployment or caring. This ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.

If a person applies for a social assistance payment and they are married, in a civil partnership or cohabitating, the means of their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant are also taken into account in the means test.

If a person applies for a social insurance payment, they do not have to satisfy a means test. However, if they wish to apply for an increase in their payment for an adult dependant (also called a qualified adult) or child dependants (qualified children) their spouse's, civil partner's or cohabitant's means will be assessed.

The means assessed include income from employment or self-employment, non-social welfare pensions, and the capital value of savings, investments and property, other than the family home. It should be noted that the value of the family home, regardless of who is the legal owner, is never taken into account in this assessment. Where savings, property or other assets are held jointly, the spouse or partner's means is taken to be half of the total amount. The current means testing arrangements are based on the actual means of the spouse or partner at any given time.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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642. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection with regard to recipients of disability allowance who are currently taking part in community employment scheme, if those recipients will be eligible for the one-off payment for disability-related supports due in November 2022 due to their underpinning entitlement to disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54381/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2023 has been designed to assist people with cost-of-living increases through a mix of lump sum payments, increases to weekly payment rates and an expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme.

Community Employment is an active labour market programme designed to provide people with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.

The minimum rate of payment on a Community Employment scheme is €230.50. In addition, a participant may be eligible for payments in respect of any qualified dependent adult and children.

Community Employment participants are not eligible for the €500 disability lump sum.

As part of the measures announced in Budget 2023, Community Employment participants will see an increase of €17 being applied, increasing the minimum payment from €230.50 to €247.50 per week from January 2023.

In addition, weekly payments for qualified child dependents will increase by €2 to €50 for children aged 12 or over and to €40 for children aged up to 12.

A number of once off bonus payments were also announced in Budget 2023, which will benefit eligible Community Employment participants, including a once off payment of €400 for those in receipt of the Fuel Allowance. These are in addition to the Autumn Cost of Living double week payment, the double payment of Child Benefit in November and the Christmas double payment in December 2022.

I trust this clarifies the matter.