Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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155. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she intends on increasing the maximum period a person may receive jobseeker’s benefit from nine months to a year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15134/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Jobseeker's Benefit is a payment for people between 18 and 66 years of age who become fully or partly unemployed and have paid enough pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contributions. A person must be unemployed for at least 4 in 7 consecutive days to be eligible for the payment and they must satisfy the other qualifying scheme conditions.

The duration of payment for Jobseeker’s Benefit is 9 months (234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid. It is paid for 6 months (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.

I recently held a consultation process on a strawman proposal for pay-related jobseeker's benefit, which would see a higher rate up payment - up to €450 per week - paid over a six month period. My department is currently analysing the responses to the consultation, which address a wide range of issues including the duration of the payment. The consultation responses will help to inform future proposals in this area.

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 should make an application for Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Jobseeker’s Allowance has unlimited duration as long as a person meets the qualifying scheme conditions including the means test.

In addition, the means tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme, and other financial supplements are also available through the Community Welfare Service at the local Intreo Centre for any person who is experiencing financial hardship. On that basis I do not intend to amend the duration of Jobseeker's Benefit at this time.

I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.