Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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226. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current entitlement in respect of appropriate social welfare support in the case of a person (details supplied) who was previously in receipt of benefit which was transferred to an allowance, and who was previously employed under RCT but has not worked for some time; if payment will be restored as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22348/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and seeking full-time work, who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) or whose entitlement to JB has expired.  Amongst other qualifying conditions, a person must satisfy a means test which is an assessment of all household income, savings, shares, investments or property that a person owns, apart from their own home.  A means test will also include any income that a person’s spouse, civil partner or cohabitant has.

According to the records of my Department, the person concerned was awarded Jobseekers Benefit for the Self Employed (JBSE) with effect from 17/10/22.  This benefit expired on 26/04/23 and the person subsequently applied for JA on 04/05/2023.  On the same date, the person was sent a written request for the following information:

- Fully completed UP1F form – Information in relation to Self-Employment

- Itemised profit & loss for the previous tax year

- Most recent tax returns

As the person was self-employed, upon receipt of the requested information listed above an appointment will be made for them with a departmental official in relation to their claim . When this process has been completed, the persons claim will be assessed, and they will be notified of the outcome in writing. 

If the person has any difficulty in providing any of the requested information they should contact my Department. 

If the person is experiencing financial difficulty, it is open to them to apply for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) payment while their JA claim is pending. The SWA scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system helps eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. The basic SWA provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. 

I trust this clarifies the matter.