Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Issues relating to tax relief are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance.

The One-Parent Family Payment is a payment for lone parents under 66, who are not cohabiting, and whose youngest child is under seven. The Jobseekers Transitional Payment is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme for lone parents under 66 who are not cohabiting and whose child/children are between seven and fourteen years old.

In addition to other requirements, to be eligible for either of these supports the applicant must be the main carer for at least one child. This means, for example, that the child must live with that person. The One Parent Family Payment and the Jobseekers Transitional Payment are not paid where there is joint equal custody of a child or children or in cases of non-custodial parents or guardians. There are no plans to make changes in this regard.

Where a person who has an income need, does not qualify for either of the above payments, they may qualify for another of the Department's income supports, such as Jobseeker's Allowance.

Where a person is in receipt of a payment from my Department, an Increase for a Qualified Child may be payable in respect of each qualified child who normally resides with them. Where the parents of a child are living apart, the child is considered normally resident with the parent s/he lives with. The child shall be considered normally resident with the parent who has legal custody, provided this person is substantially maintaining the child.

However, Where the parent with whom the child is residing is not in receipt of a social welfare payment and the other parent is contributing substantially towards the maintenance of the child, then the child may be deemed to be normally resident with the other parent who may therefore qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Child on their payment.

My Department continuously reviews its services and schemes to ensure they are meeting policy objectives. Any proposed changes will need to be considered in an overall budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the position.