Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I recently secured the approval of Government to proceed with design proposals for a new Pay-Related Benefit for jobseekers. The design of the scheme approved by Government was informed by an extensive consultative process following the publication of a Strawman document in December 2022.

The Strawman document also set out the parameters of a new Working Age Payment. This is in line with Pathways to Work 2021-2025 and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare’s recommendation that working-age payments should be reformed to move towards an income related working-age assistance payment.

A Working Age Payment would utilise Revenue Commissioner real time earnings data to adjust payment levels in line with a person’s weekly earnings. In this way it would guarantee a basic income floor and ensure that in all cases a person’s income increases when they work. This would represent a significant change to Jobseeker's Allowance and would address any issue whereby the use of days or hours worked thresholds complicate individual decisions at the margin.

Draft proposals for a new Working Age Payment will subsequently be developed next year, informed by the views and feedback on such a scheme received as part of the consultation on the Pay-Related Benefit.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.