Parliamentary Question addressed to the Minister for Social Protection

Reply

Current legislation provides that where a person aged 24 years or under claims Jobseeker’s Allowance and is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, an assessment is made of the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of residing there. The value of the benefit and privilege assessed is based on the level of the parents’ assessable income.

There are two exceptions to this rule. No assessment is made where a son or daughter and his or her spouse / civil partner / partner is living with his / her parents.  Where a person returns to the parental home having had an independent life elsewhere in Ireland or abroad for an appreciable length of time e.g. at least three years, the assessment in this case is €7 per week.

Since 2003, the assessment of Benefit & Privilege from parental income was abolished for persons in excess of certain ages as follows:

 

JA customers aged 29 and over                                           30 April 2003

JA customers aged 27 and over                                           7 April 2004

JA customers aged 26 and over                                           13 April 2005

JA customers aged 25 and over                                           1 February 2006

Once the person concerned reaches 25 years of age, the value of any benefit and privilege will no longer be regarded as means. There are currently no plans to alter these arrangements within the jobseeker’s allowance scheme. The appropriate rates of welfare supports in the year ahead, including the assessment of means, will be considered by Government as part of its deliberations on the next Budget.