current half rate weekly rate of for all social welfare families with dependent children over €14.90) the age of 12 will likely be in excess of million in a full year. €45 31 The cost of relaxing the Jobseekers It is not possible to estimate how many farmers are excluded from entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit due to the genuinely seeking full-time work and Benefit and allowance criteria of being available for work eligibility criteria. It is therefore not possible to provide a costing for actively seeking and being available for these measures. work for farmers otherwise eligible for the payment In recognition of the role of farmers and the fact that they would not be able to satisfy the availability and genuinely seeking employment criteria while they continued to farm, the Department operate the Farm Assist scheme. This is a weekly means-tested payment for low income farmers. There are only three eligibility conditions for Farm Assist: the recipient must be aged between 18 and 66 years; be engaged in farming and satisfy a means test. There is no genuinely seeking work or availability for work condition in Farm Assist, and as such, it is the most appropriate payment for a low income farmer who is not actively seeking and available for other work. There are currently some 7,400 farmers on this scheme at end July 2017, with a provision of million for 2017. €82.8 32 The cost of increasing all weekly social The cost of increasing all weekly social welfare payments by the HICP forecasts, as set out in the 2017 Summer Economic Statement, is estimated to cost million in 2018. welfare payments in line with inflation €182.2 in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 as per It should be noted that this costing includes proportionate increases for qualified adults and for inflation rates set out in the 2017 those on reduced rates of payment, where applicable. It does not include increases for qualified Summer Economic Statement. children, the Living Alone Allowance, the Over 80 Allowance or supplements such as the Fuel Allowance.
current half rate weekly rate of €14.90) for all social welfare families with dependent children over the age of 12 will likely be in excess of €45 million in a full year. 31 The cost of relaxing the Jobseekers Benefit and allowance criteria of actively seeking and being available for work for farmers otherwise eligible for the payment It is not possible to estimate how many farmers are excluded from entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit due to the genuinely seeking full-time work and being available for work eligibility criteria. It is therefore not possible to provide a costing for these measures. In recognition of the role of farmers and the fact that they would not be able to satisfy the availability and genuinely seeking employment criteria while they continued to farm, the Department operate the Farm Assist scheme. This is a weekly means-tested payment for low income farmers. There are only three eligibility conditions for Farm Assist: the recipient must be aged between 18 and 66 years; be engaged in farming and satisfy a means test. There is no genuinely seeking work or availability for work condition in Farm Assist, and as such, it is the most appropriate payment for a low income farmer who is not actively seeking and available for other work. There are currently some 7,400 farmers on this scheme at end July 2017, with a provision of €82.8 million for 2017. 32 The cost of increasing all weekly social welfare payments in line with inflation in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 as per inflation rates set out in the 2017 Summer Economic Statement. The cost of increasing all weekly social welfare payments by the HICP forecasts, as set out in the 2017 Summer Economic Statement, is estimated to cost €182.2 million in 2018. It should be noted that this costing includes proportionate increases for qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment, where applicable. It does not include increases for qualified children, the Living Alone Allowance, the Over 80 Allowance or supplements such as the Fuel Allowance.
2017-Final-Sinn-Fein-Costings-Table-Website.docx