Holly Cairns
Question:914. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on ensuring that the rates of payment under the job initiative scheme are benchmarked to cost-of-living rates. [17266/23]
View answerTuesday, 18 April 2023
Questions (914)
Written answers
As the Deputy is aware Job Initiative (JI) is an employment support scheme which was designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities. Recruitment onto the scheme ceased from November 2004.
The Department funds wages for JI team leaders and JI participants along with a grant contribution towards the running costs of the scheme in respect of administration, materials, overheads, training and development. The Department is not the employer of JI team leaders or of participants.
Participants on JI are employed full time for 39 hours per week. The current rate for JI participants is €495 per week. The JI rate benefits from any budgetary increase in the relevant social welfare payments along with any increase in the top up payment for participants on employment support schemes. The 2023 budget increases, effective from January increased the JI weekly rate from €461 to €495, when the increase in weekly social welfare payment rates and the increase in the top up payment are taken into account.
In addition, JI participants also receive social welfare benefits such as the annual Christmas Bonus and also received the Autumn Cost of Living double week payment in October 2022.
I recently announced a further range of measures to support individuals and families with the cost of living. This package includes a €200 lump sum payment, which will be paid to over 1.3 million recipients of long-term social welfare payments by the end of April.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.