Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2023
105. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of jobseeker’s allowance for each year from 2016 to 2019 inclusive; how these numbers compare with the number of recipients of this payment for 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24445/23]
View answerJobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Benefit for the Self-Employed, or whose entitlement to these schemes has expired. It is also available to those who do qualify for these schemes but choose to claim optional Jobseeker's Allowance instead.The number of recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance on the 31st of December each year from 2016 to 2019 was 203,680, 169,692, 140,337 and 123,633 respectively. The number of recipients at the end of each year 2020 to 2022 was 125,703, 108,414 and 126,616 respectively.The number of recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance has decreased by 77,064, or 37.8%, between 2016 and 2022.
