The doubling of the penalty rate for those receiving a jobseeker’s payment has raised serious concerns, according to the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU), reports RTE.
The government is proposing to increase the penalty rate for those who do not use employment services from the existing cost of €44 to €90 as part of the Social Welfare Bill.
A single individual receiving the maximum Jobseeker’s Allowance rate may be left struggling to make ends meet on €154 per week under the proposed plan, according to the INOU.
Penalties should only ever be applied as a last option, according to the group, reports RTE.
“Proactively supporting people who are vulnerable in the labour market would be a more constructive way to proceed, seeking to assist people to make meaningful choices,” the INOU said, reports RTE.
Although Ireland is officially at “full employment,” the group stated that this is an economic phrase and does not guarantee that all job seekers will find work because there are several obstacles to joining the labour market, such as length of unemployment, reports RTE.
Reductions in jobseeker rates are meant to promote adherence to the requirements for jobseekers to be available for and genuinely seeking employment, according to Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys, who participated in the debate of the Social Welfare Bill that was presented to the Seanad this week.
“Reduced rates are only applied if a jobseeker does not engage with the State’s employment services,” Ms Humphreys said, reports RTE.
“Prior to application of the reduced rate, the jobseeker will receive at least two notifications inviting them to engage or to offer a reasonable explanation for their inability to engage,” she added, reports RTE.
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