McCreevy urged not to deem some 'undeserving poor'
6 Dec 2000
Embargo 00.01am Wednesday December 6, 2000
Minister McCreevy has been urged to give substantial social welfare increases in today's Budget. Increases should be in the range of £10-£14. The INOU has urged the Minister to keep increases in unemployment payments in line with increases in other social welfare payments delivered today.
Throughout the fall in the Live Register the real value of unemployment payments has increased - proving that dole payments don't need to be kept artificially low to encourage people to take up employment. Last year was the first time that there was no real increase in payments, as inflation wiped out the Budget increase.
The most recent data* on poverty available indicates that unemployed people:
- Experience the highest risk of any group of falling below the 50% poverty line
- Constitute the largest group, at 31.9%, of those living in consistent poverty
" Keeping unemployed people in poverty actually makes it harder for them to get work" according to Camille Loftus, Welfare to Work Co-ordinator with the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed. " When you are completely marginalised from society, you stand less of a chance of getting work. If you are living in poverty, you're less likely to hear about jobs in the first place, cannot afford to keep your skills up to date or to keep your clothes up to scratch for a job interview. Living in poverty affects your health, your confidence and your ability to convince employers to take you on."
"The Minister has a very clear choice with this Budget," continued Ms Loftus " He can help address labour market difficulties and deliver a Budget within the terms of the PPF by increasing the reward from work, and giving unemployed people enough to live with dignity. Or he can deliver a budget that punishes those who are already marginalised, pushing them further into poverty and failing to increase participation in the labour force."
INOU demands to give unemployed people a decent dole increase, and increase the reward from work
- Raise social welfare rates by £10-£14
- Take minimum wage workers out of the tax net by increasing the personal tax allowance to £6,000, and the PAYE allowance to £3,000
- Deliver a package of child income supports, by increasing Child Benefit, Child Dependent Allowances and Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
- Introduce a Parental Childcare Payment, so that all parents are supported in their childcare costs
- Introduce a local authority scheme to help all low-income tenants in the private rented sector, ending an unemployment trap
- Comprehensively poverty-proof the Budget, and publish the results on Budget day.
ENDS
*1997 Living in Ireland Survey
Further information
Camille Loftus, Welfare to Work Co-ordinator
087 979 0985
Tony Monks, General Secretary
087 249 6066
Noeleen Hartigan, Press Officer
087 616 7689 / 01 856 0088
