Reversal for widows / lone parents but what about the rest?

8 Apr 2004

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed welcomes the Government’s decision to reinstate the entitlement to half rate payment of disability and unemployment benefits for those in receipt of widows / widowers pensions or one parent family payment.

‘The decision, if it went ahead would have saved the Department of Social and Family Affairs only €5.8m but would have caused undue hardship to those concerned,’ said Mr Eric Conroy, General Secretary. ‘The fact that these individuals were paying into the Social Insurance Fund but would not be entitled to any compensation out of it is unacceptable’.

‘Many of these ‘savage 16’ cuts pose a real financial disincentive for welfare recipients to take up employment. If the Government is serious about its commitment to eliminate long term unemployment by 2007, all these cuts announced at the Budget particularly those around eligibility for rent supplement must be rescinded’, added Mr Conroy.

The INOU calls on Minister Coughlan to rescind the other social welfare changes as they are very harsh and unnecessary now that the economic conditions are more favourable. An exchequer surplus of €272m was recorded in the first quarter of 2004 and yet the collective saving from these social welfare changes is around €55m.