Budget Must Help Eliminate Long Term Unemployment

24 Oct 2006

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU), in its Pre-Budget Submission which was published today, has called on the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) to facilitate the achievement of the important NAPS (National Anti-Poverty Strategy) target to eliminate long-term unemployment by 2007. The INOU wants DSFA to make further moves to support the move from welfare to work and make work pay. This is important in enabling the take-up of jobs among the long term unemployed.

The main Budget measures that the INOU are calling for include
Increasing the lowest Social Welfare payments by at least €17 per week

Reducing the eligibility criteria for the back to work allowances (BTWA