Working for Work : Chapter 4 : Welfare to Work

Community Services Programme (CSP)

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The Community Services Programme aims to support the economic and social regeneration of local communities and to provide employment opportunities for the unemployed or other disadvantaged persons.

Funded organisations are required to: -

Operate on a not for profit basis

Prioritise the unemployed in their recruitment processes. As a general principle, 70% of people recruited by the project must be from specific catchment groups (as identified below)

Who is eligible?

To be eligible to participate in the Community Service Programme (CSP) persons must be:

  • Unemployed and in receipt of Jobseeker's Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance or One Parent Family Payment
  • In receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension or Blind Persons Pension.
  • Members of the Travelling community in receipt of Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance or One Parent Family Payment.
  • Ex-prisoners and stabilised addicts

What about my secondary benefits?

  • Qualifying grant-aided employees may be eligible to apply for Family Income Supplement (FIS).
  • Persons can retain their Medical Card for the duration of the programme
  • When a person takes up employment following a Community Services position they may qualify for the Back to Work Allowance. In order to do this, 50% of the qualifying period for their circumstances must have been spent in receipt of a qualifying Social Welfare payment.
  • Persons on Rent Supplement will be assessed under the new Rent Supplement Assessment (See Chapter 2) where €75 (and 25% of income over €75) is disregarded. If it is more beneficial, they can continue to be assessed under the previous rules.
  • They may qualify for consideration for accommodation on the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).

For further details contact POBAL at 01-240 0700.

Last Updated: 31/08/2011 ^ back to top