Working for Work : Chapter 4 : Welfare to Work

Employment and Self-Employment Supports

A number of schemes exist to support long-tem unemployed people and those in receipt of other payments (One Parent Family Payment, Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, etc.) to return to work.

Work Placement Programme

This programme has been introduced to bring employers and the unemployed together for a nine month work experience placement. It allows you to apply your skills and gain valuable experience in a workplace setting, enhancing your prospects of getting a job in the future. If you are unemployed and have not secured paid work, the programme allows you to apply your existing skills and gain new competencies and valuable experience in a workplace setting.

To apply to join this programme you must be registered with FÁS, and record an 'expression of interest' in joining the programme. You can do this at any local FÁS Employment Office, or Local Employment Service (LES) Office.

If you are already registered with FÁS you can record your 'expression of interest' over the phone by calling Freephone 1800 611 116 or direct call 046 9738000.

Who is Eligible?

The Work Placement Programme is open to both Graduates and Non Graduates. Anyone who is unemployed is eligible to apply for the Work Placement Programme. There are two streams in the Work Placement Programme.

Stream 1

In Stream 1 there are 1,000 places for graduates. To be eligible for Stream 1 of the Work Placement Programme you must: - Have been awarded a qualification at level 7 or higher on the National Framework of Qualifications, in 2009 or earlier. - Be unemployed. You do not have to be getting a social welfare payment.

Stream 2

In Stream 2 there are 1,000 places for unemployed people, with 250 of these places reserved for those aged under 34. To be eligible for Stream 2 of the Work Placement Programme you must be unemployed. You do not have to be getting a social welfare payment.

• You do not have to be a graduate, but graduates can apply.

If you are an unemployed graduate with a level 7 qualification you can apply for both the graduate placement (WPPI) and the non-graduate placements (WPP2) Otherwise, you can apply for all non-graduate placements (WPP2).

Do I get paid?

No. The placement is unpaid and voluntary. However, if you are already in receipt of certain social welfare payments, you may be allowed to retain your payment while on a placement.

• People who are not getting a social welfare payment, or who are on a payment for less than 3 months, are eligible to take part, but will not be paid while on the programme.

Keeping your social welfare payment

If you are already getting a social welfare payment, you must notify the Department of Social Protection that you are starting a placement, as this changes your status. If you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment for at least 3 months, you may be able to keep your payment while on the Work Placement Programme. You must first receive the approval of the Department of Social Protection. Arrangements have been made to allow participants on the Work Placement Programme to sign on by post if they are claiming Jobseeker's payments.

The qualifying payments are: -

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jobseeker's Benefit

Disability Allowance

Blind Pension

Invalidity Pension

Illness Benefit

One-Parent Family Payment

If you are getting Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit you will need written approval from the Department of Social Protection to do rehabilitative work before you can apply for the Work Placement Programme.

If you are on Illness Benefit you must be getting a social welfare payment for six months before you can apply for the programme.

How many places are available on Work Placement?

The Work Placement Programme was expanded in 2010 to provide an additional 5,000 places in the public service and a further 500 placements for graduates in the private sector. The total number of places available on the Work Placement Programme is:

 

Sector WPP Stream No of places Private Sector WPP 1 (Graduate) 1,500 Private Sector WPP 2 (Non-Graduate) 1,000 Public Sector WPP 1 and WPP 2 (Graduate and Non-Graduate) 5,000 TOTAL 7,500

 

For further information on the Work Placement Programme (WPP) and to view placements visit the FÁS website www.fas.ie or drop into your local FÁS Employment Services Office.

Tús - Community Work Placement Initative

The Tús initiative is a community work placement scheme providing short-term working opportunities for unemployed people. The work opportunities are to benefit the community and are to be provided by community and voluntary organisations in both urban and rural areas. The Tús initiative is managed by local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta for the Department of Social Protection, which has overall responsibility for the scheme.

5,000 places in the Tús scheme will become available during 2011. Unemployed people who are eligible to participate in the scheme will be selected and contacted by the Department of Social Protection

Working conditions

Participants will work for 19.5 hours a week and the placement lasts 12 months. They will receive the same statutory annual leave and public holiday entitlement as other employees. When the placement finishes, they should sign on again with their local social welfare office. They cannot participate in the Tús scheme again for 3 years

To be eligible to participate in the Tús scheme you must: -

• Have been continuously unemployed for at least 12 months and "signing on" on a full-time basis; and -
• Have been receiving a jobseeker's payment (Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance) from the Department of Social Protection for at least 12 months; and -
• Be currently receiving Jobseeker's Allowance.

Unlike other schemes where people have to apply for a place, the DSP will identify potential participants who will be contacted by their social welfare local office and offered a placement on the Tús scheme. They will be referred to their local development company or Udaras na Gaeltachta and will be recruited when a suitable place becomes available.

Payment while participating on Tús

Participants on Tús will receive the full Jobseeker's Allowance rate plus €20 a week. Participants aged under 25 will be paid the maximum rate of Jobseeker's Allowance plus €20.

 

Personal rate €208.00 Qualified Adult rate €124.80 Qualified Child: full-rate €29.80 Qualified Child: half-rate €14.90

 

Participants will retain any secondary benefits and the medical card provided they are still eligible.

Selection process

Unemployed people who are eligible for the scheme will be identified and contacted by their social welfare local office and offered the opportunity to participate in the scheme.

If they agree to participate in the Tús scheme they will be referred to their local development company or Údarás na Gaeltachta where they will be recruited for a suitable placement when it becomes available. You can read more about the selection process on the Department of Social Protection website at www.welfare.ie

As there are only a limited number of places available on the scheme, not all eligible unemployed people will be contacted.

Refusal of work placement

Under the National Employment Action Plan someone getting Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) is required to take up work opportunities such as the offer of a Tús work placement. If they refuse a work opportunity without good reason, they may have their social welfare payment reduced or terminated. If, following a refusal of a placement, someone's payment is reduced or terminated they may appeal this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals office within 21 days.

Other work

Participants on Tús can take up other employment provided it does not interfere with the work and times of the Tús work placement. If participants are offered alternative work or training they may terminate their work placement contract if they wish.

• The Tús payment is taxable but the amount payable depends on individual circumstances. Class A PRSI contributions will be paid for all participants.
• Participants on the Tús scheme are exempt from the Universal Social Charge.

National Internship Scheme

A new National Internship Scheme will provide work experience opportunities for 5,000 unemployed people. The scheme is expected to start on 1 July 2011 and is aimed at those who have been either getting a jobseeker's payment or signing for credits for at least 3 months. Participants in the scheme will be offered an internship of between 6 and 9 months with a host organisation. Under this scheme, if they take up an internship they will keep their social welfare payment and will get an extra €50 per week.

To apply you must complete an expression of interest form. Once you have submitted your form you will receive an acknowledgment. When the scheme commences you will be contacted and advised on how you can advertise your internship opportunity. See www.fas.ie for more information.

Gradlink

The Gradlink programme, which is operated by the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) offers internships to provide work experience for recent graduates. The programme is designed to assist graduates to improve their skills during the current downturn - see 'How to apply' below.

The Department of Social Protection has announced that participants on the Gradlink programme will be treated similarly to graduates participating in the FÁS Work Placement Programme in retaining social welfare benefits.

When applying for an internship you should check the list on the Gradlink website www.ibec.ie/Sectors/GIP/GradLink.nsf . When you have identified a suitable internship you should send your CV directly to the company using the email address or contact point listed.

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