In Pathways to Work 2020-2025, Community Employment and Tús (community work placement initiative) are included in the Public Employment Service Network/Ecosystem under the heading ‘State Employment Schemes’. Though in other parts of P2W they are called ‘Public Employment Programmes’.
Under ‘Outputs’ on page 26, it is states: “14,000 to commence State Employment Schemes (Community Employment/Tús) placements”. According to the latest Live Register release from the Central Statistics Office there were 19,196 people on Community Employment and 4,768 people on Tús in July 2021. In July 2020, these figures were 20,708 and 5,201 respectively, a decrease of 7.5% over the year.
Step 8 of the Key Elements of Intreo Process for a Person who Becomes Unemployed section of Pathways to Work states that “People who face higher barriers and/or who have been unemployed for some time can be referred to State Employment Schemes such as Community Employment and Tús. These provide occupational activity that yield benefits for local communities and can also support upskilling and training (e.g. in childcare) that can provide a stepping-stone to full time employment.” (p35)
Pandemic Unemployment Payment
The short-term priorities for Pathways to Work, up to 2023, include “Engage with, and provide employment services to, PUP recipients and others who find themselves displaced from work as a result of COVID-19.”
One of the questions that has been raised with the INOU is whether or not people who are in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment are eligible to participate on Community Employment (CE). There appears to be some confusion on the ground as to how exactly people could progress from PUP to CE, which raises the question as to whose responsibility it is to ensure that PUP recipients can establish easily what programmes they can participate in or not.
According to the Department of Social Protection’s website page on Community Employment: “If you are getting the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and you would like to get back to work through a part-time or temporary placement in a job based within a local community, the CE Programme may be available to you.
You will need to transfer to a qualifying payment before you can take part in the CE programme.”
The use of the word ‘transfer’ here strikes the INOU as curious. Normally a person must 'qualify' for a social welfare payment like Jobseekers Allowance / Jobseekers Benefit and only then can they apply to be considered for engagement in a programme like CE. This wording appears to suggest that the person can in fact 'transfer' from PUP to JA/JB to qualify. If this is the case it is a welcome change from the usual process, if not it may be the cause of some of the confusion on the ground.
The Department’s website page notes that the qualifying payments, which potential participants must be getting for at least 12 months, though the INOU understands that time spent on PUP also counts as qualifying time, are:
- Jobseeker's Benefit
- Jobseeker's Allowance
- Jobseeker's Transitional Payment
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Deserted Wife's Benefit
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-contributory) Pension
- Farm Assist
The general qualifying age for CE is 21 years. The Department’s website also notes that “Some exceptions exist and it is best to speak to a member of staff in the local Intreo Centre for more information about the qualifying criteria”.
Further information is available here.
Looking at the Operational Guidelines for Tús (community work placement initiative) it appears no accommodation has been made for people who have been on a Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The Tús Guidelines still reflect the context in which this programme was introduced, the 2008 financial crisis aka the Great Recession, when the Live Register was over 400,000 from June 2009 to September 2013.
According to the Department’s website page the Tús eligibility and qualifying conditions are:
- Eligibility is confined to those on the Live Register for at least 12 months and in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance. These provisions are to ensure a targeted approach to those who are long-term unemployed. Persons falling within the eligibility criteria can be randomly selected for participation.
- 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
- been receiving a jobseeker's payment (Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance) from the Department of Social Protection for at least 312 days in the twelve months immediately prior to commencing on the scheme AND
- be currently receiving Jobseeker's Allowance OR
- persons in receipt of Jobseekers Transitional Payment (in receipt of OFP immediately prior to transferring to JST) and who are fully unemployed – (no qualifying period applies in this case) OR
- a refugee aged 18 years or older, authenticated by the Department of Justice and Law Reform (Garda Registrar Certificate with Stamp 4) and getting Jobseekers Allowance payment (no qualifying period applies)
- Time spent on JobPath can count towards the qualifying time for Tús providing the person is currently receiving Jobseeker's Allowance. Also, time spent in prison in this State may count towards the qualifying time for Tús providing the person is currently receiving Jobseeker's Allowance.
For more information click here.