Jobseekers Payments through An Post


PO

On January 26th 2022, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, announced that in line with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Jobseeker’s payments would return to local Post Offices over two phases. In the first phase, new Jobseeker’s applicants will have to go to their local Post Office to collect their payment; and in the second phase, anyone already on a Jobseeker’s payment will then have to go to their local Post Office to collect their payment. The Minister has stated this move is to support the Post Office Network, and to help reduce welfare fraud.

While it is important that welfare payments can be paid through local Post Offices, this should be as an option for people on a Jobseeker’s payment. Unemployment can be socially isolating for people and being able to collect their payment from the local Post Office could be an important piece of human contact for someone struggling with this situation. Also, many people still find it difficult to open a bank account, in particular young people, people with no fixed address, and members of marginalised communities, and so being able to access their income supports through the Post Office is important.

However, as Jobseeker’s payments are the only social welfare payment to which ‘genuinely seeking work’ criteria apply, recipients should have the option to be paid as they would expect to be paid in employment i.e., into their bank account. Reinstating this option would also bring Jobseeker’s payments back in line with other social welfare payments. 

For the most part people on a Jobseeker’s payment in urban areas have convenient access to a local Post Office, that cannot be said for everywhere in the country. For many people in rural areas the local Post Office can be difficult to access due to distance and inadequate or absent public transport. This can lead to people relying on friends and family members to take them to and from a Post Office several towns away, or walking long distances in less that ideal conditions on roads without a footpath. This is a situation has been exacerbated by Post Office closures in recent years and by temporary closures due to Covid-19 outbreaks.

The responsibility of addressing social welfare fraud lies with the Department of Social Protection, not with the Post Office network. Supporting the Post Office network is laudable as they provide important services locally, but this should be dealt with separately and properly. While unemployed people on a Jobseeker’s payment should have the option of being paid through their local Post Office or bank account, whichever option works best for them.