The INOU has published our initial thoughts on the newly introduced Jobseekers Pay-Related Benefit. In this article, we expand further on some of the issues still to be teased out with this new benefit; our extensive experience in supporting clients through the process for these payments has provided context to our understanding of the JPRB.
Redundancy
The new JPRB guidelines state that ‘a person who has received a redundancy payment shall not be disqualified from receiving Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit’.
This would suggest that the previous disqualification for up to 9 weeks based on the amount of redundancy payment received has been removed, which is a welcome development, but remains uncertain.
Extension of the payment
JPRB has been extended to those in receipt of
- Guardian's Payment (Contributory or Non-Contributory)
- One Parent Family Payment
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension
This is a welcome development in recognising the value of the work / employment persons in receipt of such payments may have engaged in, and their status as ‘jobseekers’ in their own right.
“Genuinely Seeking Work” Criteria
It is important to ensure that claimants understand that the JPRB is not a payment of ‘automatic entitlement’ without any potential secondary impacts, and the qualification criteria for any JPRB payment requires that they satisfy the conditions of “genuinely seeking work” (GSW) in that they:
- be capable of work and be available for full-time work
- be seeking work
- be required to engage with Intreo Employment Services, who will help them to connect with employers who are looking to hire people
It is unclear if the application of GSW requirements, specifically in being available for full-time work and seeking full-time work and engaging with Intreo, will be applied as completely for them as it will for those who qualify for JPRB without any other underlying payment.
Conditionality of the Benefit
It is also unclear how inability / incapacity to engage in any recommended training / upskilling because of capacity, family or caring duties can or will affect any entitlement to the JPRB payment.
It is important, for due process and transparency, that appropriate technical and legal provisions within the JPRB Operational Guidelines be provided for guidance to DSP Deciding Officers and other officials in assessing and determining qualification for JPRB on GSW conditionality.
Equally, it must be recognised that those people may have only have the capacity, ability and/or resources to engage in part-time employment and may only have qualified for JPRB having lost such part-time employment. As such, it is important that people in these categories are made fully aware of the conditionality of any entitlement to JPRB, what in practical terms this means for them i.e. full-time GSW commitment, no restriction to part-time work because of childcare, family issues, health issues and any proactive engagement by DSP through Intreo Employment Services.
It is recognised that people in these groups can also be some of the most marginalised, and it is therefore important that appropriate information is provided as to if, or how, any such additional income from JPRB could affect any other existing entitlement or income-based supports, such as HAP / Local Authority tenancy, etc.
We would hope any information / clarification produced by the DSP for these groups would address such issues to ensure applicants are fully informed in their choices and would not eventually become liable for any overpayments on any technical, or subjective grounds, because of any perceived failure to prove or substantiate that they are / have been available for / genuinely seeking full-time work.
More Information
Advocacy Services from the INOU
Training Available on the JPRB from the INOU
Information on the JPRB from the Department of Social Protection