What's new?
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Clarification Around Qualified Child Increases and CE
"As per the Budget 2012 announcement, payment of two qualified child increases per child where the person is on a Community Employment scheme and in receipt of One Parent Family Payment, Deserted Wife’s Benefit/Allowance or Widow(er)s Pension will be discontinued for NEW and EXISTING recipients.
The actual child increase payment that will cease is from the CE payment. The child allowance under the social welfare payment will continue. The effective date for this is Monday 20th February. This is to allow time for notification to be sent to all affected parties."
Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton TD
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ALERT: New Information for Recipients of Rent Supplement
Significant changes have been introduced to the maximum rent limits under the Rent Supplement Scheme.
The reductions, averaging 13%, were introduced on 1st January for new claimants. The new limits will apply to existing claimants when their claims are reviewed or if they move to new accommodation.
Minister Burton flagged in her budget speech that new rent limits would be introduced in 2012 but it was not clear that the changes were imminent.
For further information on the maximum rent levels for each county visit:
www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance
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How does the Budget 2012 impact on lone parents?
Regrettably virtually nothing about the Budget 2012 is advantageous to lone parents. Treoir is extremely concerned at the cuts in the Budget targeted at one-parent families who, as is well documented, are particularly vulnerable to poverty.
The plan to have the income disregard associated with One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) reduced to €130 in 2012 (for current and new claimants) and on a phased basis to €60 in 2016 will result in further barriers being put in the way of lone parents returning to work and a significant reduction in income for those in employment. It is difficult to comprehend this, as the stated policy of the Department of Social Protection is of promoting activation.
While Treoir broadly supported the policy of encouraging and supporting parents to return to work when their youngest child reaches fourteen years of age, we have huge reservations about the proposed new measure which will compel new claimants to cease claiming the OFP and to be available for employment when their youngest child reaches 7 years of age. Treoir's reservations are based on the fact that there are insufficient supports in place e.g. affordable and suitable childcare, educational opportunities for lone parents to enable them to earn an adequate living and a serious lack of job opportunities. More significantly the preferred choice of many lone parents, to work part-time while their children are young, is effectively being denied them.
Find out how the provisions of Budget 2012 affect YOU.
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Free Workshops available to workers working with unmarried parents in the North-East Area (Cavan, Louth, Meath and Dublin)
Treoir, the National Specialist Information Service for Unmarried Parents and their Children, will be providing a number of workshops specifically aimed at workers working with unmarried parents. The workshops will be of interest to those working in the HSE and in other organisations. Read More...
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