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Ireland's political and cultural magazine
2 8 October
t the INOU’s recent Annual Delegate Confer-
ence delegates called on the Government to
“significantly increase Jobseeker payments
– at a minimum to the rates in early 2009 –
including reversing the cuts to younger
jobseekers”. This call was made in recognition of the
financial difficulties facing unemployed people. It
reflected that the poverty rates experienced by unem-
ployed people are considerably higher than the national
average.
According to the most recent Survey on Income and
Living Conditions (SILC) 2014, unemployed people’s at
risk of poverty rate was 35.9% in comparison to the
national figure of 16.3%. Their deprivation rate was
53.4% in comparison to a national figure of 29%. Their
consistent poverty rate was 22.6% in comparison to a
national figure of 8%.
One goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclu
-
sion 2007-2016, related to income support, was to:
“Maintain the relative value of the lowest social welfare
rate at least at €185.80, in 2007 terms, over the course
of this Plan, subject to available resources”. Currently
the Basic Social Welfare Allowance is €186. However, if
this goal had been adhered to, the Basic Social Welfare
Allowance would be €191.77, a figure that would still be
below the SILC 2014 ‘at risk of poverty threshold’ by
€18.34.
In their report on Minimum Essential Standard of
Living, the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice
noted: “The data show that working age households
without dependant children are also experiencing
income inadequacy when dependent on social welfare”.
They added that: “The single adult household faces
income inadequacy of €63 per week, despite receiving
Rent Supplement and the full rate of Jobseekers”. Restor-
ing working-age social welfare payments to 2009 levels
would go some way to addressing these issues and
would alleviate poverty among the unemployed.
The introduction of age segregation in the Jobseekers
Allowance payments was discriminatory. The INOU
strongly believes that they should be reversed on equal-
ity grounds. The Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice
noted that “The cost of a Minimum Essential Standard
of Living for an unemployed young adult living in the
family home is €154 per week, more than one and a half
times the reduced rate of Job Seekers Allowance for
adults aged 18 to 24 [of €100]”.
There are strong social inclusion and anti-poverty
grounds for this practice of age segregation to be ended
and the situation of young job seekers restored. The
commitment in the Programme for Government to
“develop the process of budget and policy proofing as a
means of advancing equality, reducing poverty and
strengthening economic and social rights” should drive
change in the discrimination against young people in the
Job Seekers Allowance.
There are anomalies in the social protection system
that cause difficulties for unemployed people and their
families. As the economy begins to recover it is impor
-
tant that these anomalies are addressed. This would be
in keeping with the Programme for Government’s aspi
-
ration that, “at the same time, economic repair must be
complemented by social repair”.
A motion at the INOU’s Annual Delegate Conference
called on the Government to “fully restore the Christmas
bonus and to facilitate access to this payment for people
who are unemployed for at least 12 months, i.e. when
they are deemed to be long-term unemployed rather than
the current access point of 15 months”. There was also a
call to restore the duration of Jobseekers Benefit to 12 and
9 months from the current maximum durations of 9 and
6 months depending on the recipient’s PRSI contribu-
tions. These are issues that must be addressed in Budget
2017.
The Programme for Government made a commitment
to “develop a new Integrated Framework for Social Inclu-
sion, which will outline measures to help eliminate any
persisting discrimination on grounds of gender, age,
family status, marital status, sexual orientation, race,
disability, religion or membership of the Traveller Com-
munity”. If this commitment is to be inclusive of
unemployed people it is necessary for a new equality
ground to be introduced in our equality legislation. Cur-
rently the ground of socio-economic status is noticeable
Their deprivation rate was 53.4%
in comparison to a national
figure of 29%
by Brid O’Brien
October 2 9
Currently the Basic Social
Welfare Allowance is €186
[€100 for those under 24].
However, if the Action Plan
for Social Inclusion had
been adhered to, the Basic
Social Welfare Allowance
would be €191.77, still
below the ‘at risk of poverty
threshold’ by €18.34’
AT RISK OF POVERTY RATE BY
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND YEAR
All persons at risk of poverty rate %
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
14.7 16.0 16.5 15.2 16.3
14.3 16.3 16.3 15.1 16.0
State
Male
15.1 15.6 16.7 15.4 16.5
Female
Age Group
18.4 18.8 18.8 17.9 18.6
0-17
Principal Economic Status (aged 16 years and over)
Highest educational level attained (aged 16 and over)
5.7 6.5 5.9 5.0 6.1
At work
16.3 18.6 20.8 16.7 20.5
Primary or below
18.2 21.9 22.5 23.0 21.8
Lower secondary
14.4 18.9 18.3 16.2 20.1
Higher secondary
12.2 14.5 16.4 17.5 15.7
Post leaving cert
7.3 10.8 12.0 8.8 8.2
Third level non degree
6.7 5.4 6.8 5.0 6.1
Third level degree or above
27.3 30.6 34.7 36.7 35.9
Unemployed
22.7 31.4 30.2 28.2 33.7
Student
19.5 21.6 22.3 21.1 24.6
Home duties
8.8 8.9 11.5 10.0 10.9
Retired
19.8 22.8 30.3 18.1 22.8
Not at work due to illness or disability
14.2 15.9 16.4 15.3 16.5
18-64
8.7 9.7 12.1 9.2 10.3
65+
by its absence. The current situation of unemployed
people makes this urgent.
The INOU has urged the Government to ensure that
Budget 2017 plays its part in securing a better future for
people who are unemployed, living with a disability, par-
enting alone, living in communities that rarely experience
economic growth or facing discrimination because, for
example, of their age or their ethnicity.; and for commu
-
nities that are living on the margins of Irish society. This
would be a practical expression of the stated ambition
of the Government when launching the Programme for
Government, in stating that “at its core is a simple objec-
tive: to make people’s lives better in every part of
Ireland”.
Brid O’Brien is Head of Policy and Media with the Irish
National Organisation of the Unemployed
All sources: Irish Nionl Orgnision of he Unemployed / SILC / Welfre Irelnd
