Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated: 6pm
TÁNAISTE AND SOCIAL Protection Minister Joan Burton has said that a review into the impact of lower welfare rates on people under the age of 26 will be undertaken by her department.
Labour Youth, which opposed the cut to jobseeker’s allowance for under 26s since it was introduced in Budget 2014, has welcomed the news.
Speaking today, the chair of the party’s youth wing, Grace Williams, said:
“Age-based discrimination should not be allowed to continue. While I acknowledge that many young people are now securing jobs because the government has turned the economy around, I believe that we should be included in the national recovery to an even greater extent.
“To this end, Labour Youth will continue to fight to see jobseeker’s for under 26s increased.”
Williams went on to describe the planned review as “a step towards changing this policy”.
Jobseeker’s allowance is means-tested and the maximum rate for people aged 26 years or over is €188. The rate for people aged 25 is €144 per week, while the personal rate for people aged 18-24 is €100 per week.
€149 million
A spokesperson for the Department of Social Protection told TheJournal.ie the cost of increasing the €100 and €144 rates of jobseeker’s allowance for under 26s to the maximum personal rate of €188 would cost €149 million in 2016.
James Doorley, deputy director of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), gave the announcement “a guarded welcome”.
Until we get more detail on the nature and timeframe of the review it is impossible to know if this will lead to a reversal of the policy.
In 2014, the NYCI surveyed young people receiving jobseeker’s allowance and found that almost four out of ten struggled to make ends meet.
Speaking the Dáil recently, Burton defended the reduced rate received by under 26s, saying it is “a targeted measure aimed at protecting young people from welfare dependency”.
If a young person does not improve their skills, it will be much more difficult for them to avail of job opportunities as the economy recovers and they are at risk of becoming long-term unemployed from a young age. The measure aims to incentivise young jobseeker’s allowance recipients to avail of education and training opportunities.
“If a jobseeker in receipt of the reduced jobseeker’s allowance rate participates on an education or training programme they will receive a higher weekly payment of €160,” Burton said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
This is not good news.
This is the kind of thing you say when there is an election.
I was always surprised someone didn’t take a case on discrimination grounds due to age. Sadly, if they did, I’m sure they would have been lynched by any on here and beyond.
Lynched with good reason mate
Why good reason Darren? Can a 25 year old not legitimately be out of work and doing their level best to find it or are they always scroungers in your eyes?
If your out of school at 17/18 and still not employed at 25……then Lolo something is not right there
Is that what I said? No. The rate applies to anyone of that age whether they are a month or 7 years not working
And what? They would have less expenses…why do you want them to have this extra income?
Ok two articles on Labour. But nothing on the file sent to the DPP on corruption and bribery of two FG councillors. Or how the DPP are not expected to make a decision on prosecution untill after election.
Despicable vote buying attempts here.. Right out of the Pat Rabbitte School of Electioneering
And why do you presume they have less expenses, do you think they all live at home with mammy. Put a lot of thought into that now didnt you
What makes you think a 24 year old had less expenses than a 26 year old? How anyone expects an individual to pay rent, bills and live on €100 a week is beyond me. I’ve seen too many go homeless as a result of this after losing their jobs. It’s disgusting.
Not many people unemployed under 25 are renting and if they are they should not be
There are a small but significant number of young people with no parental support and unable to find work that are somehow supposed to live on €100 a week. Fact of the matter is they don’t so they end up in our homeless services, prisons, psychiatric wards and morgues. Those ‘lucky’ enough to not be in the final category find it impossible to move out of the one they’re in (or not end up in one of the other three) due to not having enough income.
Then means test it for this minority few. Dont just throw away 146 million.
When I was twenty four I was renting a flat with my girlfriend and our infant child. Id been working for seven years by then. Why shouldn’t I have gotten the same benefits as someone older. ?
If you are Under 26 , fit and healthy and you don’t have children there is no excuse not to be working !
Ah 25 year old has less expenses than a 27 year old? Some logic there Darren. Why do you want to deprive those who are legitimately trying to gain employment? Many of whom will have spent years in university and come out at the end with no prospect of a job.
Labour sell outs.
joan brutal has to be the most cynical politician in labours history
The bus has been fitted with slightly softer – compound tyres.
It’s too much money for doing nothing, whether by circumstances or pure laziness. Of course if the under 26 year old is unfortunate enough to have parents who actually go out to work he’ll get nothing if he lives at home.
In what way would they have less expenses ? .. My friends son is 22 unemployed and looking for work .. He get €100 per week .. He lives at home with his mother who works on low income in council housing .. He pays the council €10 rent a week and gives his mother €40 for food and bills .. That leaves him with €50 .. For buses to interviews for phone calls for jobs ect .. €50 a week ! To dress himself and pay for any medicines he may need .. For the bus to the doctor ect .. .. So €100 is far for enough for anyone to try survive on and to try get themselves working …
Lucky him having his mums hospitality then isn’t it? And just paying €10 a week. A lot of people don’t have that luxury. There are people who no longer have parents to offer them a room in their house. What are they expected to do? Why should someone whose made an honest living since 18 be forced back into their parents home if their lucky enough to be able to? It is agest and beyond a disgrace.
Cuts the core rate for under 26s
Spends the next two years insisting that Labour protected the core rates
Right before the election, promises a ‘review’
Roll on polling day…….
Burton announced last night she’d guarantee a repeal of the 8th if elected. Just 5 hours after Reilly announced he’d support it. Such a desperate woman.
The Labour party can’t sink any lower at this point, the might even announce the abolition of Irish Water next . Who can forget Gilmore and his promises at the last election or should I say lies.
I heard if Labour get re elected they’re promising warm summers and white Christmas’s from here on in.
Paul Mc – they’re the things people say coming up to an election… apparently
Can’t trust any of them. Sinn Fein have entered the real world in Northern Ireland.
should cut them more. Paying bums to sit around scratching all day. Every shop you walk into has foreign workers under the age of 3o id say. Where are the Irish people, too proud to take these jobs. Cut the dole in half across the board, that will save some money for some actual useful services. Whoever does that has my vote.
They can’t get the jobs. , I spoke to an Irish girl on the check out in lidl. She said they wouldn’t give ,her more hours. No one is shouting racism now. Doesn’t work both ways. Our own aren’t being protected. Lilly livered government. Yes sir no sir. Sorry now. Are we good now? Sure it was all our fault.
Is that going to be implemented before or after you win 30 seats at the next election Joan?
The only thing LAb need to review with urgency is the Greens party’s recent history. They’ll need to brush up on it as they’ll be joining them.
In an article posed earlier on your site today you used the exact same quote but instead said there were no plans to raise the rates.
“Speaking separately about the reduced rates of jobseeker’s allowance available to people under the age of 26, Burton said there are no plans to raise this.
Jobseeker’s allowance is means-tested and the maximum rate for people aged 26 years or over is €188. The rate for people aged 25 is €144 per week, while the personal rate for people aged 18-24 is €100 per week.
Reduced rates for those under 26 years of age is a targeted measure aimed at protecting young people from welfare dependency. If a young person does not improve their skills, it will be much more difficult for them to avail of job opportunities as the economy recovers and they are at risk of becoming long-term unemployed from a young age.”
Must be getting word down from HQ to change articles!
Labour’s latest idea to buy under 26 Dole votes with your money.
So in between trying to improve their skills, which costs money, fees, travel expenses etc, what do you purpose they do, live on beans i surpose or maybe on the streets, seeing as not all people under 26 have the privilage of living off mammy and daddy. Even when they do ‘improve’ their skills they will more than likely be used and abused on some goddam jobscam job, This is no country for the young and the best thing they can do it get out while they still can or be left to rot in it like the rest who have no choice
Its unfair to give under 26s less. When I was 25 I was married with a mortgage and one child. Id worked part time from age 17-20 and full time from 21. If I had lost my job id be fairly pissed off to get less than a 27 year old who never worked a day in their life.
What job opportunities?
I’m sure they’re talking about job bridge. Work 40 hours a week for an extra 20 quid on your dole and shut your mouth before we stop your money altogether.
Its all labour today, plenty of opportunities for the “online warriors” to have their say. Labour tried to win support from the working class in the budget, failed. They tried the pensioners, the pensioners didn’t buy their lies. Now they’re trying to get support from the younger voters with nothing more than a token gesture by saying they’re investigating throwing them a few more quid in their SW payments. They’re getting desperate now. As joan said herself a few weeks ago about the online warriors must carefully consider their comments about cahill, the advice from the vast majority to joan would be that she should carefully consider the consequences of her actions over the last few years.
Cahill is very quiet these days… funny that
You mean our dissident senator
If i was earning 60 grand a year plus expenses for sitting on my hole in a redundant talking shop i would be as quite as a church mouse.
Quiet.
Research went and proved that younger demographics needed less incentive to get to work than older demographics. The cut was an ageist one not based on any sound rationale.
Young people weren’t working because the jobs simply weren’t there, not because young people are lazy. This decision was a gross betrayal of young people on the part of the Labour Party. Props to LY for trying to call for its restoration in the recent budget but Burton couldn’t deliver that for LY or young job seekers then and it’s fairly outlandish to expect any progress on it now.
This is pure electioneering and should be treated as such. Labour does not have good news for you.
Time is nearly up joan start looking for that job in Europe I,m sure hulk hogan can pull a few strings.
But sure there’ll be no need for Jobseeker’s Allowance with all the jobs Kenny and co. have promised. Are we still that stupid to believe election promises. Labour is dead. Let’s be thankful for that.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Though it was going to be a €100 travel voucher to be used with every One Way ticket abroad.
I think that Labour are grasping at straws They’ll start making more promises same old crap but nobody believes them anymore.
Loan Burdon – no thanks
First they cut it – then they wish to make themselves out as great for trying to increase it. You couldn’t make this stuff up – but Labour can apparently!
More bull from labour before the election ,Vote Labour and get stabbed in the back , and they will tell you its for your own benefit . Bring on the ballot box and a happy New Year .
Here is a very good analysis of what is REALLY going on behind the media propaganda, i was given it this morning, well worth a read and lays a lot of lies bare….
Here is just a snippet of whats in it – Highly recommended
Scandalous Suppression of Bad News for Government by RTE
It is SCANDALOUS that this is not being covered on RTE after all the hype for FG last week
Radical Parties Reach 30% as Labour Drops—Stephen O’Brien, Sunday Times 15/11/2015
” The Labour Party’s poor result(in B&APoll) is echoed in the satisfaction ratings , where there is a FIVE POINT fall in the number of people satisfied with the government performace with Enda Kenny, the Taiseach, is down 2 points to 31%(satisfaction) and Joan burton, the Tánaiste drops to 34%” -Sunday Times to-day
Labour Disaster in B&A Sunday Times Poll
Good Poll for the Left and Sinn Fein
Core Vote
FG 18, Others20, SF 17,FF14, Lab5, undecided 26
Excluding Undecided(no filters)
https://paddyhealy.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/labour-lowest-for-decades-in-red-c-poll/
More Labour BS to try and get a few more votes back
Maybe they should make the standard payment €144 for everyone. That would be fair and it will save us some money. We spend 20,000,000,000 (20 billion) on social welfare every year. We need to protect the vulnerable tax payers in society.
Or maybe they could just give above inflation increases year after year. That would get them votes and no political party has ever had the courage to criticise increases in the social protection budget in the history of this state. So that would be a win win politically for them.
You find a place to stay in Dublin for 144 euro a week and I will personally buy a chocolate watch.
Earn or learn, no able bodied 18 year old should be getting tax payers money to do nothing, it’s long overdue the cycle of dependency be stopped
In the name of the fine Labour men who have gone before (who would vomit in disgust at the current party, and what it has become) I can’t wait to dance on the graves of Wabbitte, Gimme more and job-bridge Joan. In time a new and authentic Labour party may arise, although I’m not too hopeful of that. The important thing is that Labour in its current incarnation must die, and soon.
A new Labour party will probably form up in the vacuum that now exists. Plenty of people me are left with no alternative but to vote Independent. Eventually, any new Lab party will not rise from the ashes of the old one, but will have to come from an amalgamation of current motley crew forming up. Not a bad prospect if the Social Democrats become the central lynchpin and attract in other high calibre Independents.
But Lab won;t rise again of the Greens and PD’s fate is anything to go by.
Very happy to see this review taking place. I know how much work Labour Youth has undertaken in the past two years trying to make our senior party understand why these cuts were both unequal and ineffective. It’s taken longer than any of us would have liked but finally we’re making headway with this review which should provide the evidence to back up our arguments and support our calls for policy change.
I also know that people on here will try diminish that work – it’s kind of what you do in the comments section – but at the end of the day if this review results in even a partial restoration of jobseekers to U26s it’ll have achieved far more for the equal treatment of young people than griping on here ever could.
I understand there will be a public consultation as part of this review. It would be great if anyone reading this who was or is affected by the cut could send in their experience. The more stories we can get sent in, the more likely it is that the review will be favorable to our POV in its recommendations.
Ciara, Grow up this is Ireland in the here and now Labour have no shame they have enriched themselves at the expense of the poorest section of society. If you are considering a life on the gravy train I would suggest that you join Fine Gael as the Labour party faces extinction.
Self praise is no praise as they say Ciara. Considering your a fellow Labour Youth yuppie it is hard for you to see how they turned their backs on the nation until now, a few weeks prior to an election.
Ciara… before you embark on your political career… you should consider not saying things like
“I also know that people on here will try diminish that work – it’s kind of what you do in the comments section”
You’re basically pre-emptively attacking anyone who has anything less than positive to say about Labour. For that reason, I hope the youth group goes the same way of your senior party.
I just popped onto your Twitter Page Ciara……………….Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha……………Cheers for the laughs – I nearly swallowed my Nebuliser reading it
Go on ya good thing! You`ll go far, but not in Labour as they`ll be extinct
Ciara you blinkered fool. You’ll fit right in at Leinster House with that level of bull already at such a young age.
Good news if you are gullible.
Labour will not have anything to do with it after the GE,thank god.
out out labour – we need a one party government and not a minor party with limited support shoving their unpalatable politics down our throats !!!
Where is the news story?
L is for Labour
L is for Lice
Labours way.. Fu(king liars…
Having worked between the ages of 16 and 25, I never remember paying 50% of what was owed to the government in tax…
Does this 18 – 24 year olds are entitled to pay 11.5% VAT and 25% PAYE Tax???
have your say