The Government has published draft proposals for the introduction of a new pay-related jobseeker benefit payment.
The plan would link a person's jobseeker’s payment to their previous earnings and work history and is designed to soften the income shock that a person may face if they suddenly lose their job.
Examples of how the scheme might work have been published as part of a public consultation process.
In one example, people who have been in insurable employment for at least five years, of which six months must have been in the previous 12 months, would see the benefit set at 60% of prior gross income up to a maximum payment of €450 per week.
For people who have been in insurable employment for between two and less than five years, of which six months must have been in the previous 12 months, the benefit would be set at 50% of prior gross income subject to a maximum payment of €300 per week.
The benefit would be payable for up to six months.
The Government says that the proposals being published today set out the broad parameters of a potential approach to designing such a scheme.
"Ireland is an outlier in that we are one of the only EU countries that doesn’t have a pay-related benefit system," said Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys.
"Pay-related benefit works well across Europe and it can work in Ireland as well – we saw that clearly during the pandemic when a person’s unemployment payment was linked to their prior earnings," Ms Humphreys said.
As part of the public consultation process, submissions are being invited from all interested stakeholders, including employees, jobseekers, representative organisations, and employers by 28 February 2023.
