One-parent family allowances to be cut:Éamon Ó Cuív's last act in office.

[ajapale]

One-parent family allowances to be cut next month, thanks to one of Éamon Ó Cuív's last acts in office. TheJournal.ie reports:

http://jrnl.ie/112909

From next month, new claimants will receive the payment only until their child turns 14 – a significant reduction from the current system, where the payment is made to claimants whose children are up to 18 years old, or 22 years old in the case of children in full-time education.
Existing claimants will have the payment cut off from January 2013 if their child has turned 17, with the age limit reduced every year until January 2016, after which payment will stop when the child reaches the age of 14.

 

[seantheman]

I suppose by the time we get to 2016,We'll have to have the kids back down the pits when they're 14 anyway.So at least they'll be earning

 

[SarahMc]

Its hardly draconian,these changes have been mooted since Seamus Brennan's time. It will not affect current claimants.

There is a strong argument that if your child is in secondary school you should be in employment, training or seeking such, rather than being paid by the State for being a full time parent. Of course if you are not seeking State assistance, it is not the State's business.

 

[Ildánach]

It will affect current claimants, although not until 2013.

The payment as it is already provides ample incentive to parents to take up part-time or full-time work on top of their parenting role. When the changes come into affect single parents will be forced to seek FULL TIME employment if they want any assistance from the State. This is the wrong way to incentivise parents into work, if that is your goal.