Spouses’ benefits and the earnings threshold
Rabbitte objects that the earnings threshold under the Employment Equality Directive can reduce a woman’s husband’s unemployment support. The Chair calls this a new matter; Ahern says it concerns social welfare while reiterating the aim of covering part-time workers through legislation.
Does the Minister propose to take any action to regularise the situation where a great many women are being forced to work outside the protection of such legislation as is there by the manner in which the Employment Equality Directive was implemented — in other words women must stay below earnings of £50 or else their husbands lose roughly a commensurate amount if they earn more than £50 per week. In a situation where women are being forced into the workforce by unemployment, it is disgraceful that their husbands suffer a reduction in their unemployment benefit or assistance by virtue of this ceiling of £50 on their wife's earnings. Does the Minister intend to take any action to regularise this?
