21. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the "working week" for working age payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37485/24]

The primary support for jobseeker's is available under the social insurance based Jobseeker's Benefit scheme or the means tested Jobseeker's Allowance scheme. In circumstances where full-time work is not available, these schemes provide that a person can work up to 3 days per week where they are fully unemployed for at least four in any seven consecutive days. Currently, almost 21,000 people working on a part-time basis are in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment.The jobseekers supports are undergoing a period of reform and the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 sets out the legislative framework for a new Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit scheme which will be payable to those who lose their employment. Jobseeker's Benefit will remain available to persons who work on a part-time or other atypical basis.Work is also continuing in relation to the development of the possible features of a Working Age Payment. A proposed model would effectively merge Jobseeker’s Allowance and Working Family Payment so that a person’s payment would be based on a percentage of the difference between their income and a specified threshold for their family type. The principle would be to flexibly adjust payments in line with employment earnings and obviate the need for the current system of ‘casual days’, ‘disregards’ and ‘minimum hours’ requirements within the working week. Draft proposals on a Working Age Payment were included in the public consultations on Pay-Related Jobseeker’s Benefit and the Green Paper on Disability Reform. The responses received will form part of the inputs to the development of this proposal.In addition to the jobseeker's schemes, the Working Family Payment supports families on low incomes and there are tapered income disregards across a number of schemes to support the take up of employment.I trust this clarifies the matter.