Written answer
Employment Schemes
CE and Tús participation and funding remain available only until State Pension age, currently 66; pension flexibility to 70 does not apply.
98. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will undertake a review of opportunities for people to stay on employment schemes after they have turned 65 years old, given the valuable work they contribute and the shortage for people in schemes such as Tús and Community Schemes (CE) schemes in vulnerable communities. [67629/26]
Comment on this
My Department provides a range of supports and programmes catering for the long term unemployed and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include programmes such as Community Employment (CE) and Tús. Participation on these programmes remains open to eligible customers who have been in receipt of a working age social protection payment up to age 66, the current State Pension age.
In addition to providing valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment for people who are unemployed and income support, the schemes also provide important and, in many cases essential, services to their local communities.
These employment schemes are in diverse areas and include the development, regeneration and enhancement of community spaces, environmental maintenance, early years, and after-school supports, heritage, arts, culture, tourism, sport, green economy, biodiversity projects, recycling and repair of equipment, visitation, friendly call, and befriending programmes for older people.
In response to the recommendations from the Commission on Pensions, a set of new pension measures were approved by Cabinet in September 2022. The set of reforms that were agreed included maintaining the State pension age at 66 and the introduction of a new flexible pension model, with effect from January 2024, whereby people have the option to continue working up until the age of 70 in return for a higher pension.
The new measures are specifically for people in standard employment situations and do not apply to State supported schemes like CE/ Tús where the participant qualifies due to being on a specific social welfare payment in advance of their placement on the scheme.
Accordingly, the position regarding funding for CE /Tús/ participants remains as heretofore. Funding for participants will continue to be available to State Pension Age, which is currently 66.