No increase to maximum payment levels for Jobseekers pay related benefit in Budget 2027.

[TomEdison]

This thread is about the lack of an increase in JPRB, not a discussion on Ireland's employment rate.

There may be a connection, though. If the government wants to increase the employment rate (and, spoiler, governments usually want this), and if it thinks that the rate of JPRB is a factor that influences people's decisions about working or not in the (from the government's point of view) wrong direction, then allowing the real value of JPRB to decline is a rational choice.

 

[Robovac rider]

@TomEdison
JPRB is the only benefit payment available to workers who become fully unemployed. These are the people who have paid the increased rates of Prsi which the government raised for the purpose of giving these workers a pay related unemployment benefit.

These are the hard working people who have, mostly through no fault of their own, been made redundant. Their unemployment benefit is strictly time limited to 9 months and is reduced in three stages during this period.

These are the so called workers who get up early.

The government have reneged upon their unemployment benefit contract for these workers.

On the other hand the government continue to offer increased unemployment payments to long term claimers of means tested Jobseekers allowance. This is paid for unlimited time periods.

Workers who lose some employment, but continue to have part time or subsidiary employment have also been rewarded by having their unemployment entitlement increased in all recent budgets. They remain entitled to claim Jobseekers benefit.

To quote you, if the government wants to make a rational choice regarding not rewarding unemployment, they should stop budget increases to JA and JB.

JPRB should be index linked to inflation to support the unfortunate full time workers who suffer the indignity of full unemployment.

 

[Purple]

These are the hard working people who have, mostly through no fault of their own, been made redundant.

I agree with your post but can we stop saying that everyone who works is hard working? They might have had a nice easy job.

The pertinent point is that they paid their PRSI and many were on a good income so they will want to get back to work on a similar income and are not likely to go on "the social" as a lifestyle choice.

 

[Robovac rider]

They might have had a nice easy job.

As in what type of employment?

What is easy for one person could be hell for another.

If a person is highly qualified or skilled they would generally find their work easy. These skills and qualifications are generally hard won and the worker is deserving of their rewards.