€1,000 to get people off PUP

A NEW €1,000 cash incentive to get people off the PUP and back to work will be launched today.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will unveil a radical plan for Social Welfare reform based on helping people get back to work.

The Pathways to Work Strategy will contain a number of incentives including a €1,000 scheme for the unemployed to train up for a return to work.

The plan is based on an earlier successful scheme where people in uncertain work such as taxi-driving and service industries such as hairdressing and beauticians received €1,000. The payment is to now be extended to people on the dole who will be paid the same sum to engage in short-term training courses.

One source noted: ‘The aim is to give a bit of an incentive to people whose confidence may have been hit by longterm unemployment to take up courses that might move them closer to the world of work. It is a classic case of carrot rather than stick.’

Minister Humphreys will also launch ambitious objectives to reduce the current ‘stark’ 44% youth unemployment rate to 12.5% by 2023. It is hoped the incentive will also play a key role in plans to reduce the number of longterm unemployed by 75,000.

The Minister will increase the age qualification levels of a €10,000 grant for employers who take on long-term unemployed people from 25 to 30.

Ms Humphreys will also announce a new plan to link welfare rates to the income individuals were earning prior to becoming unemployed.