Major change for dole payments as fines for refusing to engage with employment services to be doubled

Under a new plan launched by the Government after Budget 25, unemployed people will be fined €90 per week if they do not engage with the Department of Social Protection.

The new fine is nearly double the current €44 a week penalty that was first introduced in 2011. This €44 is cut from the €232 jobseekers’ payments for those not attending meetings requested by the Department of Social Protection or taking party in an employment support scheme, work experience or training.

The plan to cut payments for unemployed people by €90 if they do not engage with the social welfare job activation programme has been described as a “common sense measure” by Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Increasing the penalty in place to €90 means the unemployed person could be left with only €142 per week if they do not engage with the department.

Once a person re-engages the payment is restored.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys doubled the penalty to €90 in the Social Welfare Bill, which passed through the Dáil unnoticed, and the legislation will be debated in the Seanad today.

The Irish Independent reported that around 4,000 people had their payments reduced over the past year for failing to properly engage with state employment services.

It is understood that Ms Humphreys decided that at a time of full employment and a tight labour market with many employers seeking additional staff, it was the right time to increase the penalty.

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