Social Protection Minister warned over Dáil attack on means testing benefits for asylum seekers

Heather Humphreys told she was likely to face questions from Opposition over why it had taken so long to ensure international protection applicants with jobs were not receiving welfare payments

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys was told by advisers to expect questions on why the money should not be recouped and why it took over a year to introduce the change.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys was warned she was likely to come under attack over why it had taken so long to means test benefit payments for asylum seekers.

In May, her department introduced a new system to ensure international protection applicants with jobs were not receiving welfare payments they were not entitled to.

However, in internal briefing notes, Ms Humphreys was told by advisers to expect questions on why the money should not be recouped and why it took over a year to introduce the change.

It said about 4,600 people already had payments stopped because of their income from employment and expected savings would be in the region of €10.5m each year.

In a series of responses for expected “attack lines” from the Opposition, Ms Humphreys was told one of the first questions was likely to be why repayments were not required.

The answer provided said: “Income testing was not previously part of the daily expenses allowance.

A person in receipt of the daily expenses allowance could not reasonably have been expected to know that being in receipt of an income could affect their entitlement to the payment.

It added people had only just been informed of the change to their payment and “recoupment” could not arise.

Closing loophole

On delays in acting on concerns first raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General in an investigation during 2022 and 2023, the briefing said the department had been working with colleagues in the Department of Children and Equality to close off the loophole.

A suggested answer said: “The Minister for Social Protection signed off on these changes and assessment of income has commenced this month.

“The information has been made clearly available on the department’s website.” 

Asked how income testing for international protection applicants would work, Ms Humphreys was told income assessments were normal in the welfare system.

“If you have income from employment that’s over a certain level, your payment is reduced or stopped — that’s how the system works,” the briefing said.

“It hasn’t applied to international protection applicants up to now, but it will apply from now on.” 

A separate submission for Ms Humphreys said EU rules meant the payments should have been applied all along.

It said: “Notwithstanding that [EU] regulations require the application of a means test by the Minister for Social Protection … this income test has not been implemented.”