New Hope Residential Centre

Lobbying Organisation New Hope Residential Centre

Date published 05 Sep, 2017

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Social Protection

Period 1 May, 2017 to 31 Aug, 2017

Specific Details Social welfare payment for clients accessing residential supports for addiction on JSA change to SWA causing a break in payment which makes them ineligible for CE, TUS, or VTOS

Intended results Application of existing provision at a local level.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Layton Kelly

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Client’s accessing residential supports for addiction can go on JSA allowance for a period of 13 weeks and then the client must switch payments onto SWA. This payment has significant blocks to a client’s progression moving on in their recovery. The change of payment causes a client to have a break in their claim thus making the individual ineligible for CE, TUS, VTOS, supports, and payments. Our clients are with us for 12 months. The first 6 months they are unable for work as they are participating in residential recovery supports dealing with their immediate addiction, health, and legal, needs. The client then progresses into the integration phase where they continue to live at New Hope but move on into education, training or employment. This break in JWS payment prevents them from taking on a position such as CE or TUS.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Catherine Byrne Minister of State (Department of Health)

Frances Fitzgerald Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Justice and Equality)