Welfare to Work

Course description

Welfare to Work is a course over 4 half days designed to provide relevant information to those working in direct contact with unemployed people returning to the workplace.

Looking at the issues and options involved in making the transition from welfare to work, this course is primarily intended for those working in a frontline capacity assisting unemployed people to return to work. Learners are expected to have a basic understanding of the social welfare system. Topics covered include: welfare payments when working, labour market integration programmes, training and education options, taxation and effects on secondary benefits and medical cards.

This training course has been developed as an integral part of a wider range of training services provided by the INOU, which are designed to meet the practical needs of information providers. Through our extensive knowledge of the complex nature of information provision associated with ‘Social Welfare’ issues we have designed this course to provide the learner with the basic skills and knowledge necessary to successfully work within their organisation.

As part of this training course we outline how to access social welfare payments and who can access what payments. We discuss and explain the use of Social Welfare Acts, Regulations, Statutory Instruments and internal Departmental Guidelines.

Means testing of the different categories of Social Welfare payments is explained in detail with many practical examples and case studies. The module will also inform learners how returning to work will affect their client’s social welfare payments.

At the end of the day we are confident that the participant will be assured in their ability to answer social welfare queries effectively.

Course Itinerary

• The Purpose of Welfare Rights Work
• Your Family and Social Welfare
• INTREO
• Social Welfare Payments

• Unemployment Payments
• Habitual Residency
• The Means Test
• Supplementary Allowance and Housing

• Entitlement Payments
• Discretionary Payments
• Rent Allowance and other Housing Supports
• Housing Assistance Payment
• Jobseeker Payments and Work

• Jobseekers Benefit/Allowance and work
• Qualified Adults and work
• Secondary Benefits and work
• Disability Payments

• Disability Benefit/Allowance and Work
• Invalidity Pension and Work
• One Parent Family Payment

• One Parent Family Payment and Work
• Carers Payments

• Carers Benefit
• Carers Allowance and work
• Education and Training Options

• Education and Training Board Progammes
• Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
• Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)
• Education Grants
• Labour Market Intergration Measures

• Apprenticeships
• Jobsplus
• Working Family Payment/Back to Work Family Dividend
• Community Employment/TÚS
• Back to Work Enterprise allowance (Area Enterprise Allowance)