Written Answers Nos. 294-305
294. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will raise the age limit for domiciliary care allowance to 18 years of age, to reflect the reality that recipients of DCA are dependents until they reach the age of majority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7877/23]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability or condition and requires continual or continuous care and attention in the home, substantially and above the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months.
DCA ceases to be payable when a child reaches 16. A child may transition to Disability Allowance (DA) from age 16, even if still attending full-time education, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions for that scheme, including certain medical criteria and a means test.
The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025 includes a commitment to develop and consult on a ‘Strawman’ proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments to simplify the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the Make Work Pay report.
Work on the ‘Strawman’ is at an advanced stage. I intend to carry out a wider consultation process with all stakeholders and advocacy groups following publication.
It is imperative when deciding on any changes to social protection schemes including changes to the scheme(s) age limits, that any unintended consequences are avoided.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
295. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will re-examine the criteria for disability allowance for those coming off the domiciliary care allowance at the age of 16 years who are still in full-time education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7878/23]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for a child aged up to 16, who requires ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. Domiciliary Care Allowance ceases to be payable when a child reaches 16 years of age. As of December 2022, there were over 50,100 recipients of Domiciliary Care Allowance.
An application for Disability Allowance may be made at 16 years of age. Disability Allowance is a means tested payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with a specified disability that may be expected to continue for at least a year. As of December 2022, there were over 157,800 recipients of Disability Allowance.
The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025 includes a commitment to develop and consult on a ‘Strawman’ proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments to simplify the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the Make Work Pay report. The Cost of Disability report is feeding into the preparation of the ‘Strawman’ reform proposals.
Work on the ‘Strawman’ is at an advanced stage. I intend to carry out a wider consultation process with all stakeholders and advocacy groups following publication.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
296. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for fuel allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7851/23]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April.
The Fuel Allowance for the person concerned was awarded from 13 January 2023. They were notified in writing on 13 February 2023.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
297. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an application for household benefits package for a person (details supplied) was unsuccessful and under what circumstances it can be awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7876/23]
View answerAn application for the Household Benefits Package was received from the person concerned on 17 January 2023. On 26 January 2023, the person was notified in writing that they did not qualify for the Household Benefits Package as their spouse is not in receipt of a qualifying payment. This followed a previous application on 17 September 2021 which was disallowed on 27 September 2021, for the same reason.
It is open to the person concerned to apply for an Increase for Qualified Adult payment in respect of their spouse on their state pension. If awarded the increase, the person's entitlement to Household Benefits Package can be re-examined.
If there is no change in the person's circumstances in the interim, the person concerned will become eligible for the Household Benefits Package on reaching age 70. At that time, they should re-apply online at MyWelfare.ie or by completing an application form. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
298. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection can a person who was self-employed but now permanently unable to work apply for invalidity pension now the benefit it is available to those who were self-employed but when they became incapacitated before the change in regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7879/23]
View answerFrom 1 December 2017 the Invalidity Pension (IP) scheme was extended to the self-employed on the same basis as those in employment. IP is payable to an insured person who satisfies certain Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions and who is permanently incapable of work due to an illness or incapacity and for no other reason.
Claimants must have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions (class A, E, H or S) since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last or second last complete contribution year before the relevant date of their IP claim.
The relevant date is:
(a) any date after the completion of one year of continuous incapacity for work, or
(b) any lesser period that may be prescribed, subject to the conditions and in the circumstances that may be prescribed
where the insured person has entered into a continuous period of incapacity for work and he or she is subsequently proved to be permanently incapable of work.
A qualifying condition for IP is that a person must be regarded as being permanently incapable of work. A person is regarded as being permanently incapable of work if;
For the period of 1 year immediately before the date of application the person had been continuously incapable of work and a Deciding Officer or an Appeals Officer is satisfied that the person is likely to continue to be incapable of work for at least another year,
OR
A Deciding Officer or an Appeals Officer is satisfied that the likelihood is that the person will be incapable of work for life.
A person applying for IP must satisfy both the medical and contribution conditions for the scheme at time of application in order to qualify. Eligibility for IP can only be established on receipt of a completed application form. The person in question should submit an IP application form and their entitlement can then be determined.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
299. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a schedule of the non-commercial and semi-State commercial companies under her aegis; if an explanatory memorandum will be provided in respect of the policy of a dividend payment to the Exchequer from each company; the dividend paid by each company to the Exchequer for each year from 2000 to 2022; if her Department collects the funds and forwards it to the central fund or whether it goes directly; if over that period her Department has requested an increase in respect of the dividend due over it’s percentage shareholding; the number of occasions that it waived the dividend; the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7912/23]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection does not have any non-commercial or semi-State commercial companies under its aegis.
As such, no funding from dividend payments have been made either directly or indirectly to the Department's Vote or to central funds.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
300. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if free travel scheme holders have to book train journeys online in order to use their pass; if this is the case for all public transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7917/23]
View answerThe question raised by the Deputy is more relevant to my colleague, the Minister for Transport.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
301. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will advise on the rule for the assessment of second properties for applicants of farm assist; the way this rule is applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7918/23]
View answerThe system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – such as disability, unemployment or caring. This ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.
Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes, income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home such as a second property) belonging to the claimant and his or her partner, where applicable, are assessable for means assessment purposes.
For Farm Assist, and most other social assistance schemes, the first €20,000 of capital is fully disregarded, the next €10,000 assessed at €1 per thousand, the next €10,000 assessed at €2 per thousand, with the remainder assessed at €4 per thousand.
The value of a claimant’s family home is not assessable for means assessment purposes.
If a second property is let, the owner is assessed with the capital value of the property, and not with the income from the letting i.e. the rental income.
Means tests are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years, including an expansion to the list of agri-environmental schemes that qualify for a disregard to Farm Assist, and an increase in this disregard. I have also committed to a broad review of means testing in the Department during 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
302. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Social Protection when a child benefit payment will be awarded to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7928/23]
View answerMy officials are engaging directly with the person concerned in relation to his application for Child Benefit in respect of his daughter. I have asked them to make contact with him to resolve any issues arising.
303. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Social Protection when a working family payment will be made to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7929/23]
View answerWorking Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with qualified children.
An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 5th October 2022. This application was reviewed by a Deciding Officer and the Department wrote to the person concerned on 8th November 2022. This letter advised the person concerned to apply for Child Benefit and to revert back to WFP once this has been completed.
To date, no reply has been received from the person concerned.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
304. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has received a request from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to identify properties under the control of her Department or under the control of agencies under the remit of her Department for the purposes of providing accommodation to international protection applicants or beneficiaries of temporary protection; if she has identified potential properties and their locations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7943/23]
View answerA request has been received from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth seeking facilities in large vacant buildings that could be used to accommodate 50 to 100 people and which are available immediately.
Neither my Department nor its agencies have vacant buildings at present as all are in use for office accommodation. With the exception of Arás Mhic Dhiaramda, the headquarters building of my Department, all property occupied is owned or leased by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and, in some cases, my Department is one of a number of tenants in a building. The situation will kept under review for any potential to relinquish property.
305. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a fuel allowance application by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7960/23]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April.
The Fuel Allowance for the person concerned was awarded from 06 January 2023. They were notified in writing on 09 February 2023.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
