Written Answers Nos 373-393
373. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm if her Department has received a carer's allowance application from a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan; the date of receipt of this application; the date that a decision is expected to be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51128/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 2nd February 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
374. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the decision to refuse an exceptional needs payment in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51129/12]
View answerA review of this case will be undertaken and the person concerned will be informed of the outcome once the review is completed.
375. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on an application for carer's allowance. [51165/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 13th March 2012. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued on the 8th November 2012 refusing the allowance.
376. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on an application for carer's allowance. [51167/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 3rd April 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
377. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on an appeal for invalidity pension. [51168/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an Appeals Officer, following careful examination of the documentary evidence in the case disallowed the appeal of the person concerned on a summary basis, who was informed of this decision by letter dated 24 April 2012.
Social Welfare legislation provides that, in general, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive but may be revised in the light of new facts or evidence.
Following representations in the case, including the provision of some new evidence, the Appeals Officer, on 17/10/12, agreed that the case be re-opened by way of oral hearing. When this hearing is scheduled the person will be notified of the arrangements.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
378. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51183/12]
View answerInvalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions.
Invalidity pension was stopped for the person in question from 26 January 2012 following a routine review of continued entitlement. Based on the up-to-date medical evidence provided for the purposes of the review, the medical assessor expressed the opinion that the claimant was no longer eligible for invalidity pension as she no longer satisfied the medical criteria.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision and submitted further medical evidence in support of the application. This additional evidence, along with the original information, was evaluated by a different medical assessor who expressed the opinion that the person concerned does not satisfy the medical criteria. The deciding officer confirmed the original decision and notified the claimant of the outcome on 10 January 2012, advising her of her right to appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
The person concerned has appealed the decision. An appeal medical examination has been arranged for 11 December 2012 in order for a medical assessor to further review the person’s medical eligibility for invalidity pension.
If, following this review, it is decided that she still does not satisfy the medical criteria, her file and all relevant papers will be prepared and forwarded to the Social Welfare Appeals Office for determination. If the claimant satisfies the medical criteria, a revised decision will be made by a deciding officer and she will be notified directly of same.
379. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for a full-time carer in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51184/12]
View answerThe department has no record of receiving an application for carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit from the person in question.
380. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for a carer in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51185/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 24th September 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
381. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the correct level of rent support payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51199/12]
View answerPayment of rent allowance to the person concerned is currently under review. In order to establish the correct level of rent allowance payable he was issued with an explanatory letter and the relevant form for completion in September. This form has not been returned to date nor has he contacted the local community welfare service office.
To enable the rent allowance review to be completed, the person concerned should return the form or contact his local community welfare service office.
382. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a carer's allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51208/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 29th February 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
383. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon will receive a decision on an application for illness benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51209/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 1 November 2012, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
384. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the decision to refuse invalidity pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51210/12]
View answerInvalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions.
This department received a claim for invalidity pension for the person concerned on 12 July 2011. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of his claim was examined by a medical assessor who was of the opinion, based on the evidence provided, that the person concerned is not eligible for invalidity pension as he does not satisfy the medical criteria. The application for invalidity pension was disallowed by a deciding officer. The person in question was notified of this decision and the reason for it on 28 November 2011.
Further medical evidence was subsequently submitted by the claimant. This additional evidence, along with the original information, was evaluated by a different medical assessor who expressed the opinion that the person concerned does not satisfy the medical criteria. The deciding officer confirmed the original decision and notified the claimant of the outcome on 06 November 2012, advising him of his right to appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
385. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review a decision not to grant a disability allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51218/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 9 November 2012, who will make a summary decision on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
386. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection when carer's allowance will be granted in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51223/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 9th January 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
387. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will take steps to ensure that the carer's allowance rate and half rate carer's allowance will be protected in budget 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51226/12]
View answerThe Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure in 2012 of nearly €20.55 billion. This includes expenditure of €520.47 million on carer’s allowance, €23.32 million on carer’s benefit, €132.19 million on the respite care grant and €104.19 on domiciliary care allowance – a total of over €780 million in 2012.
I recognise that managing expenditure in 2013 and beyond will be extremely difficult and requires a critical analysis of all expenditure items. In this regard, I held a pre-Budget forum in October which was attended by thirty community and voluntary groups, including a number of groups representing carers. I listened carefully to the groups’ views and proposals in relation to the forthcoming Budget and I am considering all submissions made to me in that regard, including written submissions made by Care Alliance Ireland and the Carers Association.
The Government is considering the appropriate level of expenditure on the wide variety and schemes and services operated by my Department in 2013 in the context of the forthcoming Budget. The outcome will be announced on Budget Day.
388. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she will to eliminate the backlog in processing carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51227/12]
View answerI acknowledge that the time taken to process carer’s allowance claims at present is not satisfactory but I am satisfied that the Department is taking appropriate action to resolve the situation.
Carer’s allowance section has recently completed a major service delivery modernisation project to improve the efficiency with which it processes applications from clients for carer’s allowance. The project involved the development of IT functionality and associated business process re-organisation. Full deployment of the new system for Carer’s Allowance was completed in June 2012.
Initial focus was placed on clearing the backlog of CA applications awaiting scanning and registration. An additional 4 temporary staff were allocated to this effort. Over July and August 2012, 4,414 applications were scanned and registered - clearing the scanning backlog completely. Applications are now scanned within a day or two of being received.
The focus then moved to the processing of new applications. Processing of applications was divided into two streams. One concentrates on dealing with new application intake and processes these without delay and the other on the backlog which is ring-fenced with a clear and targeted plan for its elimination. The 4 temporary staff originally allocated to scanning duties were reassigned to CA application processing to support this plan. Implementation of the plan commenced on Monday 3 September. During the month of September 2012 1,147 CA applications were received, while 1,317 were decided. In October 2012 1,061 CA applications were received, while 2,520 were decided.
Under the initial plan, elimination of the backlog of CA applications was targeted for the end of May 2013. However, within the current month, a further additional 10 temporary staff have been assigned to CA section. This further injection of resources brings the target for backlog elimination the backlog of CA forward to the end of March 2013.
The allocation of available resources to this task continues to be monitored and managed to ensure that the backlog is eliminated in the quickest possible time.
389. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will an update on the review currently being carried out on a carer's allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22; when a decision on this application will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51237/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 7th November 2011. The person concerned was refused carers allowance on the grounds that the care recipient is not so disabled as to require full time care and attention as prescribed in regulations. A letter issued on the 24th July 2012 refusing the allowance. The person concerned appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and submitted further medical evidence in support of the appeal. This medical evidence was forwarded to the Department’s medical assessor for consideration. However, this information did not alter the opinion of the medical assessor and the decision remained unchanged. A submission has been prepared and forwarded to the Social Welfare Appeals Office for determination.
390. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of participants on community employment programmes on 1 October 2012 and 1 October 2011 in County Louth; the number of participants in receipt of disability allowance and also the number of community employment participants on one parent family payment on the above dates in County Louth. [51238/12]
View answerThe Department measures the number of persons employed on the Community Employment scheme at the end of each month, so the month-end figures for September 2012 and September 2011 as the most up to date to what the Deputy has requested.
Month end September 2012 – County Louth only
|
Total CE (Participants & Supervisors) |
766 |
|
CE Participants under Disability Allowance (DA) category: |
16 |
|
CE Participants under Lone Parents (OFP) category: |
112 |
Month end September 2011 – County Louth only
|
Total CE (Participants & Supervisors) |
781 |
|
CE Participants under Disability Allowance (DA) category: |
30 |
|
CE Participants under Lone Parents (OFP) category: |
172 |
391. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the number of applications for carer's allowance in County Kerry between January 2010 and January 2012; the average waiting time for these applications to be processed; the number were granted; the number refused and the number still pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51240/12]
View answerI wish to advise that the specific statistics as requested by the deputy on carer’s allowance applications and decisions in respect of Co. Kerry for the period between January 2010 and January 2012 are not available.
Currently there are just over 9,000 new applications for carer’s allowance awaiting an initial decision. This is down from 10,137 at end August 2012. Approximately 275 new applications are received each week. The average time taken to award a carer’s allowance application is 25 weeks, however individual cases may vary. Some will be processed quicker, others will take longer depending on complexity and whether all information is supplied by the customer at the outset. In addition, where a customer requests a review of an initial decision to refuse an application, this will take additional time.
There are approximately 2,100 people in Co. Kerry in receipt of carer’s allowance and there are approximately 350 new applications with addresses in Co. Kerry which are awaiting an initial decision.
392. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the number of applications for rent supplement in County Kerry between January 2010 and January 2012; the average waiting time for these applications to be processed; the number granted; the number refused; the number still pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51284/12]
View answerThere are currently approximately 89,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €436 million in 2012. Statistics are not available on the number of rent supplement applications received in County Kerry between January 2010 and January 2012 or the outcome of those applications. The following tabular statement shows the number of rent supplement recipients in County Kerry from 2009 to 2012.
Recipients of Rent Supplement in Kerry, 2009 to 2012
|
Year |
Recipients |
|
31/12/2009 |
2,398 |
|
31/12/2010 |
2,339 |
|
31/12/2011 |
2,278 |
|
02/11/2012 |
2,008 |
