Written Answers Nos. 359-382
359. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their appeal for invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52271/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 01st 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 Welfare and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
360. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the decision to disallow payment under the rent allowance scheme in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52277/12]
View answerThe application for rent supplement by the person concerned was disallowed for two reasons; the failure to establish a housing need with his local authority and that his rent level exceeded the limit for a single person. When this decision was appealed the Appeals Office overturned the first part of the decision, as they were satisfied that he had established a housing need, but upheld the second part on the basis that the rent payable was above the maximum limit for his circumstances.
If his circumstances have changed, the person concerned is free to make a new application for rent supplement at his local office.
361. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection the waiting times for carer’s allowance appeals to be processed; the position regarding carer's allowance appeals in respect of persons (details supplied) in South Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52278/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeals, by the persons concerned, were registered in that office on 10th July 2012 and 10th September 2012 respectively. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the cases will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeals based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The average waiting time for carer’s allowance appeals is 32.7 weeks for summary decisions and 43.3 weeks for oral hearings.
These processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. They include all activities during this period including time spent in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the appellant, and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department’s Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is deemed necessary.
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.
362. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the current number of outstanding applications for invalidity pension, broken down by months outstanding, the number of medical staff employed to conduct medical reviews and the number of additional staff deployed to clear the backlog. [52292/12]
View answerThe following is a breakdown of Invalidity Pension claims pending, illustrated in tabular form for ease of reference.
INVALIDITY PENSION CLAIMS - DURATION PENDING
|
< 1 month |
> 1 month and < 6 months |
< 6 months and < 1 year |
> 1 year |
|
818 |
1109 |
1225 |
1409 |
The processing times of individual invalidity pension claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the qualifying criteria. In addition, factors outside the Department’s control can have an impact, for example, insufficient information received from claimants at time of application and delays in claimants furnishing the information requested. The above figures include approximately 900 EU and bilateral cases awaiting decision which have a significantly longer processing time, the majority of which fall into the >1 year category.
Following an intensive backlog elimination project in invalidity pension section, all claims which were backlogged have now been examined and are awaiting a medical assessment and/or any additional information requested from the customer. Upon receipt of the necessary information, a decision will be made without delay. The majority of those claims fall into the category of >1 month and <1 year.
It should also be noted that claims from customers whose illness benefit was due to expire were prioritised for processing. Therefore, most of the customers currently awaiting decision are in receipt of illness benefit at present.
At present, approximately 220 new invalidity pension claims are received in the Department each week and these are examined within two days of receipt. Where a medical assessment and/or further information are required these are requested. Upon completion of the medical assessment and receipt of any further information required, these claims are processed without delay.
There is a current cadre of 27 medical assessors including the Chief Medical Advisor and the Acting Deputy Chief Medical Advisor. The medical assessors are fully qualified and experienced medical practitioners who must have at least 6 years satisfactory experience in the practice of medicine since registration with the Medical Council. Many of the medical assessors have specialist post-graduate qualifications and all have experience/training in human disability evaluation.
The delay in processing medical assessments is due to a number of factors such as the increase in volume of customer claims to particular schemes, the time involved in assessing cases where there is lengthy medical evidence to be assessed and the recent retirement of 4 of the medical assessors. The Department is addressing this issue and 3 new medical assessors have commenced employment with the Department since 1 November 2012, from a panel of 14 which was set up following a competition as arranged by the Public Appointments Service.
Six additional staff were assigned to the invalidity pension area in an effort to deal with the backlog which has been reducing steadily since June 2012. The number of invalidity pension claims awaiting decision at the end of May 2012 was 7007 – this has reduced to 4561 at the end of October 2012 and is continuing to reduce.
363. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when an application for rent allowance will be issued in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52293/12]
View answerThe person concerned made an application for rent supplement on the 24th September 2012. He returned information to the Department on the 4th November. His rent however remains in excess of the appropriate limit and has been subsequently refused. The person concerned did also not provide all of the necessary information required to complete his application.
364. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for carer's allowance will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52298/12]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 24th May 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
365. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal for invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied). [52304/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 17th April 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 09th November 2012 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer 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.
367. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Social Protection if steps will be taken to address the reportedly large queues for “signing-on” at Blanchardstown Social Welfare Local Office; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that those signing on have had to queue outside the office in the open air for a number of hours on occasion; if measures will be put in place to ensure that the numbers of people who have to sign on at the same time will be reviewed at so as to reduce the need for queuing outside; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52319/12]
View answerMy Department acknowledges the recent difficulties experienced by our customers when they attend Blanchardstown Social Welfare Local Office on their signing-on day. To address the issue of overcrowding in the public area, we are shortly commencing pilot scheme that will significantly reduce the numbers in the this area of the office at any one time. This should greatly reduce queuing and ensure that no client has to stand outside in future.
368. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal for invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied). [52351/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 17th April 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 09th November 2012 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer 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.
369. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason family income support is not paid to the self employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52367/12]
View answerThe family income supplement (FIS) payment provides income support for employees on low earnings with children. In 2011 expenditure on FIS amounted to almost €205 million in respect of some 29,000 families. The FIS payment is designed to preserve the financial incentive to take-up or remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might be marginally better off in employment than on social welfare payments. To qualify for payment of FIS, a person must be engaged in insurable employment which is expected to last for at least three months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week.
There are a number of factors that would have to be taken in to account in any consideration of extending eligibility criteria for FIS to include self-employed persons. In particular, there would be considerable practical difficulties in defining and controlling an alternative to the hours worked condition. It would be impossible to establish satisfactorily a self-employed person’s hours of employment and certify this on an ongoing basis. Extending FIS eligibility to the self-employed would also need to take into account the fact that there are already arrangements in place to provide income support to self-employed people on low incomes, such as through jobseeker’s allowance and through farm assist for low-income farmers. Furthermore, the cost of extending the scheme to the self-employed would be considerable and could only be considered in a budgetary context. Therefore, an extension of the FIS scheme to the self-employed would in effect change the nature of the scheme and it would not be feasible or desirable to extend FIS in this regard in its current form.
None the less, I am conscious that achieving a better design of the overall system of child income supports, including the FIS, raises complex issues about the effectiveness and efficiency of the full range of income supports currently provided to families and their children. In this context and in line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare last year, which has been asked to recommend cost-effective solutions as to how employment incentives can be improved and better poverty outcomes achieved, particularly child poverty outcomes. The Advisory Group prioritised the area of family and child income supports and has completed its work on this area. Their report is currently receiving my consideration and will assist the Government in setting out a pathway towards a more appropriate system of child income supports.
370. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if an appeal for an invalidity pension will be expedited in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52377/12]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence allowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer decision.
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.
371. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding statutory sick pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52380/12]
View answerThe position remains that the range of complex issues associated with the possible introduction of a scheme of statutory sick pay, including such matters as the provision of possible compensatory mechanisms for particularly vulnerable employers, the extent of coverage of such a scheme, the appropriate rate of payment involved and how a scheme would be enforced, continue to be examined in the Department. As I have indicated previously, all of these issues need to be addressed to the satisfaction of the Government before any decision could be taken on the possible introduction of a statutory sick pay scheme and in the event that the Government was to proceed with such a scheme, an impact assessment – in particular focusing on small and medium enterprises – would form part of the preparatory measures.
372. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a disability allowance appeal will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52388/12]
View answerThe disability allowance application by the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for the allowance.
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal was opened and in the context of that appeal her case was reviewed by a second Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for disability allowance. In accordance with statutory procedures the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer have been sought. On receipt of their response the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer 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.
373. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a carer's allowance appeal will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52410/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 22nd May 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 25th September 2012 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on 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.
374. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on carer's allowance will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52417/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21st January 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 20th September 2012 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on 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.
375. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for carer's allowance will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52418/12]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 3rd August 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
376. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo may expect to receive a decision regarding their disability allowance appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52422/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 08th 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.
377. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on an invalidity pension appeal will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52424/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 28th April 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 06th November 2012 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer 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.
378. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on invalidity pension will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52425/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, having carefully considered all of the evidence in the case, an Appeals Officer allowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person has been informed of this decision.
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.
379. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on an invalidity pension appeal will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52429/12]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered on 13th November 2012. He has been contacted by that Office and asked to set out the complete grounds of his appeal. On receipt of his response the relevant Departmental papers and the comments on the grounds of the appeal by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer will be requested from the Department.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister of Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
380. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their disability allowance appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52468/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 08th 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 foe Social Welfare and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
381. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to extend access to the jobbridge scheme to the self employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52490/12]
View answerThe National Internship Scheme provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals in organisations in the private, public and community/voluntary sectors and at present is limited to individuals who are in receipt of one of the following claims (Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability Allowance) or are signing on for credits for at least 3 of the last 6 months (78 Days). The aim of JobBridge is to assist individuals in breaking the cycle where they are unable to get a job without experience. It provides them with an opportunity to gain valuable experience, relevant knowledge and skills within a working environment.
The JobBridge Scheme has made significant progress to-date since it came into operation on the 1st July 2011. 12,308 internships have commenced to date with 5,427 participants currently on an internship as at 22nd November 2012 and over 2,000 opportunities presently advertised on www.jobbridge.ie.
In response to the Deputy’s specific query, it is must be stated that the Scheme is open to self-employed individuals or companies in all sectors including private, public, voluntary and community sectors provided they have a minimum of 1 full time employee (employed for 30 hours or more per week, subject to tax and PRSI).
A host organisation participating in JobBridge must be in a position to provide a substantial commitment to their intern so as to ensure the provision of a quality internship.
To this end, a clear set of rules have been developed to protect the intern and safeguard the Scheme from potential abuse. Potential host organisations can avail of the JobBridge guidelines and full eligibility criteria available on the JobBridge website www.jobbridge.ie.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the interim evaluation report conducted by Indecon published on the 5th of October 2012 found that the majority (58%) of host organisations are small organisations employing less than 50 persons across a broad range of sectors.
Furthermore, I wish to advise that the existing terms and conditions of the Scheme including eligibility will be examined as part of this independent evaluation of the Scheme. This report will also present recommendations on how the Scheme might be improved. It is anticipated that this Report will be available by year end 2012. It is at this stage that further consideration will be given to amending the terms and conditions of the Scheme. Any such amendment or changes will then be notified via the website
382. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [52494/12]
View answerI can confirm that this application was received on the 18th October 2012. On completion of all the necessary investigations, a decision will issue directly to the person in question.
