Written Answers Nos. 378-396
379. 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. [2918/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 15th June 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 19th December 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.
381. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection when a domiciliary care allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2922/13]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received on the 14th July 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for DCA. A letter issued on the 10th October 2011 refusing the allowance. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision and she was informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 18th July 2012 that the appeal had been disallowed.
The decision/appeal process for this application is now complete. If the person concerned has additional information which was not made available to the deciding and appeals officers when they made their decisions, it is open to her to re-apply for the payment.
382. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when all arrears in respect of an application for fuel allowance will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2940/13]
View answerThe person concerned is due an arrears payment in respect of fuel allowance. The payment will issue shortly.
383. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in respect of a determination of entitlement to illness benefit in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; when payment will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2941/13]
View answerThe illness benefit claim of the person concerned has been approved at the graduated weekly rate of €147.30 from 2 October 2012. Illness benefit rates are graduated according to the average weekly earnings in the relevant tax year. 2010 is the relevant tax year for claims decided in 2012. Payment of illness benefit will issue on 23 January 2013 once all appropriate medical certification has been received.
384. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when an appeal will be determined in respect of an application for disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2943/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 09th January 2013, 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.
385. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will report on the current backlog of appeals to the Social Welfare Appeals Officer; the measures being taken to address this backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2951/13]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that as at 18th January, 2013 there were 20,364 appeals outstanding. There was a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals from 2009 to date which has placed extraordinary pressure on the SWAO. Significant resources and efforts have been put into reducing backlogs and improving processing times for appellants, including the assignment of 15 additional Appeals Officers, improving business processes and implementing a new operating model. The Chief Appeals Officer expects to finalise 6,000 more cases in 2013 than in 2012 (There were 33,129 appeals finalised in 2012). There is a major programme of process redesign and modernisation currently underway in relation to many scheme areas which will reduce backlogs and will also reduce the time taken for the Department to respond to requests from the SWAO for submissions in relation to appeals. It is planned to recruit 8 additional Medical Assessors in 2013. All these measures together will reduce the waiting time for appellants. However, by its nature and because it is a quasi-judicial process, the processing of appeals takes time even at the best of times and reflects the fact that while every effort is made to deal with appeals as fast as possible this cannot be at the expense of fairness of due process.
386. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the feasibility of extending the service Vantastic, which is currently part funded by her Department under the Community Service Programme managed by Pobal and in view of its success and popularity, if she will undertake to examine the possibility of expanding the service to include the Dublin North West Area. [2967/13]
View answerVantastic, like all community and not-for-profit contact holders with the community services programme (CSP), acts independently of the Department of Social Protection and Pobal in the determination of the services it offers. Those elements of service supported by the CSP are required to be in line with the business plan agreed with the Department and Pobal for the contracting period which is generally three years in duration. It is entirely a matter for the company to develop its services and examine the feasibility of expanding its service to include new areas of operation or coverage. A feature of the CSP is the requirement of the contract holder to generate a substantial level of its resources from the fees charged for services or other traded income. The value of the contract with Vantastic in 2012 was some €835,700 which includes a consolidated grant previously paid by the Department of Justice and Equality. I expect the same level of resources will be available to the company in 2013.
388. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of one parent family payment who are currently on community employment; the numbers at 31 December 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2984/13]
View answerAs of the 21st January 2013, there are 2,591 persons listed under the lone parent category on Community Employment (CE). At the 31st December, 2011, there were 4,650 persons listed under the lone parent category. The overall number of places available under CE has been increased by 2,000 to 25,300 (including supervisors) in 2013 with a budget of circa €352m. The Department is committed to reforming CE to ensure value for money, progression of the job seeker and support for community services.
389. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the number of persons currently in employment who will be affected by the proposed abolition of the State pension transition from 1 January 2014, by virtue of reaching qualifying age in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2987/13]
View answerIt is not possible to answer the Deputy’s question in the time available. I will arrange for the answer to be supplied to her as soon as possible.
390. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in the population on social welfare payments who would have qualified to receive the State pension transition in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively and who will no longer do so as a result of its abolition from 1 January 2014; if she will provide a breakdown of the groups involved that is people with disabilities, widows/widowers and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2988/13]
View answerState pension transition is paid to those who retire from work at age 65 and who meet the qualifying conditions for the scheme, until they reach 66 years and transfer to State pension contributory. In 2012, 22,430 claims were received for State pension transition with 12,559 claims awarded . It is not possible to predict with accuracy the number of persons in the population on social welfare payments who would have qualified to receive the State pension transition in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.
In relation to previous years, in 2011, 2,384 transferred to State pension transition from illness benefit, 829 transferred from job seekers benefit, 827 from job seekers allowance, 405 from widows/widowers/surviving civil partners scheme, 88 customers from invalidity pension and 176 from disability allowance.
In 2012 the equivalent was 2,485 from illness benefit, 1,044 from job seekers benefit, 922 from jobseekers allowance, 439 from widows/widowers/surviving civil partners scheme, 200 from disability allowance and105 from invalidity pension
State pension age will be standardised at age 66 in 2014 when State pension transition is abolished. Reforms to pension provision such as this are necessary if we are to continue to put pension provision on a sustainable footing given the changes in demographics and the need to sustain pension provision in Ireland.
391. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the estimated savings to the Exchequer in each year from 2014 to 2019 arising from the proposed abolition of the State pension transition from 1 January 2014, including a breakdown of the offsetting cost arising from affected claimants who would instead be able to claim jobseeker's benefit/allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2989/13]
View answerSocial structures in Ireland are changing rapidly and social supports need to change to accommodate this. The decision to increase State pension age was taken in the context of changing demographics and the fact that people are living longer and healthier lives.
The standardisation of State pension age to age 66 is one of the measures planned which aims to improve the sustainability of the Irish pension system. As provided for in legislation, State pension age will further increase to age 67 in 2021 and to 68 in 2028.
These changes were provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011. Estimates at that time indicated that the gross estimated savings in 2014 were expected to be in the region of €33 million with a full year savings in 2015 of approximately €65 million. These savings take into account claimants who would instead receive various other social welfare payments, including jobseeker benefits.
392. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who were entitled to claim the State pension transition in 2012; and the number who actually claimed the payment. [2990/13]
View answerState pension transition (SPT) is paid for one year to those aged 65 who have retired from work and who meet the qualifying conditions of the scheme. It is not means-tested. In 2012, 22,430 State pension transition claims were received and 12,559 claims were awarded.
393. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who will continue to receive the State pension transition in 20914 subsequent to the abolition date for new claimants from 1 January 2014. [2991/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, there are a number of pension reform measures underway and increasing State pension age is one of them. State pension transition is a payment currently paid to those who reach age 65, are retired from work and who meet the qualifying conditions of the scheme. Recipients of State pension transition transfer to State pension contributory at age 66. In 2014, State pension age will be standardised at age 66 which will result in the abolition of State pension transition.
Currently, there are over 14,000 State pension transition claims in payment. No new claims for State pension transition with an entitlement date on or after 1st January 2014 will be awarded. Claimants in receipt of State pension transition awarded during 2013 will continue in payment in 2014 until they reach aged 66 years when they will transfer to State pension contributory.
394. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in the population on social welfare payments who are currently in receipt of a qualified adult payment and would have qualified to receive the qualified adult rate under the State pension transition in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively and who will no longer do so as a result of its abolition from 1 January 2014. [2992/13]
View answerA person who is in receipt of a social welfare payment may claim an increase in respect of a qualified spouse or partner (IQA). In relation to pensions, an increase for a qualified adult is normally paid where the qualified adult does not have enough contributions to claim a pension in their own right and it is usually paid on the basis of the contribution history of the primary pension recipient.
It is not possible to state how many people would qualify for an IQA as claims are only decided when an application for State pension is received. However, in 2012 there were 2,690 IQAs in payment on State pension transition (SPT). If one uses CSO and this administrative data for 2012, it is estimated that some 6.5% of those aged over 65 year olds were awarded an IQA on SPT. The forecasted increase in the older population due to demographic changes would suggest that this number would increase somewhat in future years.
395. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify if workers retiring at 65 years who cannot access the State pension transition from 1 January 2014 and who are eligible for jobseeker's benefit will be subject to the change introduced in budget 2013 which provides for a reduction in the duration of jobseeker's benefit by three months from 3 April 2013, nine months or six months depending on the number of accrued PRSI contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2993/13]
View answerJobseeker's benefit (JB) is a weekly payment to people out of work and covered by social insurance (PRSI). If a person does not qualify for JB they may qualify for means tested jobseeker's allowance. In 2012 my Department spent some €737m on the scheme and at the end of 2012 there were some 85,000 persons in receipt of a JB payment.
Budget 2013 provided that the duration for which JB is paid will, with effect from April 2013, be reduced from 12 months to 9 months for recipients with 260 or more contributions paid and from 9 months to 6 months for recipients with less than 260 contributions paid.
The reduction in duration from 12 months to 9 months will apply to new claimants from April, 2013, and existing recipients who, in April, 2013, have been getting JB for less than 6 months. The reduction in duration from 9 months to 6 months will apply to new claimants from April, 2013 and existing recipients who, in April, 2013, have been getting JB for less than 3 months.
Legislation provides that, subject to the person having paid 156 or more qualifying contributions and satisfying the general scheme conditions, a person whose JB expires in their 65th year will continue to be paid benefit up until the age of 66. On this basis, workers who suffer a substantial loss of employment at age 65 will not be subject to the reductions in duration provided they have paid at least 156 qualifying contributions.
396. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the entitlement to medical appliance benefit in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2995/13]
View answerEligibility to treatment benefit is based on a person’s PRSI record and the contributions paid in the governing contribution year (GCY) relevant to their age. In order to qualify, the person concerned (who reached age 66 in 2004) must have at least 260 reckonable PRSI (Class A/E/H/P) contributions paid since first starting work, and at least 39 such contributions paid or credited in either 2002 or 1996, the relevant GCY for his age.
According to the records held, the person concerned has only paid a total of 199 reckonable contributions since first taking up employment (self-employment contributions, paid at Class S are not reckonable for Treatment Benefit). He also has less than the required 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in both 2002 and 1996 years. As neither of the two qualifying conditions are met, the person concerned does not qualify for the treatment benefit scheme.
