Written Answers Nos. 460-486
460. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the partial capacity benefit in 2010, 2011 and currently; the current number in receipt broken down county by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5740/13]
View answer469. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the adaptive benefit in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5749/13]
View answer474. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the standard bereavement grant in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5754/13]
View answer482. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the rural social scheme in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5762/13]
View answer484. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the fuel allowance in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5768/13]
View answer485. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the living alone Increase in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5769/13]
View answer486. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the household benefits package in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5770/13]
View answer488. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the social welfare and living on an island option in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5772/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 460, 469, 474, 482, 484 to 486, inclusive, and 488 together.
The information requested by the Deputy in respect of 2010 and 2011 remains unchanged from that in reply to Questions Nos. 476, 485, 490, 497, 501, 502, 503 & 505 on 6 November 2012.
The number of recipients of Social Welfare at county level breakdown is not published by my Department for these schemes in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report. Work has commenced on the compilation of data for the production of the 2012 report which will be laid before the Dáil when it is published.
However, I have set out for the Deputy’s information, in tabular format, the total number of recipients in each of the schemes referred to along with the provisional expenditure as at the 31st of December 2012.
|
Scheme |
Number of Recipients |
Provisional Outturn €000 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
733 |
2,107 |
|
Adoptive Benefit |
14 |
458 |
|
Bereavement Grant |
22,793 |
19,779 |
|
Rural Social Scheme |
2,591 |
45,242 |
|
Fuel Allowance |
Information regarding the allowance’s recipients is not segregated from the statistics of the schemes under which it is paid. |
194,925 |
|
Living Alone Allowance |
175,791 |
The cost of the Allowance is not segregated from the scheme expenditure under which it is paid. |
|
Household Benefit Recipients |
414,432 |
368,689 |
|
Number of Household Benefits Electricity |
293,328 |
|
|
Cash Electricity |
67,077 |
|
|
Gas |
44,346 |
|
|
Telephone |
394,671 |
|
|
T.V. License |
408,626 |
|
|
Total |
1,208,048 |
|
|
Island Allowance |
547 |
The cost of the Allowance is not segregated from the scheme expenditure under which it is paid. |
477. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the special funeral grant in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011 and estimated total costs in 2012; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5757/13]
View answerUnder the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. ENPs are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. The Government has provided €47.6m for the scheme in 2013.
Application can be made under the scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses. A table detailing the available statistics in relation to assistance for these expenses is as follows for the Deputy’s information. Statistics are not collated on a county basis.
With regard to my future plans for these payments, I have no plans to amend the ENP scheme with regard to entitlement to funeral or burial expenses at this time. Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an ENP under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme should contact the local officials administering the scheme.
Table: Expenditure and Payments on funeral expenses under Exceptional Needs Payment 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
|
- |
- |
Funeral Expenses |
- |
Burial Expenses |
- |
Total |
|
Year |
Number of Payments |
€0 |
Number of Payments |
€0 |
Number of Payments |
€0 |
|
2010 |
N/A |
4,790 |
N/A |
560 |
N/A |
5,350 |
|
2011 |
3,740 |
5,120 |
230 |
370 |
3,970 |
5,490 |
|
2012[1] |
3,530 |
4,860 |
230 |
330 |
3,760 |
5,190 |
|
2013[1] |
330 |
20 |
350 |
[1] Provisional
As at 1 February 2013.
