Written Answers Nos. 404-424
404. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for a disability allowance appeal will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25699/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 28 March 2013. 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 these are received, the appeal in question 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.
405. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for invalidity pension will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [25774/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 29 April 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.
406. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for domiciliary care allowance will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [25775/13]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 21st March 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 21st May 2013 advising of the decision. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds, the applicant is notified that they may submit additional information and/or ask for the case to be reviewed by another medical assessor. Alternatively, they may also appeal the decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
409. 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 an invalidity pension. [25788/13]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the evidence, has allowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the 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.
413. 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 a domiciliary care allowance. [25792/13]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 23rd August 2012. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 28th September 2012 refusing the allowance. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision and she was informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 11th March 2013 that the appeal had not been allowed. The decision/appeal process for this application is now complete. If the person concerned has additional information which was not available to the deciding and appeals officers when they made their decisions, it is open to her to re-apply for the allowance.
414. 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 a disability allowance. [25794/13]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the evidence, has allowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the 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.
415. 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 carer's allowance. [25795/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 15 April 2013. 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 these are received, 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.
416. 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 a disability allowance. [25797/13]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 9 October 2012. Following this hearing the Appeals Officer requested clarification on certain issues from the Department of Social Protection. Following receipt of the Department's response to his request, the Appeals Officer has considered the matter further and is of the view that a second oral hearing will be required. The Appeals Office anticipates that the oral hearing will be held in July. The person concerned will be notified when the arrangements have been made. 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.
417. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Social Protection when she will be presented with the remaining modular reports of the advisory group on tax and social welfare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25802/13]
View answerCreating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that Ireland now faces. It is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these challenges. To this end, and in line with commitments contained in the Programme for Government, I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare, with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and experience to examine a number of specific issues. These include making cost-effective proposals for improving employment incentives and achieving better poverty outcomes, particularly child poverty outcomes.
The Group's terms of reference provide for a range of issues to be considered including: child and family income supports, working age income supports, the appropriate unit of assessment in both the tax and social welfare codes, the interaction of the tax and social welfare codes, issues concerning social insurance for self-employed people and the Budget 2012 proposals concerning disability allowance and domiciliary care allowance. The Group's overall method of working is based on producing modular reports on the priority areas identified in the terms of reference. The Group commenced its work programme by prioritising the area of family and child income supports and its report on this first module of work was published on 20 February 2013.
The Advisory Group's second report was on the issue of the Budget 2012 proposals relating to Disability Allowance and Domiciliary Care Allowance. This report was published on 11 April 2013. The Advisory Group's third module of work related to the issues involved in providing social insurance cover for self-employed persons so as to establish whether or not such cover is technically feasible and financially sustainable. The Group's report on this issue was submitted to the Minister for Social Protection in May 2013 and its implications are currently being considered by the Minister and her Department. The Group is currently progressing its fourth module of work on the issue of working age income supports and the interaction of the tax and social welfare systems, with a view to concluding this module as quickly as possible.
418. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form for the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013, the number of applications made to her Department for invalidity pension and disability allowance; the number of these applications that have been approved and the number of such applications that are pending a decision; her views on the reported delays in decisions being made on such applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25845/13]
View answerIn regard to invalidity pension (IP), there is no backlog of invalidity claims at present. As at the end of April 2013 there were 2,788 IP claims registered, actioned and awaiting information to finalise a decision. These mostly relate to reviews and appeals. In addition, approximately 660 cases are being investigated under EU regulations or bilateral agreements. These cases are more complex and take longer to decide.
Approximately 220 new invalidity pension claims are received in the Department each week. These are examined on receipt and a decision is completed where all information is available. If a medical assessment and/or further information are required, it is requested without delay. Once all the necessary information is received, the claim is processed. New claims received in the last 6 months are on average process within 10 weeks and almost 60% of our current claims are awaiting a decision for 2 months or less.
Invalidity Pension
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
No. of applications |
14,621 |
11,510 |
3,295 |
|
No. allowed |
2,107# |
6,352 |
3,233 |
|
No. pending |
6,814 |
3,662 |
2,788 |
Notes:
A breakdown of invalidity claims awarded and disallowed is not available from December 2010-June 2011. A dual payments system was in operation from December 2010 until all claims were migrated onto a new computer platform in May 2011.
#Breakdown for period June 2011- December 2011 inclusive
2013 figures as at 30 April 2012
In regard to disability allowance (DA), following the completion of a major service delivery modernisation programme a plan is now in operation to reduce the backlog, including the assignment of additional staff and it is anticipated that the full backlog will be actioned by the end of the second quarter of this year. It should be noted that the processing time for individual disability allowance claims can vary depending on the complexity of the claimant's circumstances and the information they provide. In addition, a request for a review or an appeal by a person adds to length of time taken to deal with the claim.
Disability Allowance
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
No. of applications |
24,264 |
25,887 |
6,766 |
|
No. allowed |
9,246 |
10,400 |
3,015 |
|
No. pending |
6,999 |
7,775 |
6800* (at 10/05/13) |
* 5,800 of these are new applications. Of the 5,800 new applications, 600 have been actioned and are awaiting further information before a decision can be made.
419. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will report on the new scheme launched by her Department to assist lone parents on the pathway back to work; the way her Department will support lone parents attempting to return to the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25846/13]
View answerAs part of the forthcoming Social Welfare and Pensions Bill, 2013, I am introducing reforms to the Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) scheme to ease the transition of former recipients of the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme with young children onto the JA scheme. These reforms will create a transitional arrangement specifically for former OFP recipients with children under 14 years of age who are awarded a JA payment. This arrangement will operate for a transitional period and give these individuals an exemption from the JA conditionality that requires them to be available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. This transitional period is required as lone parents with young children have caring responsibilities which may have prevented them from being available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. This arrangement will enable lone parents to work part time, provided they satisfy the JA means test, and will therefore offer them the continued security of income support from my Department. Lone parents on JA under this arrangement will also be able to access the new afterschool child care scheme, which provides subsidised afterschool childcare if they secure employment or engage on a CE scheme.
The aim of introducing these OFP reforms and for creating this arrangement is to improve outcomes for lone parents. As a result of these measures lone parents will now be able to access the Department's activation supports and services. As part of this process, all lone parents on JA will be profiled, have a group engagement, and be encouraged to develop a personal development plan in conjunction with their case officer. This personal development plan will identify suitable education, training, and employment programmes that will enable them to improve their skills set and increase their prospects of securing employment. The exemptions from the full JA conditionality will remain in place until the lone parent's youngest child reaches the age of 14 years. At this point, should the customer continue to claim the JA payment, he/she will be subjected to the full JA conditionality.
421. Deputy Paschal Donohoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date on delivering on the targets outlined in the Pathways to Work strategy, namely, to ensure that 75,000 of those long-term unemployed in 2012 will move into employment by 2015, to reduce the average time spent on the live register from 21 months to less than 12 months; if he will ensure that employers have access to and are offered suitable candidates to fill full-time vacancies and that the proportion of vacancies filled by her Department's employment services from the live register is at least to 40% by 2015; and if she will report on the current position on each of these targets. [25921/13]
View answerPathways to Work represents the single biggest ever change to how the State engages with, and provides services to, people who are unemployed. It is delivering on the Programme for Government commitment to set up a National Employment and Entitlements Service and involves a multi-annual programme of complex legislative, organisation, process, people, and work change running to the end of 2014. There are five strands to the Pathways approach relating to:
- Engagement with people who are unemployed;
- The provision of activation places and opportunities;
- Incentivising the take-up of opportunities;
- Working with employers; and
- Reforming institutions
We have made good progress on all strands. The Deputy will be aware of the institutional changes arising from the merger of the Community Welfare Service and FÁS employment services with my Department – both of which were transferred on time and within budget at the start of last year. Progress has been made on working with employers with the establishment of an Employer Engagement Unit within my Department. With regard to activation places and opportunities 2012 saw the very successful roll-out of JobBridge and TÚS while Budget 2013 provided for an additional 13,000 places on various employment schemes representing a 30% increase on existing provision. Jobseekers have a stronger incentive to take up these and other employment opportunities by virtue of changes to referral processes, payment arrangements in respect of casual work and the introduction of penalty rates of payment for non-engagement with activation initiatives.
The impact of the Pathways approach is most evident in the more frequent and more intensive manner of our engagement with jobseekers. For example 68,600 clients participated in a group engagement process last year, while over 40,000 clients have benefitted from such engagements already this year. Similarly the Department conducted 158,000 initial one-to-one guidance interviews with jobseekers last year. The target is to complete 185,000 initial interviews in 2013. Significantly under the Intreo model being rolled out across the country, the process of engagement starts immediately when a client registers for a Jobseekers payment and is informed by a personal profile captured in respect of each individual. In the past no such profiles were captured and clients had to wait at least three months before being invited to a Group Engagement. In addition decision times in respect of jobseeker claims are significantly reduced from an average of four weeks under the old method of operation to under a week, and in most cases to no more than 2/3 days, in Intreo offices.
The 12 twelve Intreo offices are now live and it is intended to convert 40 offices to full Intreo working by the end of this year and to complete the full roll-out to all 63 offices of the Department in 2014. It is to be noted that key elements of the Intreo model are being rolled-out in advance of the physical modification of offices. Personal profiling is already in place in all offices while individual progression planning and the accelerated integrated decision process will be operational in all offices by the end of this year.
With respect to plans for 2013 I have published a comprehensive set of performance targets, set out on a on a quarter by quarter basis, on the Department's website www.welfare.ie and will publish performance against these targets starting in July of this year.
424. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the details of the claim for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; if the appeal which was lodged by this Deputy and acknowledged on 6 December 2010 was fully processed; if the outcome of this appeal will be outlined; if she will confirm if the applicant was contacted during the appeals process and, if so, if the applicant was notified of the outcome; if she will confirm the way the overpayment occurred as the applicant claims to have been caring for a person since 1990; and if any action will be postponed regarding the suggested overpayment until the applicant has time to respond as they are now in poor health. [25954/13]
View answerI can confirm that Carer's Allowance was awarded from 7th July 2005 to the person concerned. Payment was stopped on 25th May 2010 when the Department became aware that the person being cared for had entered a nursing home. An overpayment was assessed against the person concerned for the period 12th March 2009 to 26th May 2010. The Department wrote to the person concerned notifying them of this overpayment and affording them the right to appeal the decision. The person in question appealed this decision in writing and their letter was sent to the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 6th of December 2010. However, it appears that this correspondence went astray and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has confirmed that they did not receive this appeal request.
I can confirm that, in the particular circumstances of this case, an appeal has now been accepted by the Social Welfare Appeals Office and they have undertaken to expedite the matter as far as possible. I can further confirm that recovery of the overpayment will be deferred until such time as the outcome of the appeal has been determined by the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
