Written Answers Nos. 339-346
339. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and variety of training or youth unemployment or long-term unemployment alleviation schemes likely to be operated by her Department in the coming year; the total cost and duration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33525/13]
View answerThe Department operates a wide range of working age employment support schemes. Details of the individual schemes, the provisional expenditure outcome for 2012 and the estimate for 2013 are outlined in the table that follows this reply. The Estimate for 2013 provides for an increase of €102 million or close to 11% in the overall allocation for these schemes. The 2014 allocation will be considered later this year in the context of the 2014 Budget.
|
Expenditure Breakdown |
2012 Provisional Outturn (€'000) |
2013 REV (€'000) |
Change from 2012 Outturn (%) |
|
WORKING AGE - EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS |
- |
- |
- |
|
Community Employment Programme |
330,399 |
351,550 |
6.4% |
|
Rural Social Scheme |
45,242 |
45,000 |
-0.5% |
|
Tús - Community Work Placement |
67,055 |
96,200 |
43.5% |
|
Job Initiative |
25,794 |
25,100 |
-2.7% |
|
Community Services Programme |
45,391 |
46,060 |
1.5% |
|
Back to Work Allowance |
127,156 |
126,400 |
-0.6% |
|
National Internship Scheme - JobBridge |
54,739 |
81,760 |
49.4% |
|
Back to Education Allowance |
199,565 |
189,300 |
-5.1% |
|
Other Employment Supports |
- |
- |
- |
|
Assistance towards training for BTW participants |
3,459 |
4,500 |
30.1% |
|
Technical Employment Support Grant (funded from National Training Fund) |
4,348 |
6,000 |
38.0% |
|
Credit Union loan guarantee scheme |
0 |
20 |
|
|
Part Time Job Incentive |
1,370 |
1,300 |
-5.1% |
|
Centres of Support for the Unemployed Special Projects |
0 |
200 |
|
|
Activation and Family Support Programme (AFSP) |
2,543 |
3,400 |
33.7% |
|
Special payments to long term unemployed and lone parents |
27 |
120 |
344.4% |
|
Jobstart |
0 |
15,740 |
|
|
JobsPlus |
0 |
2,070 |
|
|
Special initiatives for Travellers programme |
187 |
750 |
301.1% |
|
Drugs Task Force |
1,861 |
2,000 |
7.5% |
|
EURES Job Mobility Funded Training Initiatives |
100 |
400 |
300.0% |
|
Local Employment Service |
17,854 |
19,100 |
7.0% |
|
Local Employment Service Jobs Clubs |
5,719 |
6,000 |
4.9% |
|
Wage Subsidy Scheme |
10,566 |
10,850 |
2.7% |
|
Supported Employment programme |
8,104 |
8,840 |
9.1% |
|
Disability Activation and Employment Supports |
383 |
5,190 |
1255.1% |
|
Employment Support Unit (ESU) policy initiatives |
13 |
0 |
-100.0% |
|
Total Other Employment supports |
56,534 |
86,480 |
53.0% |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
2,107 |
8,500 |
303.4% |
|
TOTAL WORKING AGE - EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS |
953,983 |
1,056,350 |
10.7% |
340. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects current or proposed temporary unemployment alleviation or training schemes to result in permanent positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33526/13]
View answerThe aim of JobBridge is to assist individuals to bridge the gap between unemployment and the world of work. The scheme has made very significant progress since it came into operation in July 2011. As at 27 June 2013, some 18,587 internship placements have commenced to date with 5,934 participants currently undertaking internships and 1,936 internship posts available on the JobBridge website. The independent evaluation conducted by Indecon Economic Consultants, which I published recently, found that 61% of interns who finish placements secure employment within five months. These progression outcomes are exceptionally positive and compare very favourably with European averages in this area. The following table provides further information on the status of employment secured since completion of JobBridge:
Table 3.28: Status of Employment Secured since Completion of JobBridge
|
Status of Employment |
% |
|
Full-time, Permanent |
45.2% |
|
Part-time, Permanent |
9.3% |
|
Full-time, Temporary |
35.0% |
|
Part-time, Temporary |
10.5% |
|
Total |
100% |
Source: Indecon Evaluation of JobBridge, Final Evaluation Report, April 2013
341. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she and her Department has examined the unemployment situation throughout the country with a view to identification of particular areas or blackspots indicating higher than average levels of unemployment; the extent to which she expects to be in a position to address issues arising; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33527/13]
View answerMy Department has local offices in all areas of the country and maintains records of jobseekers on a local office basis. Statistics relating to the number of job seekers at each local office are monitored on a continuous basis and are available on the CSO website. A regional distribution of live register statistics is also provided at Table 5 of the monthly CSO live register statement. Resources are allocated to and through our local offices based on the number of unemployed people in each area. By definition, therefore, this will result in the resources of the Department being concentrated in areas of high unemployment.
342. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she and her Department has examined the age profile of those on the live register long term with a view to initiating measures to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33528/13]
View answerThe age profile of long-term live registrants is being constantly monitored. The broad age distribution (under and over 25 years) of the Register is published each month by the Central Statistics Office, and more detailed breakdowns are also published at regular intervals. Given the focus of Government policy on the activation of job-seeker claimants, the allocation of my Department’s resources follows the distribution of the Live Register. The allocation of resources across age groups will therefore tend to change in line with changes in the age distribution of the Register.
343. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the degree to which she and her Department have entered into negotiations with other relevant Government Departments with a view to transferring the responsibility for local authority housing thus alleviating the burden of rent support on her Department and facilitating local authority housing applicants in their efforts to obtain employment which they cannot do without loss of income under the system of rent support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33529/13]
View answerThe purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are approximately 84,000 rent supplement recipients, of which over 53,000 have been in receipt of the payment for over 18 months. The Government has provided over €403 million for the scheme in 2013. In 2012, the Government approved in principle the transfer of responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to persons with a long-term housing need from the Department of Social Protection to housing authorities using a new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
Officials in my Department are working closely with those in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to assist with the necessary work required to progress HAP in terms of enabling the priority drafting of the required legislation, initiating the business planning process, examining the possibilities for providing for direct deduction from social welfare payments - including an amendment to the household budgeting facility, completing the economic assessment and initiating piloting of HAP. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has recently commenced a business processing development exercise to determine the business processes required to support the implementation of HAP and ensure its successful roll-out. Officials from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government are fully engaged in this process.
344. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she has taken or intends to take to streamline the appeals system in respect of all payments issuing from her Department with a view to minimising hardship on those awaiting the outcome of appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33530/13]
View answer345. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of cases referred to appeal in respect of each category of welfare payment for which her Department is responsible in each of the past four years to date in 2013; the areas experiencing most referrals to appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33531/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 345 together.
The number of cases referred to appeal in respect of each category of welfare payment from 2009 to 2013 (to date) are given in the table that follows this reply. It is noted that the areas experiencing most referrals to appeal are those areas experiencing the highest volumes of claim applications. There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2009 which has placed extraordinary pressure on the office. Up to 2009, the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum whereas in 2012, the office received 35,484 appeals. To manage this increasing workload, significant resources and efforts have been put into reducing backlogs and improving appeals processing times for appellants, including the assignment of 15 additional Appeals Officers, in addition to 10 former Community Welfare Service Appeals Officers who joined the appeals office in 2011, bringing the total number of serving Appeals Officers to 41; reviewing and improving business processes; and implementing a new operating model within the appeals office.
In addition, a major programme of process redesign and modernisation is under way in the Department in relation to many of its scheme areas, aimed at reducing backlogs and reducing the time taken by the Department to respond to requests from the appeals office for submissions in relation to appeals. These measures have led to improvements in processing times and a significant increase in the number of appeals finalised from 17,787 in 2009 to 32,558 in 2012. The Chief Appeals Officer expects to finalise 6,000 more cases in 2013 than in 2012. Good progress is also now being made in reducing the number of appeals on hand from 20,414 at 1 January 2013 to 16,542 at 1 July 2013. The average waiting time for appeals peaked in 2011 when the average time for an oral hearing was 52.5 weeks and for a summary decision was 25.1 weeks. In 2012, these times improved by 10.3 weeks when the average time for an oral hearing dropped to 39.5 weeks while the time for a summary decision increased slightly to 27.8 weeks. This improvement has continued with the average processing time up to June 2013 reducing to 36.2 weeks for an oral hearing and 27.6 weeks for a summary decision.
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 awaiting any clarification from the appellant, time 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. For example, in cases of schemes which include medical criteria such as disability allowance or invalidity pension, the time taken by the Department may include a review by a different medical assessor to the one who initially examined the case, and there may even be a third review by a medical assessor if additional medical evidence is submitted. A considerable period of time is added when an oral hearing is required because of the logistics involved in this process. While this process carries an inherent delay in terms of finalising an appeal, it also crystallises the flexibility and accessibility of the appeals system. By its nature and because it is a quasi-judicial function, the processing of appeals takes time and reflects the fact that, by definition, the appeal process cannot be a quick one. However, if an appellant’s means are insufficient to meet their needs, it is open to them to contact their local Community Welfare Services concerning their eligibility for Supplementary Welfare Allowance while their appeal is pending.
Appeals Receipts 01/01/2013 – 30/06/2013
|
- |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 (to 30/6/2013) |
|
Adoptive Benefit |
2 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
|
Blind Pension |
21 |
14 |
21 |
27 |
17 |
|
Carers Allowance |
1,977 |
3,025 |
2,199 |
2,676 |
2,171 |
|
Carers Benefit |
121 |
182 |
160 |
183 |
56 |
|
Child Benefit |
1,361 |
1,051 |
824 |
675 |
329 |
|
Disability Allowance |
4,696 |
4,840 |
5,472 |
6,223 |
3,006 |
|
Illness Benefit |
4,945 |
5,471 |
3,657 |
2,647 |
887 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
642 |
1,024 |
2,285 |
4,765 |
2,344 |
|
Domiciliary Care |
836 |
1,858 |
2,401 |
2,186 |
688 |
|
Deserted Wives Allowance |
- |
- |
4 |
1 |
1 |
|
Deserted Wives Benefit |
5 |
14 |
20 |
8 |
10 |
|
Farm Assist |
137 |
244 |
220 |
271 |
157 |
|
Bereavement Grant |
46 |
58 |
66 |
71 |
34 |
|
Family Income Supplement |
170 |
227 |
258 |
301 |
187 |
|
Liable Relatives |
25 |
16 |
26 |
39 |
9 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
805 |
1,109 |
1,055 |
938 |
294 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
11 |
29 |
42 |
29 |
11 |
|
Homemakers |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
- |
- |
- |
67 |
41 |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
88 |
256 |
106 |
128 |
73 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
319 |
356 |
317 |
231 |
114 |
|
State Pension (Transition) |
22 |
7 |
29 |
43 |
19 |
|
Occupational Injury Benefit |
37 |
23 |
16 |
13 |
8 |
|
Occupational Injury (Medical) |
42 |
21 |
5 |
6 |
2 |
|
Disablement Pension |
263 |
342 |
263 |
409 |
172 |
|
Incapacity Supplement |
8 |
15 |
6 |
21 |
3 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) |
23 |
28 |
31 |
46 |
16 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory) |
11 |
6 |
13 |
14 |
4 |
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance |
3 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) |
3,615 |
4,050 |
3,465 |
3,240 |
1,496 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
3,179 |
5,503 |
3,399 |
3,049 |
1,344 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
1,354 |
1,307 |
1,286 |
1,289 |
457 |
|
Jobseeker's Fraud Control |
- |
3 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
|
Respite Care Grant |
262 |
162 |
303 |
278 |
84 |
|
Insurability of Employment |
102 |
123 |
99 |
79 |
40 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
789 |
1,020 |
3,129 |
5,445 |
2,270 |
|
Treatment Benefits |
10 |
8 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
Survivor's Pension (Contributory) |
15 |
20 |
17 |
30 |
17 |
|
Survivor's Pension (Non-Contributory) |
19 |
12 |
29 |
39 |
11 |
|
Widows Parent Grant |
1 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
3 |
|
Death Benefit |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
All Appeals |
25,963 |
32,432 |
31,241 |
35,484 |
16,379 |
