Written Answers Nos. 141 - 148
141. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total annual cost of restoring the one parent family payment to the 18 years of age threshold; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41676/13]
View answerThe reforms to the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme that were introduced in Budgets 2011, 2012, and 2013, are predicated on activation and on getting people back into the workforce once their children have reached an appropriate age. There are no plans to change these arrangements. The cost of the OFP scheme was €1.06 billion in 2012 and is currently estimated to be €935 million for 2013. The reduction in expenditure on the scheme is as a result of all of the scheme reforms, including the reduction in the age limit of the youngest child for receipt of OFP. Overturning the reforms that have been made to the scheme, including the restoration of the age limit of the youngest child at which a recipient’s payment ceases to 18 years, would restore expenditure on the scheme to approximately €1 billion per annum.
142. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the number of recipients by age of the one parent family payment; the cost of this payment in tabular form by age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41677/13]
View answerFor the Deputy’s convenience, there follows a tabular statement detailing the number of persons in receipt of one-parent family payment by age of recipient, the percentage of the total recipients by age and the provisional cost of the scheme at the 31st of August 2013. Statistics on expenditure at age level are not compiled by my Department, However I am informed that the average weekly payment to one-parent family payment recipients at the end of August 2013 was €222.24.
One-Parent Family Payment by Age and Total Provisional Scheme Expenditure at 31 August 2013
|
Age of Recipient |
Number of Recipients |
Percentage of total Recipients |
|
15 |
5 |
0.006% |
|
16 |
33 |
0.041% |
|
17 |
124 |
0.153% |
|
18 |
299 |
0.370% |
|
19 |
583 |
0.721% |
|
20 |
942 |
1.166% |
|
21 |
1,483 |
1.835% |
|
22 |
1,920 |
2.376% |
|
23 |
2,351 |
2.909% |
|
24 |
2,602 |
3.219% |
|
25 |
2,844 |
3.519% |
|
26 |
3,135 |
3.879% |
|
27 |
3,310 |
4.095% |
|
28 |
3,265 |
4.040% |
|
29 |
3,307 |
4.092% |
|
30 |
3,444 |
4.261% |
|
31 |
3,515 |
4.349% |
|
32 |
3,405 |
4.213% |
|
33 |
3,478 |
4.303% |
|
34 |
3,480 |
4.306% |
|
35 |
3,114 |
3.853% |
|
36 |
3,014 |
3.729% |
|
37 |
2,843 |
3.518% |
|
38 |
2,829 |
3.500% |
|
39 |
2,908 |
3.598% |
|
40 |
2,810 |
3.477% |
|
41 |
2,596 |
3.212% |
|
42 |
2,449 |
3.030% |
|
43 |
2,308 |
2.856% |
|
44 |
2,013 |
2.491% |
|
45 |
1,842 |
2.279% |
|
46 |
1,606 |
1.987% |
|
47 |
1,408 |
1.742% |
|
48 |
1,243 |
1.538% |
|
49 |
1,041 |
1.288% |
|
50 |
836 |
1.034% |
|
51 |
657 |
0.813% |
|
52 |
452 |
0.559% |
|
53 |
411 |
0.509% |
|
54 |
289 |
0.358% |
|
55 |
212 |
0.262% |
|
56 |
153 |
0.189% |
|
57 |
88 |
0.109% |
|
58 |
62 |
0.077% |
|
59 |
48 |
0.059% |
|
60 |
21 |
0.026% |
|
61 |
13 |
0.016% |
|
62 |
15 |
0.019% |
|
63 |
8 |
0.010% |
|
64 |
6 |
0.007% |
|
65 |
3 |
0.004% |
|
Total |
80,823 |
100% |
|
Provisional Expenditure |
€673,584,000 |
143. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an invalidity pension appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [41691/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 18 September 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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.
144. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons participating in the job activation measures (details supplied) on 30 June 2012; the number of persons participating in the same job activation measures on 30 June 2013. [41707/13]
View answerThe Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity through the Action Plan for Jobs. In addition to promoting economic recovery, the Government recognises the need for measures to support the long-term unemployed and keep jobseekers close to the labour market. In this context, the major elements of the Government’s response are set out in Pathways to Work which is aimed at ensuring that as many as possible of the job vacancies that are created are filled by people from the Live Register, with a particular focus on those who are long-term unemployed or at risk of long-term unemployment.
The data requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below in respect of Community Employment (CE), Tús – the Rural Social Scheme (RSS), Job Initiative (JI) and the Part-Time Job Initiative (PTJI). Figures for the numbers involved in June 2012 and June 2013 are shown.
|
- |
CE |
Tús |
RSS |
JI |
PTJI |
Total |
|
30 June 2012 |
22,948 |
4,597 |
2,713 |
1,197 |
193 |
31,648 |
|
30 June 2013 |
22,515 |
5,763 |
2,704 |
1,128 |
258 |
32,368 |
145. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection if students who are pursuing online postgraduate degree courses are eligible to apply for jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41732/13]
View answerThe jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. To qualify for payment, a person must satisfy certain conditions, including the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. The relevant legislation specifically excludes students who are attending a full-time day course of study from entitlement under the schemes. Other educational situations, including online degree courses, are examined individually to determine if the conditions of the scheme are satisfied. Factors considered in this context include whether the course is full-time or part-time and the overall level of commitment required from the course participant in terms of time and cost.
The level of commitment required to participate in a full-time course of education is not usually consistent with the requirement to be available for full-time employment. However, each case is considered on its merits and decisions are made based on the particular circumstances of each case.
146. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when domiciliary care allowance will be restored in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41750/13]
View answerThe person concerned was notified on 19 September 2013 that domiciliary care allowance payments would resume on 15th October 2013. Arrears of payment due to him has issued by cheque.
147. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the provisions if any in place to meet the housing needs by way of rent supplement in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41753/13]
View answerThe person concerned and her children are currently being housed in in accommodation, funded by Dublin City Council, following the ending of her previous tenancy. She is currently also in receipt of a supplementary allowance payment from my Department. In relation to accessing rent allowance the person in question is entitled to apply for this payment. To access the payment she should secure accommodation and then apply to her local community welfare office whereupon an assessment will be completed.
148. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when full payment including any arrears of payment including basic supplementary welfare allowance or alternative will be paid in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41754/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the supplementary welfare allowance and disability allowance appeals by the person concerned have been 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 Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
