Written Answers Nos. 90-97
90. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48641/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 11th November 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these have been received from the Department, the case 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 appeal 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.
92. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a decision on their invalidity appeal; and if she will expedite an answer. [48646/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 17th September 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these have been received from the Department, the case 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 appeal 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.
95. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding social welfare entitlements for persons over 62 years old; if she will address the issues raised therein; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48678/13]
View answerWhere individuals exit the workforce prior to pension age they often seek the support of either the jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance schemes. Jobseeker's benefit is a weekly payment to people out of work and covered by social insurance. If a person does not qualify for jobseeker’s benefit they may qualify for means tested jobseeker's allowance. The Revised Estimates for my Department provides for expenditure on the jobseeker’s schemes of €3.66 billion in 2013.
Legislation provides that a person must satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions is not entitled to a jobseeker’s payment.
In addition, people in receipt of a jobseeker's payment must engage with the Department's activation measures and can face sanctions if they fail to do so. These criteria will now be eased for people aged 62 and over. They will still be able to avail voluntarily of an array of supports, which are available from the Department if they wish to return to work, training or education but sanctions will not be applied to this cohort, should they decide they do not wish to engage with the activation process.
Special arrangements will also be made so that the majority of older people in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment will have to register with their local office only once a year and their payments will be paid directly into their bank accounts.
The arrangements will apply to both existing and new recipients under the jobseeker’s schemes from January 2014. They will enable these individuals to ease their transition into one of the jobseeker’s schemes until they become eligible for a State pension on their 66th birthday.
Further information on issues such as the treatment of pension income under the jobseeker’s allowance means test and the value of credited contributions in terms of qualification for activation schemes may be obtained on www.welfare.ie or from any social welfare local office.
