Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 February 2014
91. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 84 of 30 January 2014, the number of schemes and payments in her Department that are paid out with non-statutory rules and guidance not based in primary legislation as she recently indicated applied for back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5807/14]
View answerThe table lists the various social welfare schemes and payments that are provided for on a statutory basis and on a non-statutory basis. In general, the weekly income replacement payments, such as State pensions, illness and disability benefits, jobseekers payments etc., are provided for on a statutory basis. However, other schemes which provide a variety of services free of charge or at reduced rates, e.g. free travel, household benefits package, require more flexibility in their operation and are considered best provided for by way of administrative guidelines, rather than in primary legislation.
In addition, the Department operates a range of schemes and services which provide opportunities and incentives for jobseekers and other social welfare recipients to take up education, training and employment opportunities. Access to these types of opportunities is not automatic. For instance, in order to avail of a Community Employment scheme there would need to be such a scheme in operation in the person’s locality, a place would need to be available on such a scheme and the person would also be required to attend an interview in order to assess his or her suitability for participating in such a scheme.
By their nature therefore, these types of courses and programmes require a lot of flexibility in their operation and they are also considered best provided for by way of administrative guidelines, rather than in primary legislation.
|
Social Welfare Schemes set out in Primary Legislation |
Non-statutory Social Welfare Schemes |
|
State Pension (Transition) |
National Fuel Scheme |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
Free Travel |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
Household Benefits Package |
|
Widows, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension |
Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance |
|
Widow’s Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Non-Contributory Pension |
Community Employment Scheme |
|
Death Benefit under the Occupational Injury Benefits scheme for widows, widowers, surviving civil partners and orphans |
Rural Social Scheme - RSS |
|
Bereavement Grant |
Tús - Community Work Placement Initiative |
|
Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner’s Grant |
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
Short-Term Enterprise Allowance |
|
Child Benefit |
Part Time Job Incentive Scheme |
|
Family Income Supplement |
Work Placement Programme |
|
Guardian’s payment (Contributory) |
Jobbridge, The National Internship Scheme |
|
Guardian’s payment (Non- Contributory) |
Back to Education Allowance |
|
Maternity Benefit |
Training and Development Option |
|
Adoptive Benefit |
Part-Time Education Option (PTEO) |
|
Health and Safety Benefit |
Springboard |
|
Jobseekers Benefit |
Jobsplus |
|
Jobseeker’s Allowance |
The Wage Subsidy Scheme |
|
Farm Assist |
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund for the Employment of people with disabilities |
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance |
The Disability Awareness Training Support Scheme |
|
Illness Benefit |
Job Initiative Scheme |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
Gateway |
|
Invalidity Pension |
Technical Assistance & Training Fund |
|
Disability Allowance |
Technical Employment Support Grant |
|
Blind Pension |
Activation and Family Support Programme |
|
Carer’s Benefit |
School Meals – local projects scheme |
|
Carer’s Allowance |
- |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
- |
|
Respite Care Grant |
- |
|
Injury Benefit |
- |
|
Disablement Benefit |
- |
|
Medical Care |
- |
|
Treatment Benefit |
- |
|
Rent Allowance for tenants affected by the De-Control of Rents |
- |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
- |
|
Rent Supplement |
- |
|
Mortgage Interest Supplement |
- |
|
Diet Supplement |
- |
|
Exceptional Needs Payments |
- |
|
Urgent Needs Payments |
- |
|
School Meals – urban scheme |
- |
