Written Answers Nos. 387-411
387. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of new identity cards issued by her Department to persons in receipt of social welfare payments; and if she will provide a breakdown of the regions in which the new cards have been rolled out. [9204/14]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, a rules based standard for establishing and authenticating an individual’s identity for the purposes of access to public services. This programme of work, which is known as the Standard Authentication Framework Environment or SAFE for short, also provided for the introduction of a Public Services Card (PSC) to enable individuals to gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible.
A PSC is currently issued following a registration process which involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the verification of identity data already held by the Department.
Face-to-Face registration is taking place in 59 local offices and, to date, approximately 555,000 PSC’s have been issued to individual applicants for a Personal Public Service (PPS) in Personal Public Service Number Registration Centres, and people applying for or in receipt of social protection payments or benefits, including Jobseeker payments, Free Travel entitlement, Child Benefits payments, State Pensions, and One Parent Family payments.
The majority of PSC’s that have been issued to date have been issued to individuals who were in the process of making a claim for, or were in receipt of, a social protection payment. However, the PSC is issued at a point in time, and such individuals may not now be in receipt of a social protection payment, or currently resident in the country.
Details of the numbers of PSCs currently held, by current county address, are in the table below.
|
County |
No. of holders of PSCs at 14/2/2014 |
|
Antrim |
361 |
|
Armagh |
126 |
|
Carlow |
6,839 |
|
Cavan |
2,114 |
|
Clare |
9,873 |
|
Cork |
19,482 |
|
Derry |
92 |
|
Donegal |
30,292 |
|
Down |
710 |
|
Dublin |
238,938 |
|
Fermanagh |
76 |
|
Galway |
20,606 |
|
Kerry |
22,067 |
|
Kildare |
9,070 |
|
Kilkenny |
9,891 |
|
Laois |
3,957 |
|
Leitrim |
6,625 |
|
Limerick |
10,665 |
|
Longford |
9,323 |
|
Louth |
13,988 |
|
Mayo |
17,569 |
|
Meath |
12,213 |
|
Monaghan |
1,541 |
|
Offaly |
8,785 |
|
Roscommon |
5,315 |
|
Sligo |
14,268 |
|
Tipperary |
16,592 |
|
Tyrone |
77 |
|
Waterford |
22,011 |
|
Westmeath |
12,713 |
|
Wexford |
15,543 |
|
Wicklow |
13,167 |
|
Total |
554,889 |
388. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons signing on in Kilbarrack and Coolock Intreo offices in December 2013 and in January 2014. [9206/14]
View answerThe table below shows the number of persons on the Live Register (i.e. “signing on”) in Kilbarrack and Coolock Intreo Centres in December 2013 and January 2014
|
- |
December 2013 |
January 2014 |
|
Kilbarrack |
4,868 |
4,987 |
|
Coolock |
4,299 |
4,403 |
389. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the numbers of recipients of the one-parent family payment affected by the phasing out of their payments based on the age of their children in the years 2012 to 2015, inclusive; and if she will report on the way transitional measures put in place for recipients of one-parent family payment moving to other social welfare payments have been working in practice. [9207/14]
View answerThe Department is in the process of reforming the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme. These reforms, which were introduced in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2012, are predicated on activation and on facilitating lone parents back into the workforce once their children have reached an appropriate age.
The table below indicates the number of recipients who lost their entitlement to the OFP payment as a result of the age reforms to the OFP scheme in both 2012 and 2013. The table also estimates the number of recipients, based on the current profile of OFP recipients, who may be expected to exit the scheme as a result of the further age reforms in both 2014 and 2015.
|
- |
Number of OFP recipients affected |
|
2012 |
1,009 |
|
2013 |
8,185 |
|
2014 (estimated) |
9,190 |
|
2015 (estimated) |
41,158 |
The Government is committed to supporting one-parent families who pro-actively engage with the Department’s work activation process to become economically independent. A wide range of supports and services are presently available to lone parents who lose their entitlement to the OFP payment as a result of the reforms to the OFP scheme.
In advance of the OFP scheme age reforms in July 2013, I introduced a number of measures aimed at easing the transition of affected lone parents to other social welfare income support payments. These included the re-rating of existing carer’s allowance and family income supplement (FIS) claims and the fast-tracking of new applications for the FIS, carer’s allowance and jobseeker’s allowance payments.
In addition, last year, in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2013, I introduced the jobseeker’s allowance (JA) transitional arrangement, which caters for OFP recipients who lose their entitlement to the OFP payment, who have a youngest child aged under 14 years, and who are entitled to the jobseeker’s allowance (JA) payment. These customers are now exempt from the JA criteria that require them to be available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. They can work part-time without restrictions and still receive the JA payment – subject to a means test. They also have access to the Department’s activation related supports to enable them to become job-ready and/or to find employment. The exemptions from the full JA conditionality will remain in place until a recipient’s youngest child reaches the age of 14 years. At this point, should they continue to claim the JA payment, they will be subjected to the full JA conditionality.
From an operational perspective, letters were issued to all customers whose claims were due to finish in July, 2013. Depending on the local circumstances, customers were either invited to information seminars held locally, or to one-to-one meetings, to advise them of their possible entitlements to other social welfare income support payments. Relevant application forms were issued at these information seminars/one-to-one meetings to ensure that payments were not delayed. The communication included a Public Services Office phone number based in Sligo that took all calls relating to the ending of claims. OFP customers in receipt of either the FIS payment or the carer’s allowance received centrally-issued letters – and their entitlement was reviewed automatically by these scheme areas.
My officials are currently making the necessary preparations in advance of the next phase of the OFP scheme age reforms – which are due to take place in July, 2014. These preparations will aim to ensure that lone parents who will be affected by these reforms will continue to have their transition eased to other social welfare income support payments.
390. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons affected by the recent decision to abolish the State pension transition for persons in receipt of invalidity pension. [9208/14]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work due to illness or injury and who satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions.
IP recipients will continue to transfer automatically from IP to a state pension contributory (SPC) at age 66 which is currently paid at the maximum weekly personal rate of €230.30.
With regard to the numbers of IP recipients who may be affected by the decision to discontinue State Pension Transition (SPT) the position for 2014 is that, based on a total number of 53,222 invalidity recipients in payment on 31 January 2014, an approximate total of 4,300 of these (who are still in receipt of IP and who reach the age of 65 between 2 January 2014 and 31 December 2014) will continue to be paid up to the maximum weekly IP rate of €193.50 while they are between the age of 65 and 66.
391. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total amount of contributions made by rent supplement recipients in the years 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014. [9210/14]
View answerThe purpose of rent supplement 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. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 79,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Department has provided over €344 million for 2014.
Rent supplement is calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) appropriate to their family circumstances less a minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. The weekly minimum contribution is €30 for a single adult household and €40 for coupled households. The minimum contribution for coupled households was €35 per week during 2012 and 2013. Many recipients pay more than this amount because recipients are also required, subject to income disregards, to contribute any additional assessable means that they have over and above the appropriate basic SWA rate towards their accommodation costs.
Details of the total contributions made by rent supplement recipients towards their accommodation costs are not available.
392. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if arrangements have been put in place by her Department as part of a measure announced under Budget 2014 to recover certain social welfare payments from compensation awards made to social welfare recipients; and if any money has been recovered under this measure since January 2014. [9211/14]
View answerThe operational, administrative and IT arrangements required for the recovery of benefits measure are currently being finalised with a view to the measure coming into operation in Quarter 2 this year.
393. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current deficit in the Social Insurance Fund; and if recent legislative changes in respect of increasing some social insurance contributions have had an impact in reducing the deficit in the fund. [9221/14]
View answerThe Revised Estimates Volume for 2014 provides for an estimated deficit of the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) of just over €685 million this year. This is down from close to €1,315 million in 2013.
The reduction in the estimated deficit is due to a wide range of factors affecting both the income and expenditure of the SIF in 2014. Income is projected to increase as a consequence of the full year impact of Budget 2013 measures and increased levels of employment and earnings in 2014. In addition, the 2011 Jobs Initiative measure reducing, for a defined period, the Employer Lower rate of PRSI, expired as planned at the beginning of this year.
Overall SIF expenditure in 2014 will also be lower as a result of measures announced in Budget 2014 and in previous years. These decreases are partially offset by demographic pressures arising from increased numbers of pensioners. These demographic pressures will continue to pose a significant SIF financing challenge in the years ahead.
394. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person is eligible for carer’s allowance in the circumstances that they do not live with the child to whom they are providing care and that child is living with its parents; and whether the applicant would lose eligibility for one-parent family allowance or jobseeker’s allowance in the event that they were approved for carer’s allowance. [9224/14]
View answerA carer must be living with the person he or she is looking after, or be in a position to provide full time care and attention to a person who is not living with him/her. They must also be providing care on a full time basis. In the case of caring for a child under 16 the child must be in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance.
A person can qualify for half rate Carers’ Allowance while in receipt of a One Parent Family payment subject to meeting the other conditions attached to the scheme.
A person cannot get Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) or Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) and Carer’s Allowance or half-rate Carer's Allowance because they must be actively seeking employment and be available to take up employment to qualify for JA and JB. However, they may qualify for half-rate Carer's Allowance if their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is getting JA or JB and claiming for them as a qualified adult dependant.
395. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is a legal timeframe for trustees to wind up a pension scheme in the event of a company closure; what that time limit is; the penalties that are incurred by going over this timeline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9231/14]
View answer397. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Social Protection the length of time after a pension scheme closes that members can challenge the decisions of the trustees, or submit queries to the Ombudsman; if there is a statute of limitations on such queries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9233/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 397 together.
The trust deed and rules of the scheme will usually set down the various circumstances in which a scheme can be wound up. Typically, these would include the employer:
- notifying the trustees of its intention to stop contributions to the scheme
- failing to make contributions due to the scheme within a specified period
- going into liquidation
- being bought by another company and that company deciding not to continue to operate the previous employer’s pension scheme.
Any decision by the trustees to wind up a scheme would be supported by the trust deed and rules of the scheme which I understand can be challenged under trust law.
In the event of a decision to wind up a pension scheme the trustees of the scheme are required to notify the Pensions Board, all members and the authorised trade unions of their decision as soon as possible but in any event not later than 12 weeks after the decision is made. Where a trustee fails to meet his/her obligations in this regard the trustee will be guilty of an offence under the Pensions Act.
Section 48 of the Pensions Act set out the order under which the assets of a pension scheme must be distributed in the event of the wind up of a scheme. The Pensions Act does not set down a timeframe for the wind up of a scheme.
The Pensions Ombudsman can investigate and determine matters of maladministration by those responsible for the management of a pension scheme. He can also investigate disputes of fact or law with trustees or managers or employers concerning a pension scheme. The time limits within which a complaint or dispute must be brought to the Pensions Ombudsman are six years from the date of the act giving rise to the complaint or dispute, or three years from the date on which the person became aware or ought to have become aware of the act giving rise to the complaint or dispute, whichever is the earlier, or such longer period as the Pensions Ombudsman may allow if it appears to him that there are reasonable grounds for extending the period and it would be just and reasonable to do so.
396. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Social Protection if the Pension Ombudsman is obliged to deal with scheme queries within any regulated timeframe, for instance six or 12 months; the remedies that are available to those dissatisfied with the length of time taken to reach a decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9232/14]
View answerThe Pensions Ombudsman investigates and determines complaints and disputes concerning occupational pension schemes and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs). The length of time taken for an investigation will vary, depending on the issues arising in relation to the matter to be investigated. There is no regulated timeframe within which a determination must be made. The annual Report of the Pensions Ombudsman for 2012 indicates that the average number of weeks taken to complete an investigation is 43 weeks.
398. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an overpayment of lone parents allowance of approximately €24,000 was made to a person (details supplied) between the years 1999 and 2003, in view of the fact that this person was working at the time they applied for lone parents allowance and would have disclosed all means at the time of application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9264/14]
View answerOne Parent Family Payment (OPFP) is a means tested payment and earnings from employment are assessable as means. The customer concerned was awarded OPFP from 2nd April 1998.
I can confirm that at the time of applying for the scheme this customer was not in employment. Subsequently, however, she commenced employment but failed to notify this Department. On the 6th January 2004 this Department informed the customer of the decision to assess an overpayment for the period 8th April 1999 to the 4th June 2003, due to means from employment. The customer was also advised at the time of her right to appeal this decision.
399. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will support a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9323/14]
View answer410. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine a matter regarding pensions (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9500/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 410 together.
You will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to comment on matters relating to an individual pension scheme. I am very aware of the serious challenges facing many pension schemes at this time and the efforts being made by both the trustees and the sponsoring employers of these scheme to meet these challenges. You will be aware that I have introduced a number of legislative changes in recent years to assist both trustees and employers meet these challenges.
The Social Welfare and Pensions (No.2) Act 2013 amended section 50 of the Pensions Act to broaden the options available to the trustees of a pension scheme in any consideration of a restructure of pension scheme benefits. Prior to this change, the trustees of a pension scheme could restructure active and deferred scheme member’s benefits and post retirement increases in pension benefits. The change to section 50 of the Pensions Act extends the categories of benefits which can be considered in a restructure of scheme benefits to include a portion of pensioner benefits. This change essentially provides for the sharing of the risk of scheme underfunding across all scheme members.
Any consideration of a restructure of pension scheme benefits under section 50 of the Pensions Act must comply with the provisions in the Act and with guidance issued by the Pensions Board. This guidance makes provision for the notification of all scheme members in advance of any application to the Pensions Board to restructure scheme benefits. In such circumstances, scheme members will have at least one month to make a submission to the trustees of the scheme in relation to such a proposal. The Pensions Board must be satisfied that all the provisions in the guidance are complied with before the Board will consider issuing a notice to restructure scheme benefits.
The issue of how these changes might be applied will be a matter for the trustees of the scheme who are required under trust law to act in the best interests of all scheme beneficiaries.
In relation to the matter of representation by deferred scheme members in consideration of a change to scheme benefits, this is a matter which needs to be considered in a broader industrial relations context. I have written to my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in this regard.
400. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the amount of jobseeker's allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of the change in his circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9345/14]
View answerThe person concerned had a review of his means on 31 December 13. At this time means of €54.00 were calculated based on savings held by the person concerned. There has been no further request to review means nor has a change in circumstances been notified to this Department. It is open to the person concerned to request a review of his current entitlement at his local social welfare office.
401. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a county breakdown and in the case of Dublin a postcode breakdown of the current and intended locations of community welfare officers where it is anticipated that a relocation will happen over the next year. [9398/14]
View answerA key objective of the transfer of the Community Welfare Service (CWS) from the Health Service Executive to the Department on 1st October 2011 was to provide a streamlined and consistent service to the customer. As part of this process and to support the Department’s activation commitments under the Pathways to Work Programme and the development of Intreo services nationally, it has been necessary to review the administration of all its services across its remit including the CWS. The Pathways to Work Programme represents a significant reform in the social welfare system and highlighted the need for the Department to focus its resources on the provision of opportunities, supports and assistance to unemployed people. The Department is intensifying its level of engagement with the unemployed, in particular, those who are, or become, long-term unemployed. The new Intreo service offers practical, tailored employment services and supports for jobseekers, a model which is currently being rolled out across the country.
Overall, this is resulting in a rebalancing of resources across the Department’s range of activities including the relocation of some staff to main centres, primarily Intreo offices, which will provide a full range of services, including the CWS and these will, in general, be available in one location. Where the community welfare service has been re-structured, alternative arrangements have been put in place to ensure that customers are provided with on-going access to the supports provided by the service.
In general, this means that the frequency of available public clinics has increased. Improved phone services have been put in place, allowing in many cases, for customer queries to be processed without having to attend a clinic on a face to face basis. If a person is unable to travel to a clinic, for example due to illness, alternative arrangements are in place including arranging a visit to the client’s home if necessary.
People claiming supports under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme generally only interact with the Department on an occasional basis, for example, when seeking an exceptional needs payment or in claiming additional supports such as rent supplement, which are usually reviewed once to twice yearly.
A full listing of the CWS locations by county, including postcodes for Dublin, is available on the Department’s website at the following link http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/otheroffice/community-welfare-office-contact.aspx
In terms of further re-structuring of CWS clinics during 2014, the Department is continuously reviewing the staffing needs for all areas of its business, to ensure that the best use is made of available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department and that the services provided are reconstituted, where necessary, to meet the changing needs of Irish society.
402. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the refusal of every application for social welfare in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath. [9399/14]
View answerThe applications for supplementary welfare allowance and jobseeker’s allowance, by the person concerned, were disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on the grounds that she failed to disclose her means and failed to furnish the requested and relevant documents.
The application for disability allowance in this case was also refused as the person concerned did not satisfy the medical criteria and failed to disclose her means or provide information requested by a Social Welfare Inspector.
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeals of the person concerned took place on 21st February 2014 and the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeals in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been determined.
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.
403. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9404/14]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 13th September 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors whose opinion was that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 1st November 2013 advising of the decision to disallow the application.
The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision and supplied additional information on the child’s condition. As part of the appeal process, the application along with the additional information provided was reviewed by a second Medical Assessor who found the child to be medically eligible for the allowance. The person concerned was notified of the decision to award DCA on the 17th February 2014. Payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, will be made to the nominated bank account on the 19th March 2014 and on the third Tuesday of each month thereafter.
404. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the provision of INTREO offices in Kilbarrack, Dublin 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9417/14]
View answerThe Intreo service is fully operational in forty four offices across the country, including in Kilbarrack, Dublin 5. The Department is working with the OPW towards a target of completing the roll-out of the Intreo service to all offices by the end of 2014.
407. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim was refused a payment on medical grounds when they qualified on medical grounds two years ago and the medical condition has deteriorated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9482/14]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 13th November 2013. The person in question was previously in receipt of carer’s benefit, which exhausted. While the care recipient satisfied the medical criteria for carer’s benefit, this was only for a two year period after which a review was recommended by the medical assessor.
The person in question submitted medical evidence in support of the carer’s allowance application. Based on all of the evidence submitted the medical assessor was of the opinion that the care recipient did not satisfy the medical criteria for carer’s allowance. A deciding officer, having considered all the evidence in support of the application including the opinion of the medical assessor, disallowed the application on medical grounds. The person concerned was notified of the decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review or appeal on the 27th of January 2014.
The person in question has recently appealed this decision and the appeal process has commenced.
408. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a domiciliary care allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9483/14]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 20th May 2013. The application was disallowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 18th July 2013 advising of the decision.
The person concerned subsequently requested a review of the decision. The case was reviewed again on the 6th September 2013. Having examined all the information supplied, the medical assessor confirmed an opinion that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 18th September 2013 advising of the decision.
An appeal was subsequently lodged against the decision. As part of the appeal process, the application including any new information supplied, has been forwarded for further consideration to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors.
Upon receipt of the Medical Assessor’s opinion, the case will be further examined and a revised decision will be made if warranted or the case will be forwarded for consideration by the Appeals Office.
409. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if funding to replace agricultural sheds that were extensively damaged in the recent storms will be provided from the humanitarian fund to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8619/14]
View answerA humanitarian assistance scheme was approved by Government in November 2009. The scheme, which is means tested, is available to assist people whose homes are damaged by flooding and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair.
Humanitarian assistance does not cover business or commercial losses. Accordingly, assistance towards the replacement of agricultural sheds would not be appropriate under this scheme.
411. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a domiciliary care allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 17; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9503/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18th February 2014. 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 papers 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.
