Written Answers Nos. 381-405
381. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding rent supplement in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31089/14]
View answerFollowing a recent rent review, the clients rent supplement of €670.00 per month was found to be in excess of the maximum limit determined by legislation in July 2013. The maximum rent limit applicable is €610.00 per month.
The client should endeavour to secure a rent reduction or locate alternative accommodation and forward a new application to the Mid Leinster Rents Unit, PO Box 11758, Dublin 24. The client’s rent supplement will remain in payment until the 31st August 2014 to allow time for this.
382. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her Department's policy regarding tenants who are in receipt of rent supplement but fail to pass this payment to landlords; the avenues available to landlords, if any, via her Department to recoup unpaid rental payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31099/14]
View answerThe purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation. There are approximately 76,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.
Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant; the tenant makes the application for rent supplement and payment is made to the tenant to assist them with their accommodation needs. There is no direct relationship between the landlord and the Department in the administration of the scheme. However, social welfare legislation provides for the payment of a rent supplement payment to a nominated payee such as a landlord on behalf of the tenant. This arrangement is entered at the tenant’s request and subject to the consent of the Department.
It is open to the landlord to bring to the attention of the Department any instance where they suspect that a tenant is receiving rent supplement and is not paying their rent. Where the Department becomes aware that a person is not using rent supplement to meet the accommodation costs, payment of the supplement is suspended and the matter investigated.
Where a landlord has a grievance in relation to the non-payment of rent by a tenant, s/he may apply to the Private Residential Tenancies Board to have the dispute resolved through the Board’s dispute resolution process.
In July 2013 the Government approved the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Under HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer from the Department of Social Protection to housing authorities. Officials are working closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, in piloting HAP in Limerick City and County Council with further roll out to selected housing authorities during the year. Payments will be made directly to landlords by the housing authorities under the HAP scheme.
383. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who has applied for optical benefit. [31101/14]
View answerAn application for optical benefit has not been received to date from the person concerned.
However according to the records held, the person referred to is not currently qualified for optical benefit, as he does not meet either of necessary PRSI conditions of having 260 Class A/E/H or P, PRSI contributions paid since first starting work, and 39 such contributions paid or credited in 2012, the relevant tax year.
However if the person concerned holds a medical card, he should contact his local HSE office, who can advise him about possible entitlement under their optical scheme.
384. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans for Intreo offices in west Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31112/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the Pathways to Work document states that the introduction of the new Intreo service is a multi-annual project. The first 44 Intreo offices are now open and the remaining offices will be rolled out to all of the Department’s existing local offices by the end of 2014.
The Department of Social Protection provides income support services to unemployed customers in the West Cork area through branch offices in Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty, Kinsale and Skibbereen; through control offices in Bantry and Carrigaline and on a clinic basis in Castletownbere.
Activation supports are provided through an employment services office in Bantry, and via employment services clinics in Bandon, Castletownbere, Clonakilty, Dunmanway, Kinsale and Skibbereen. The Department also operates Community Welfare Service clinics throughout these areas.
In addition, as part of its Employer Engagement activities, officers of the Department liaise wherever possible with employers in the West Cork area who may have job opportunities accessible to our jobseeker clients.
385. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when her Department will publish its annual report for 2013. [31133/14]
View answerThe 2013 Annual Report of the Department of Social Protection was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 9 April 2014, and was published the following day.
The 2013 Annual Report is available for download on the Department of Social Protection website at http://www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/ar2013.pdf .
386. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate eligibility for a social welfare payment in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who is undertaking a Springboard internship at present and receiving no payment; if she will outline the reason a top-up payment is available on the JobBridge scheme but not the Springboard scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31139/14]
View answerThe person concerned is undertaking an education course under the Springboard Initiative. Springboard is a programme under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills. It offers a choice of 171 free, part-time and intensive conversion courses in higher education from certificate, to degree, to post-graduate level. Springboard participants receive the rate of payment they were in receipt of prior to the commencement of their course whilst an entitlement continues to exist. In this case the person concerned was in receipt of a jobseeker benefit payment, which then exhausted during her participation on the Springboard course. The person concerned is now signing for credits.
JobBridge provides the opportunity to gain valuable experience in a working environment for those looking to explore or gain the relevant knowledge and skills required to enter into a particular career field. Participants are paid in recognition of their participation on the scheme.
389. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a disability pension appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31313/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an invalidity pension appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 09th July 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.
393. Deputy John Browne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for domiciliary care allowance will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [31379/14]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 26th May 2014. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Upon receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made and notified to the person concerned. It can currently take up to 12 weeks to process an application for DCA.
394. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the social protection schemes recipients of the one-parent family payment transfer to when ceasing to be eligible for that payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31396/14]
View answerThe number of one-parent family payment (OFP) recipients stood at 74,426 in June, 2014, and an estimated €863 million is expected to be spent on the scheme during 2014.
As a result of the reforms to the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme, once a lone parent’s youngest child reaches the relevant maximum age limit threshold, they will no longer be entitled to the OFP payment. However, should they continue to have an income support need, they may subject to satisfying the necessary conditions apply for another working age social welfare payment.
The majority of former OFP recipients are expected to claim one of the following payments when they transition out of the OFP scheme:
|
- the jobseeker’s allowance (JA) |
|
- the JA transitional arrangement |
|
- the family income supplement |
|
- the carer’s allowance |
|
- the supplementary welfare allowance |
|
- illness benefit |
|
- disability allowance |
|
- the back to education allowance |
OFP recipients are also eligible to avail of certain employment schemes – such as community employment (CE) and jobbridge. Where entitlement to the OFP payment ceases, and a person is one of these schemes, they can continue on the employment scheme until its completion. The necessary arrangements are in place for their continued participation in such instances. The same process is in place for lone parents who are availing of an Education Training Board course.
395. Deputy Damien English asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection how plans by her Department in respect of the provision of supports for persons who are self-employed, similar to those of PAYE workers, are developing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31433/14]
View answerSelf-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of their employees, resulting in the payment of a combined 14.75% rate per employee under full-rate PRSI class A. (For employees earning less than €356 per week, the rate of employer’s PRSI is 8.5%).
Self-employed workers may, similar to PAYE workers, access social welfare supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. In assessing means from self-employment, income from the previous twelve months is used as an indicator of likely future earnings. Given the variety of self-employment situations, the means assessment procedures are applied in a flexible manner to ensure that any circumstances that would be likely to lead to a significant variation, either upward or downward, in the level of a person’s income from one year to the next are taken into consideration. It is recognised that the downturn in the economy had an impact on many self-employed persons and the consequent reduction in their income and activity levels. This may be reflected in any assessment of their means from self-employment for jobseeker’s allowance purposes. As in the case of a non-self-employed claimant for jobseeker’s allowance or disability allowance, the means of husband/wife, civil partner or co-habitant will be taken into account in deciding on entitlement to a payment.
In September 2013, I published the report of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare on Extending Social Insurance Coverage for the self-employed. The Group was asked to examine and report on issues involved in extending social insurance coverage for self-employed people in order to establish whether or not such cover is technically feasible and financially sustainable, with the requirement that any proposals for change must be cost neutral.
The Group found that the current system of means tested jobseeker’s allowance payments adequately provides cover to self-employed people for the risks associated with unemployment. In this context, the Group noted that almost 9 out of every 10 self-employed people who claimed the means tested jobseeker’s allowance during the three-year period from 2009 to 2011 received payment. Consequently, the Group was not convinced that there was a need for the extension of social insurance for the self-employed to provide cover for jobseeker’s benefit.
The Group found that extending social insurance for the self-employed was warranted in cases related to long term sickness or injuries. To this end, the Group recommended that class S benefits should be extended to provide cover for people who are permanently incapable of work, because of a long-term illness or incapacity, through the invalidity pension and the partial capacity benefit schemes. The Group further recommended that the extension of social insurance in this regard should be on a compulsory basis and that the rate of contribution for class S should be increased by at least 1.5 percentage points.
This recommendation will require further consideration in conjunction with the findings of the most recent Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund which indicated that the self-employed achieve better value for money compared to the employed when the comparison includes both employer and employee contributions in respect of the employed person.
My colleagues in Government and I will reflect on the findings of the Advisory Group on this issue and will further consider the recommendations contained in the report taking into account future developments in terms of the budgetary and fiscal situation.
396. Deputy Damien English asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the recent proposals made by the Carers Association in relation to the contributory State pension entitlement for lifetime family carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31435/14]
View answerThe State pension is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. This is particularly important given the challenges in relation to the future sustainability of the State pension, with increased numbers of older people living longer.
When assessing whether an individual is entitled to a State pension, and to ensure that they can maximise such entitlement, all contributions (paid or credited) from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account.
The State already assists those with caring roles to qualify for a State pension (contributory). The homemaker’s scheme makes qualification for State pension (contributory) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age or incapacitated people to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes.
Given the valuable nature of the State pension (contributory), those who qualify under the homemaker’s scheme still need to fulfil the eligibility requirements for that scheme, and have at least 520 paid contributions. They also need to satisfy a yearly average condition. A yearly average of 48 contributions paid or credited is required for a full rate pension, and reduced rates of payment may be payable for pensioners with lower averages.
However, for those with insufficient contributions to meet the requirements for a State pension (contributory), the overall State pension system provides alternative methods of support. In this instance, these individuals may have access to alternative income supports, depending on their circumstances. They may qualify for a means tested State pension (non-contributory), the maximum personal rate for which is €219. If their spouse or civil partner is in receipt of a State pension (contributory) they may instead qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult of up to €206.30. This increase is paid directly to the qualified adult.
A total contributions approach to pension qualification will replace the current average contributions test for State pension (contributory) in 2020, although that date is subject to change. Issues such as equality of outcomes for women and men, including those who spend some years outside the labour market on caring duties, will be considered carefully in the context of that reform.
397. Deputy Damien English asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the improvements made in relation to domiciliary care allowance can be extended to carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant, as recommended by the Carers Association; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31437/14]
View answerIn its 2015 pre-budget submission to the Department, the Carers Association welcomed the recent review of domiciliary care allowance (DCA), acknowledged the very significant improvements that the revised application process for DCA will offer parents caring for children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) and requested that the application process for carers payments be similarly revised.
The Department will discuss this issue with the Carers Association in the context of its ongoing consultation with the association and other carers’ representative groups.
398. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown by month since March 2011 of the number of persons who are on the live register in County Louth; including the number of persons who are short-term and long-term unemployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31470/14]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of persons who are short term and long term unemployed since March 2011 is not routinely collated by my Department. The Central Statistics Office publishes a monthly breakdown of the number of persons who are on the live register in each county. I have for the Deputy’s convenience detailed the live register in County Louth each month since March 2011 in the tabular statement.
Number of people on Live Register in County Louth (Source www.cso.ie)
|
Month |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
January |
- |
17,775 |
17,245 |
15,713 |
|
February |
- |
17,809 |
17,207 |
15,736 |
|
March |
17,614 |
17,476 |
16,983 |
15,485 |
|
April |
17,549 |
17,519 |
16,605 |
15,339 |
|
May |
17,738 |
17,356 |
16,847 |
15,485 |
|
June |
18,368 |
18,242 |
17,277 |
16,054 |
|
July |
18,839 |
18,394 |
17,536 |
- |
|
August |
18,682 |
18,316 |
17,216 |
- |
|
September |
17,548 |
17,293 |
16,180 |
- |
|
October |
17,275 |
16,787 |
15,789 |
- |
|
November |
17,307 |
16,649 |
15,410 |
- |
|
December |
17,526 |
16,806 |
15,376 |
- |
399. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if paid work is seen as a route out of poverty; the reason lone parents are now financially penalised if they are in part-time work (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31514/14]
View answer408. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she has noted the concerns of lone parents who may have suffered a loss of income due to changes in the administration of the one-parent family allowance, with particular reference to lone parents in part-time employment and in receipt of the relevant allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31627/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 408 together.
The one-parent family payment (OFP) has played an important role in providing income support to lone parents since its introduction in 1997. The number of OFP recipients stood at 74,426 in June, 2014, and an estimated €863 million will be spent on the scheme during 2014.
The OFP scheme is in the process of being reformed. These reforms are reducing on a phased basis, the maximum age limit of the youngest child at which an OFP recipient’s payment ceases to 7 years from 2014 for new entrants and from 2015 for existing recipients.
On 3 July the latest phase of the OFP reforms was implemented when 5,140 lone parents entitlement to OFP ceased. It is expected that approximately 3,600 of these customers will seek to transition to the jobseeker’s allowance (JA) payment. The exact number of affected customers who will be moving to the JA scheme will depend on the number of these customers who may instead be eligible to apply for the family income supplement (FIS) payment.
Some 70% of affected customers who make the transition from the OFP payment to the JA payment are not working and, as such, will not suffer any reduction in their new income support payment as the JA payment pays the same personal and qualified child rates as the OFP payment. One of the aims of the OFP reforms is to provide lone parents with access to the Department’s activation supports with the purpose of assisting the large cohort of former OFP recipients who are currently not working, improve their prospects of securing employment.
Furthermore, any of these customers with a child aged under 14 years will be entitled to the JA transitional arrangement, which exempts them from having to be genuinely seeking, and available for, full-time employment. This special arrangement enables lone parents with young children who are working part-time – e.g. during mornings only – to remain in work and to receive income and activation supports as appropriate. The arrangement thus allows them to balance their caring responsibilities and, at the same time, significantly reduces their requirement for child care.
Lone parents who are working and who transfer to the JA scheme may suffer a reduction in their income support payment due to the fact that the JA means test is less generous than the OFP means test. The exact amount of this reduction will depend on a person’s respective earnings.
However, if a lone parent is working a minimum of 19 hours per week, or is in a position to increase their working hours up to that level, they will be advised by the Department to apply for the FIS payment as this is the most beneficial income support for them. New FIS applications from these lone parents are, as a result, being expedited.
Lone parents who transition to either JA or FIS and who are in employment, may be able to avail of the after school child care (ASCC) scheme. This scheme provides subsidised childcare for children of primary school age. Under this scheme parents make a parental contribution of €15 per child per week and receive after school child care for 5 days a week. This is a significant support and it builds on the Department of Children and Youth Affairs other childcare schemes, which currently support approximately 35,000 children from low income families.
401. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 226 of 9 July 2014, her views on whether it is reasonable that a multiple sclerosis sufferer (details supplied) was refused disability allowance because their means were two cent over the statutory limit. [31519/14]
View answerDisability allowance is a means tested scheme and the way means are assessed is laid down in social welfare legislation. In summary, any income, with some exceptions, belonging to the person and his or her spouse/partner or co-habitant is assessable as means for disability allowance purposes. When the means of the person concerned were assessed, which were derived from an occupational pension, they were slightly in excess of the threshold applicable for the person’s circumstances. It is in the nature of means tested schemes that there is no entitlement to a payment once means exceed a given amount. There is no discretion allowed as deciding officers are obliged to follow the legislation when assessing means.
I understand that the person concerned has appealed this decision to the Chief Appeals Officer who will notify the person directly of the outcome.
402. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total cost of public relations and communications to her Department in 2013; the spend to date in 2014; the total estimate for 2014; the corresponding figures for each agency funded from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31535/14]
View answerThere were no costs incurred by my Department in respect of public relations/communications in 2013 and to date in 2014. In line with Department of Social Protection policy, the press office deals with all media queries and public relations matters. It is the Department’s policy to use in-house resources as much as possible and to restrict the use of external firms to a minimum.
The total 2014 estimate for the Department for public relations/communications is €3,150.
The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare Tribunal. There were no costs incurred by these agencies for public relations/communications in 2013 and to date in 2014. There is no estimate for these agencies for 2014.
403. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the size of the after-school child care scheme is demand-led or if there is a cap on places; if the announcement on the 8 July 2014 of changes to the eligibility rules governing the scheme also involved an increase in the capacity of the scheme and, if so, the amount. [31549/14]
View answerIn recognition of the childcare requirements of jobseekers and lone parents as part of a package of measures in Budget 2013, the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and I announced the after-school child care (ASCC) scheme between our two Departments. The purpose of the ASCC scheme is to help offset some of the after-school child care costs that are associated with availing of a work opportunity in a bid to encourage more individuals to take up employment. The scheme provides 800 subsidised after-school child care places for children attending primary school and is open to both jobseekers and OFP recipients.
There are currently no plans to create additional capacity on the scheme given that take-up has been very low to date.
The eligibility criteria and subvention of the ASCC scheme have been revised and took effect from 14 July, 2014. The new changes include:
- reducing the scheme’s parental contribution to €15 per child per week;
- introducing an after-school pick-up service for the scheme at no charge to parents;
- opening the scheme to all employment programmes (except for community employment (CE), as CE participants will now be fully supported under the community employment childcare, or CEC, programme), to include children up to the age of 13 years;
- opening the scheme to customers of the Department who are leaving an employment programme, including CE, to take up employment, and
- allowing OFP recipients to avail of the scheme in the same manner as it is currently available to jobseekers.
The Department continues to engage with the community and voluntary sector to disseminate information on the ASCC scheme and to promote it as widely as possible.
404. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the size of the community employment child care programme is demand-led or if there is a cap on places; if the announcement on the 8 July 2014 of changes to the eligibility rules governing the scheme also involved an increase in the capacity of the scheme and, if so, the amount. [31550/14]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection is committed to the on-going improvement of CE to ensure the progression of the jobseeker and the support of services to communities. The newly named CE Childcare (CEC) Programme was introduced in January of this year and provided 1,800 subsidised childcare places for CE participants with children up to 5 years of age. On 8th July, it was announced that the programme will undergo improvements to increase access for CE participants with eligibility being broadened to include children up to 13 years of age. CE participants will now also receive full support for children in primary school.
As a result of this change, CE participants will no longer require access to the after-school childcare (ASCC) programme as their childcare needs will now be met under the CEC programme. CE participants already on the ASCC programme will not be affected.
The budget for this childcare programme is €7.5m for 2014. There will be 1,200 part-time places available for CE participants with children up to 5 years of age (as CE is a part-time programme), and 800 places available for CE participants with children who require after-school childcare. Places are filled on a first come, first served basis. The changes are due to be implemented from Monday, 14 July 2014.
Childcare is a crucial element for parents embarking on CE or returning to the workforce. These changes are aimed at ensuring that CE participants get the childcare supports they need to have a better future for themselves and their families. This Department continues to work closely with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in this regard.
