Written Answers Nos. 87 - 104
87. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect a decision in relation to same. [16574/15]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 23 December, 2014. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. She was notified of this decision on 16 March, 2015, the reasons for it and of her right of review or appeal.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision and has submitted further medical evidence in support of her request. This review will be processed as quickly as possible and when a decision is made the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
88. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect a decision in relation to same. [16575/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 16 April 2015, 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.
89. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal for disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect a decision in relation to same. [16576/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 16 April 2015, 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.
90. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a review of invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect a decision in relation to same. [16577/15]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 12 December, 2014. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. She was notified of this decision on 5 March, 2015, the reasons for it and of her right of review or appeal.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision and has submitted further medical evidence in support of her request. This review will be processed as quickly as possible and when a decision is made the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
91. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect a decision in relation to same. [16578/15]
View answerI confirm that the person in question is already in receipt of carer’s allowance (CA) in respect of one care recipient. I further confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance in respect of a second care recipient from the person in question on the 10th March 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
92. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect a decision in relation to same. [16579/15]
View answerThe application was awarded on 20 April 2015 and the first payment is due to issue to the bank on 21st May 2015. Any arrears of allowance due from 25th September 2014 to 20th May 2015 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 20th April 2015.
93. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal for invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect a decision in relation to same. [16580/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case.
Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made.
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.
94. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect a decision in relation to same. [16581/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 16 April 2015, 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.
95. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16606/15]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 12th March 2015. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made by a Deciding Officer and notified to the person concerned. It can currently take 12 weeks to process an application for DCA.
If she has a concern that she is not receiving her correct welfare entitlement she should contact her local INTREO office who will be in a position to advise her fully, based on her individual circumstances.
97. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be added as a qualified dependant on her husband's pension, as per the option letter issued by her Department on 23 March 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16635/15]
View answerAn increase for qualified adult may be payable to a state pension (contributory) recipient in respect of their spouse, civil-partner or cohabitant who is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, where that dependant’s personal means from any source(s) do not exceed a weekly means-test income limit.
The spouse of the person concerned was awarded a personal rate state pension (contributory) with effect from his 66th birthday, 22 March 2015. Along with the notification of this pension award, which issued on 13 March 2015, he was forwarded an application form/questionnaire to enable him to claim an increase for qualified adult (IQA) on his pension, in respect of the person concerned.
Following receipt of the completed means questionnaire, the Deciding Officer wrote to the state pension recipient on 17 April 2015 requesting further details. A reminder issued on 27 April 2015.
When the requested information is received, the IQA entitlement will be assessed and the state pension (contributory) recipient will be notified of the outcome without delay.
98. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is eligible for the dental treatment benefits scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16673/15]
View answerThe person concerned is qualified for dental benefit under the treatment benefit scheme. Application may be made using a D1 form available at the dental clinic of his choice.
99. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will outline any tendering arrangements that have been commenced, or are being considered, by her Department for work to be carried out by third parties to facilitate the payment and the administration of the new conservation grant to be paid by her Department; if she will provide full details of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16693/15]
View answerThe Department will require the development and implementation of requisite IT systems to deliver the water conservation grant application and payment facilities and various customer support and communications services. Every effort is being made to maximise efficiencies in this regard.
Tenders were sought for IT development via an existing Framework agreement for the on-line application and payment process and a contract is in the process of being finalised with the successful tenderer. In addition, a request for tender has been issued to provide a short term call centre facility to support the application process. The closing date for applications for this request for tenders is mid–May.
101. Deputy Emmet Stagg asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in awarding a carer's allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [16717/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 3rd March 2015. The application was awarded on 24th April 2015 and the first payment is due to issue to the bank on 30th April 2015. The arrears of allowance due from 5th March 2015 to 29th April 2015 have issued to the bank. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 24th April 2015.
102. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on her Department's evaluation of the disability activation project; when the evaluation is expected to be complete; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16742/15]
View answerThe objective of the Disability Activation Project (DACT) was to explore a variety of routes for people with disabilities to avail of progression, education and development opportunities within the world of work and to help inform future policy on activation/engagement measures for people with disabilities. A total of 14 projects were funded (jointly at more than €7 million by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department) in the Border, Midlands and Western region.
An independent evaluation of the DACT projects is being undertaken on behalf of the Department by Indecon International Consultants and this is due to be completed by the end of June next. This evaluation will assess the outcomes achieved and identify “best practice” in terms of the methodologies and processes used that could, where appropriate, be “mainstreamed” and delivered by existing services.
When the evaluation is completed, the Department will set up and chair a working group of the relevant Departments, to consider the findings.
104. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason behind the severing of the half-rate social welfare payment to widows or widowers who are in receipt of a pension payment; the reason for continued deductions of pay-related social insurance from those widows and widowers who are still in the workforce and who will not get to benefit from those deductions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16794/15]
View answerThe social welfare system is primarily a contingency-based system, with entitlement based on a number of defined contingencies such as sickness, unemployment, old age or widowhood.
There are two basic principles which underpin the Irish social insurance system. Firstly there is the contributory principle. Under this principle there is a direct link between the PRSI contributions that a person has paid and entitlement to a varying range of benefits and pensions. Where a person has sufficient PRSI contributions, then benefits and pensions may be paid as of right, where a particular contingency arises and without a means test.
Secondly there is the solidarity principle. Under this principle the benefits and pensions that are paid are not directly related to the amount of PRSI contributions paid by insured persons. PRSI contribution income is instead redistributed to support contributors who are more vulnerable. In this regard, it should be noted that some PRSI contributors do not experience all of the contingencies during their life, or may not be in a position to benefit from one or more such payment. For example, one contributor may never require access to Invalidity Pension whereas it may be a crucial support for another. Similarly, there will be many contributors who would not require coverage for Maternity Benefit, but who nevertheless continue to be levied PRSI at the full rate during their working years.
In addition, there is a general principle of one person, one payment, which applies across the whole of the social welfare system. Given the contingency-based nature of this system, it can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time. For example, an unemployed person may become sick. As a consequence, if a person experiences more than one of these contingencies at the same time, he or she can receive only one of those payments. This principle is common to social security systems across the world.
There were a limited number of exceptions in the social insurance system to the general principle of one person, one payment. These exceptions usually applied in the context of short-term benefits. For instance, recipients of One-Parent Family Payment, Widows and Widowers Pensioners etc. could, until recent years, also receive short-term social insurance benefits, such as Illness Benefit and Jobseeker’s Benefit at half-rate at the same time.
These overlapping payment arrangements were introduced in the early 1950s when the social insurance system was first established, at a time when there were only 10 individual social welfare payments and when rates were significantly lower in real terms than they are now.
The social welfare system has been significantly developed over the intervening period, with the result that the number of possible combinations of concurrent contingencies has increased greatly.
In the context of the difficult fiscal environment in recent years and the Government’s commitment to maintain existing core rates of primary payments for social welfare recipients, the concurrent payment of half-rate Illness Benefit and Jobseeker’s Benefit in addition to One-Parent Family Payment, Widows and Widowers Pensions etc. was discontinued from January 2012.
It is realistic and prudent to maintain the underlying principle of entitlement to only one payment at any one time, that is, one person, one payment. To do otherwise could potentially involve very significant and unsustainable additional expenditure in the long-term.
Finally, it should be noted that the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund, published in 2012 found that Fund has a strong redistributive nature. This is demonstrated by the fact that those on lower incomes fare considerably better than those on higher incomes and the Fund provides better value to female rather than male contributors.
