Written Answers Nos. 67-83
67. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending the household benefits package to recipients of carer's benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29776/15]
View answerCarer's benefit – based on the claimant fulfilling certain social insurance contribution conditions- provides an income support for insured people who have left the workforce and who are looking after certain people in need of full-time care and attention.
Unlike the means-tested carers allowance, carers’ benefit (which can be paid for separate periods for a maximum of 2 years), is not considered to be a long-term income support and recipients therefore do not qualify for household benefits.
68. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of restoring the telephone allowance to 2013 levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29781/15]
View answerThe overall concern of Government in its Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. Expenditure on pensions at approx. €6.675 billion is the largest block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2015, representing approx. 34.4% of overall expenditure. Because of demographic changes, the Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on year. The Department had to make provision for an additional €168 million this year for the increasing number of pensioners. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty.
The decision to discontinue the telephone allowance provided annual savings of €48 million and meant that the Department was able to retain the other valuable elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence. The Department will spend approx. €237 million this year on these elements of the household benefits package for over 415,000 customers.
Any decision to reinstate the telephone allowance would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of budget negotiations.
70. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when payment following a successful appeal under the disability allowance scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29821/15]
View answerI confirm that the department was notified by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 26 June 2015 that the appeal by the person in question in relation to their medical suitability for disability allowance (DA) has been successful.
Her case is currently assigned to a deciding officer to implement the appeals officer’s decision and the person concerned will be notified in writing of the details of the award in due course.
71. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will revise the requirement that school leavers must have left school for three months before they are eligible under the jobseeker's allowance scheme. [29856/15]
View answerSocial welfare legislation states that a person is not entitled to jobseeker’s allowance while attending a course of study. It also provides that a person shall be regarded as attending a course of study:-
· for 3 months immediately following the completion or the leaving by that person of second level education or the completion by him or her of the leaving certificate examination of the Department of Education and Skills, whichever is the later;
· for the duration of an academic year, or
· for the period immediately following the completion of one academic year, other than the final academic year of a course of study, up to the beginning of the following year.
Where an increase in respect of a qualified child is being paid on behalf of the school leaver (for example, if their parents are in receipt of a social welfare payment) this increase will continue to be paid for the 3 months after the person leaves school.
The disqualification for three months is a targeted measure aimed at protecting young people from welfare dependency. The majority of school leavers make applications in their final year in school to engage in further education or training. Many of these courses start in September each year. If school leavers were eligible for a jobseeker’s payment for the summer months this could prove a significant disincentive for them to further their education by taking up available places.
There are no plans to amend jobseeker’s allowance legislation in relation to this issue.
72. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied). [29863/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 18 June 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
75. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to ensure that new mothers who do not qualify for maternity benefit are not forced to go back to work before their babies are six months old, due to financial hardship. [29928/15]
View answerMaternity Benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed pregnant women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions on their own insurance record, in order to obviate the need for them to work pre and post-delivery of their baby. The original scheme was introduced in 1970 and was extended to include self-employed mothers with effect from June 1997. This year it is estimated that there will be a weekly average of 24,000 recipients of Maternity Benefit at a cost of €254 million.
To qualify for Maternity Benefit a woman must be in insurable employment or self-employment and is contingent on entitlement to statutory maternity leave.
In order for an employee to qualify for Maternity Benefit a woman must have at least 39 weeks PRSI paid in the 12 months before the first day of her maternity leave; or have at least 39 weeks PRSI paid since first starting work and at least 39 weeks PRSI paid or credited in the Relevant Tax Year or in the year following the Relevant Tax Year; or have at least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the Relevant Tax Year and at least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the Tax Year prior to the Relevant Tax Year.
For a person in self-employment, she must have sufficient earnings (€5,000 per annum) in the year of her confinement to be liable to pay income tax and PRSI. In addition to being in insurable self-employment the woman must also satisfy one of the following PRSI contribution conditions:
i. have 52 qualifying PRSI conditions paid in the relevant tax year or
ii. have 52 qualifying contributions paid in the tax year prior to the relevant tax year or
iii. have 52 qualifying contributions paid in the tax year following the relevant tax year.
Self-employment contributions, Class S PRSI, are not awarded for any particular year until all liabilities for that year are paid. Where a woman has recently set up as a self-employed person or historically has earnings from self-employment below the €5,000 threshold, it may not be possible to qualify for her payment until such time as her reckonable income and Class S liability for the year in question can confirmed. In such instances the Department can review the insurable status for the woman after she files her tax return to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners for the year in question. In cases where the Department finds that a self-employed customer has a record of earnings in excess of €5,000 in previous years and has an expected due date early in the tax year (i.e. within the first 16 weeks), her earnings in the previous year, if greater than €5,000, can be used as confirmation of her insurable status. All applications for maternity benefit from self-employed women are processed on a case by case basis and every effort is made to qualify the customer for payment where possible and in accordance with legislative provisions.
Where an individual has insufficient social insurance contributions to qualify for Maternity Benefit, they may be eligible for another social welfare payment provided they meet the relevant contingency conditions. For instance, new mothers who do not qualify for Maternity Benefit may be eligible for a payment under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme. This scheme is considered a "safety net" within the overall social welfare system for eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.
76. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied). [29966/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 15 April 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
77. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied). [29967/15]
View answerThe person concerned appealed against the refusal of their application for carer’s allowance (CA).
The department was notified on 9 July 2015 by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the appeal was successful. The positive outcome of the applicant appeals is not being processed by the department. The person concerns will be contacted directly shortly.
78. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied). [29968/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 17th June 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.
79. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when rent support will be approved for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6W; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29971/15]
View answerThe person concerned recently submitted an application for rent supplement which was received in the Department on 3rd July 2015. On the same day a letter was issued to her notifying her of the outstanding documentation which is required by the Designated Person before her claim can be approved. This includes either proof of her living in rented accommodation for 6 months prior to claiming rent supplement, or a letter from her Local Authority stating that she is on their housing list. To date this information has not been submitted. A further notification was sent to the person concerned on 13th July 2015 reminding her that the outstanding documentation has to be submitted before her application can be processed.
80. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when a domiciliary care allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29972/15]
View answerThe person concerned applied for domiciliary care allowance in respect of two children on the 10th October 2013. The applications were not allowed as the children were not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 7th January 2014 advising of these decisions.
In the case of an application which was refused on medical grounds the applicant may submit additional information and/or ask for the decision to be reviewed or they may appeal the decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office within twenty one days. No correspondence has been received from the person concerned.
81. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if an increase in rent allowance is payable to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare whose rent has increased to €950 per month, who has two dependent children, and who is on a back to work scheme. [29973/15]
View answerAs outlined in previous Questions Nos. 91 of 9 July 2015, 98 of 17 September 2014 and 52 of 4 December 2014, the client is in receipt of their full entitlement to Rent Supplement based on their family composition, family income and location. The Department has not been informed of any change in circumstance for this client. The client should advise the Department of any changes in circumstance so that entitlement can be re-assessed.
82. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if rent support in respect of €900 per month rent, might be offered to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29974/15]
View answerAs detailed to the Deputy in replies to Parliamentary Questions No 5405-15 and 13840-15, the client concerned was refused Rent Supplement on 16 December 2014 as both he and his wife were in full time employment. As also outlined in that response, if there has been a change in the client’s circumstances, they should make a further application and provide documentary evidence to the Department confirming same so that their entitlement to Rent Supplement can be reassessed.
83. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when a relevant payment under the one-parent family payment scheme may be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29975/15]
View answerThe person concerned applied for one parent family (OPF) payment on 02/04/2015. The application was subsequently disallowed as she was deemed to have failed to disclose her means. The person concerned appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and her appeal is pending at present. It is open to the person concerned to apply to her local Community Welfare Service for assistance in the interim if the need exists.
