Written Answers Nos. 195 - 211
195. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for a carer's allowance will be finalised for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37634/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for Carer’s Allowance from the person concerned on 23 June 2015. It is a condition for receipt of a carer’s allowance (CA) that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention.
This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 12 September 2015 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
196. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for a domiciliary care allowance will be finalised for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37635/15]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 23rd June 2015. This application was not allowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 9th October 2015 outlining the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance.
A review of this decision was requested on 25th October 2015 and additional information on this child’s condition/care needs has been supplied. The application together with the new information supplied has been forwarded to a medical assessor for their professional opinion. Once this opinion is received the application will be re-examined by a deciding officer and a revised decision will be made if warranted. The person concerned will be notified of the outcome of this review as soon as it is completed. Such reviews can take up to 12 weeks to complete at present.
197. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for a carer's allowance will be finalised for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37636/15]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 17 July 2015. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention.
This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 10 September 2015 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
198. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for a carer's allowance will be finalised for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37637/15]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 17 September 2015. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
199. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she has considered postponing three-monthly and six-monthly community welfare reviews of rent supplement entitlements for tenants, which are providing landlords with the opportunity to increase the cost of the rent mid-lease; if she is aware that many persons are becoming homeless, having run into arrears, while their payments are suspended during these reviews. [37639/15]
View answerRent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 63,000 people at a cost of over €298 million in 2015.
Rent supplement claims are generally reviewed once to twice yearly. Reviews are a key control of the scheme ensuring that the correct rate of the supplement is paid to those who continue to meet the conditions of the scheme. Rent supplement claims under review are not normally suspended other than where the customer has not provided the necessary information. In such cases, payments are generally restored and payments backdated when the information requested is provided. If the deputy has a particular case he should refer the detail to the Department for investigation.
A landlord can only increase the rent once in any 12 month period, and cannot increase within 12 months of the commencement of the tenancy except in limited circumstances such as a complete refurbishment of the property which affects the market rent of the dwelling.
Persons in receipt of rent supplement who may be at risk of losing their tenancy are advised to contact the Community Welfare Service dealing with their rent supplement claim as soon as possible. Persons in Dublin or Cork city experiencing difficulties are also encouraged to avail of the Tenancy Protection Service operated by Threshold available at 1800 454 454.
200. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review an application for rent allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, given the person's rent has now increased to €1,300 per month, and the person will be made homeless in the absence of assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37642/15]
View answerThe client concerned was found ineligible for Rent Supplement on 16th October 2015 as he is in full time employment. If they wish to re-apply as a result of a change in their circumstances, the client should submit a Rent Supplement Application for assessment to the Mid Leinster Rents Unit, PO Box 11758, Dublin 24. The Unit can be contacted by phone on LoCall 1890 800698.
201. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department has sought legal advice in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 who is 67 years of age, living alone and in receipt of a private pension only, as distinct from a single person in near-identical circumstances who is in receipt of a qualifying payment and a private pension; the reason why the scheme is set up so that in these circumstances, the person of higher means is deemed eligible, and the person with lower means is not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37646/15]
View answerThe household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. It is a universal payment from the age of 70. The Department will spend approximately €227 million this year on the household benefits package for approximately 416,000 customers.
Qualifying schemes for people aged between 66 and 70 are as follows:
- State Pension(Contributory/Non Contributory/Transition)
- Widow’s/Widowers/Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory or Non Contributory pension
- One-Parent Family Payment, Deserted Wife's Benefit / Allowance or Prisoner's Wife's Allowance
- An ordinary Garda Widow's Pension (from Department of Justice and Equality)
- a Social Security Pension/Benefit from a country covered by EC Regulations, or from a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement.
A person aged between 66 and 70 (i.e., who has not reached their 70th birthday) who is not in receipt of one of the above qualifying payments may alternatively qualify for the package if they satisfy a means test and a household composition test. The means test involves calculating a person’s appropriate weekly means limit. This limit is €100 above the current maximum rate of State pension (contributory) including any increases, e.g., for living alone, and adult/child dependents.
The recipient of a State pension (contributory) will have qualified for that payment, and for secondary benefits such as Household Benefits, based on their PRSI contribution record. Similarly, the recipient of a Widow’s contributory pension will have qualified for that payment, and for secondary benefits such as Household Benefits, based on the PRSI contribution record of either their late spouse, or of their own PRSI record.
While full-rate Class A contributions provide coverage for such payments, reduced rate contributions may not. Class D contributions, which have a much lower Employee contribution than Class A, provide coverage for Widow’s, Guardians, Occupation Injuries and Carer’s contributory benefits. While there is no entitlement to those benefits if the required contributions have not been made, equivalent means-tested payments may be available if the same contingency arises and the person has an income need.
In cases where the required PRSI contributions have not been made for an appropriate benefit, and where a person does not satisfy the required means test, a person will not qualify for the Household Benefits package until their 70th birthday. Expanding eligibility to people who do not currently qualify for the package would have cost implications which would have to be met either through increased spending (which is funded by taxation/PRSI), or through reducing the level of support under the package, and neither option is being considered by the Government.
As I do not believe that any legal questions arise as a result of the above, legal advice has not been sought on this matter.
202. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if it is permitted to insist that community employment scheme workers work on Sundays against their will; and if not, the recourse these workers have to challenge such instructions received from their employer. [37650/15]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons (including lone parents, recovering drug misusers and persons with a disability) with an opportunity to engage in part-time work and training within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis. The hours of participation for the CE participant are set at 19.5 hours per week or 39 hours per fortnight. Where participation is advised by the sponsoring organisation to be available outside of the normal working week, this must be with the explicit agreement of the CE participant.
Consideration also needs to be given to providing access to training for the participant to enable them to become ‘job ready’ to gain employment and to be in a position to exit CE.
203. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the measures that will be taken to ensure that a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 receives a higher level of rent supplement to prevent the family from becoming homeless. [37651/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been receiving rent supplement from this Department since 3 May 2014. Following the Deputy’s question it has been established that the Rents Unit has not been informed of any change in the circumstances of the person concerned. To assist in the matter review forms and a request for relevant documentation have been sent to her, and upon receipt of this information every consideration will be extended to the person concerned in order to resolve the issue to hand.
204. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if it is fair that persons who have been forced to switch from a lone parent payment to a family income supplement due to age restriction, will not receive a Christmas bonus this year, as the family income supplement is not included in such payments. [37714/15]
View answerI was pleased to announce on Budget Day the payment of a 75% Christmas Bonus to all the schemes which received it in previous years, with the addition this year of the Back to Work Family Dividend. The bonus will be paid in the first week of December to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including recipients of one-parent family payment.
The Family Income Supplement scheme (FIS) has never been eligible for the bonus. However, lone parents who moved to FIS would have benefitted from receipt of the Back to Work Family Dividend, which is eligible for the bonus. In addition, all recipients of Jobseeker’s Transition will receive the bonus, which is worth €185.70 to an individual with two qualified children.
On Budget Day, I announced a social welfare Budget package for 2016 with four key aims:
- To increase supports for pensioners aged 66 and over;
- To strengthen supports for families with children;
- To increase the momentum to date in helping jobseekers back to work; and
- To provide targeted assistance for vulnerable groups.
In this regard, the income thresholds for the Family Income Supplement will be increased by €5 for families with one child and by €10 for families with two or more children. For a person in receipt of Family Income Supplement with two children, this will result in an increase in income of €6 per week, which, at €312 in a year, is worth more than the Christmas Bonus.
FIS recipients will also benefit from the increase in Child Benefit by €5, from €135 to €140 per month.
In addition, working lone parents in receipt of the Jobseeker’s Transitional payment will benefit from the changes to the means assessment, which increases the income disregard from €60 to €90 and reduces the taper from 60% to 50%.
205. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason the family income supplement to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has been decreased by €300; if her Department is aware of the hardship currently being experienced due to the maintenance recovery policy currently being pursued in this case; if her Department will review this person's entitlement, with a view to restoring the original level of payment, with particular reference to the fact that the person will soon be made homeless, due to less income and increasing rent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37741/15]
View answerThe Family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees on low earnings with families.
The person concerned was in receipt of FIS at the weekly rate of €74 from October 2014 to October 2015. When she applied to have payment renewed in October 2015 her income was re-assessed taking into account her current circumstances.
The person's assessable income and FIS entitlement from October 2014 and October 2015 are given in the following table.
|
- |
Oct 2014 |
Oct 2015 |
|
Average net weekly assessable earnings |
€ 334.20 |
€ 318.55 |
|
Other Social Welfare payment |
€ Nil |
€ 132.80* |
|
Maintenance payment |
€ 50.00 |
€ 76.00 |
|
Total Assessable Family Income for FIS |
€ 384.20 |
€ 527.35 |
|
FIS Payable |
€ 74.00 |
€ NIL |
|
Total Income |
€485.00 |
€527.35 |
*One Parent Family Payment (OPFP).
As the threshold for a family with 1 child is currently €506.00 her FIS application from October 2015 was disallowed. However, the overall income of the person concerned in October 2015 shows to have increased from their overall income in October 2014.
As regards maintenance recovery, the financial position of each liable relative is assessed based on the net weekly income (i.e. income from all sources less income tax and PRSI) after applicable allowances set out in the Regulations.
All liable relatives assessed with a maintenance liability are notified by the Department and are issued with a maintenance contribution assessment. The amount assessed can be reviewed where new information comes to light about the financial or household circumstances of the liable relative. A liable relative is given the option to commence making payments to the OPFP recipient or directly to the Department. Maintenance payments to the OPFP recipient are assessed as means and may have an impact on their weekly payment from the Department.
In the case of the person concerned she was receiving maintenance payments of €50.00 per week and as from 24 June 2015 her maintenance payment was increased by €26.00. This gives her a weekly payment of €76.00 maintenance per week.
The person concerned is also currently receiving a rent supplement payment of €68.10 per month.
206. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a payment to a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be reinstated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37761/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been notified that disability allowance payment will be re-instated with effect from 21 October 2015.
207. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review an application for a disability pension by a person (details supplied) in County Longford, whose application was refused on the basis of means. [37769/15]
View answerThe application for disability allowance (DA) from the person concerned was disallowed on 11 February 2015 on the basis that his weekly means exceeded the statutory limit allowable.
The person in question appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office (SWAO) but the appeal was unsuccessful.
It is open to the person concerned to submit a new application for DA and a decision will be made upon it as soon as possible.
208. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a Private Security Authority licence in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37791/15]
View answerThe payment to facilitate the licence has now been processed and will be paid into the relevant bank account on Tuesday, 3rd November, 2015.
209. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the changes made to the contributory State pension in the past five years; and the changes intended to take effect in the next five years. [37795/15]
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. State pensions account for the single largest block of social welfare expenditure, and while expenditure on pensions is increasing because of demographic pressures, this is being successfully managed within the overall welfare budget.
This year (2015), the Department will spend an estimated €6.675 billion on pensions – 34.4% of all welfare expenditure and an increase of €168 million over 2014. The overall concern of the Government in recent budgets has been to protect the primary weekly social welfare rates where possible. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty.
A number of changes have been made to the State Pension Contributory in the past five years in the context of State pension reform and to provide for sustainable pensions in the future. The main changes are as follows:
1. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided for the necessary amendments to increase the State pension age in line with the National Pensions Framework as set out in the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland. It provided for an increase in the age for qualification for the State Pension from 66 years to 67 years from 2021, and a further increase to 68 years from 2028. It also discontinued the State Pension (Transition) for new claimants with effect from 1 January 2014.
2. The number of paid contributions required to qualify for a State Pension increased from 260 paid contributions to 520 paid contributions with effect from 6th April 2012, as provided for in the Social Welfare Act 1997.
3. From September 2012, new rate bands for State Pension were introduced. These additional payment rate bands more accurately reflect the social insurance history of a person and ensure that those who contribute more during a working life benefit more in retirement than those with lesser contributions.
4. From April 2012 the period for which a claim for State Pension can be backdated is six months as provided for under the Social Welfare Act 2011.
5. Budget 2016 provided for the first increase in the basic rate of the State pension in seven years, by €3 per week. This will increase the personal rate of the non-contributory pension to €222, and that of the contributory pension to €233.30. This is a 1.3% increase over 2015 rates, and slightly ahead of the projected annual inflation rate of 1% for 2016. There will also be proportional increases in the rates paid for Qualified Adults. This will amount to up to €2.70 per week for such dependent adults aged 66 or over. This change will be legislated for through the forthcoming Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015.
6. It is planned to introduce a ‘total contributions approach’ for new pensioners from 2020, where pension entitlements will more closely reflect contributions made over a working life, than under the current ‘yearly average’ system. It is intended that the final details of this approach will be announced 3-4 years before the scheme takes effect for new pensioners.
Finally, social welfare supports will continue to be available to those who need it most and where a person fails to meet the qualifying conditions of an insurance based scheme, a means tested assistance payment may be available provided they satisfy the qualifying conditions.
210. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost in 2016 of increasing the maximum child age of the one-parent family payment from its current threshold of seven years to 14 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37802/15]
View answerGiven the complex and detailed nature of the Deputy’s request, it is not possible, in the timeframe available, for the Department to calculate the estimated full-year cost of increasing the maximum child age of the one-parent family payment (OFP) from its current threshold of seven years to fourteen years in 2016.
The Department has, however, calculated that the full year cost, in 2016, of increasing the OFP scheme maximum child age threshold from seven years to twelve years would be approximately €23.5 million. It should be noted that this figure includes a reduction in expenditure on the back to work family dividend (BTWFD). This arises as transitioned lone parents who are currently in receipt of the BTWFD would no longer be entitled to that payment were they to re-qualify for the OFP payment.
211. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding cohabitating couples and income thresholds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37805/15]
View answerSocial welfare payments are paid on a household rather than individual basis. In this regard, for most working age social assistance payments, the qualified adult rate is paid at two-thirds the personal rate. The basis for this is that two individuals maintaining one household will incur lower costs than two people maintaining two separate households.
On Budget Day 2016, I was pleased to announce a number of measures that will be of benefit to families in the situation outlined above. The top up for Community Employment participants will be increased by €2.50 per week. Child Benefit will increase by €5, from €135 to €140 per month. This couple will also benefit from the increase in Fuel Allowance, if eligible, of €2.50, from €20 to €22.50 per week.
In addition, currently, Class A employees, including CE participants, are liable to pay PRSI at the rate of 4% once their weekly earnings exceed €352. From 1 January 2016, the introduction of a new tapered PRSI Credit will reduce the amount of PRSI actually paid, for those earning between €352.01 and €424 in a week. The maximum PRSI Credit of €12 per week is reduced by one-sixth of the difference between gross earnings and €352.01. In the case of a CE participant receiving income of €392.40 the PRSI charge will, after 1 January 2016, amount to €10.43 per week (a reduction of some €5.27 a week).
