Written Answers Nos. 140-150
141. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason a water conservation grant has not issued to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39183/15]
View answerThe eligibility criteria for the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Under regulation 5(1) a person who registers with Irish Water, as required under section 5(2)(a) of the Water Services Act 2014, on or before 30 June 2015 shall be eligible to receive the grant in 2015 if they were normally resident at the principal private residence on that date.
To date Irish Water has transferred details of over 1.3 million registered households to this Department including the details of the person concerned. A letter issued to the person concerned at the address given inviting them to apply for the grant. However, there is no record of the person having applied for the grant prior to the closing date.
143. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when arrears of a disability allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39199/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance (DA) with effect from 16 April 2015. The first payment issued by her chosen payment method on 13 May 2015.
The person in question was in receipt of another social welfare payment during the period 16 April 2015 to 12 May 2015 which is not payable in addition to DA. Consequently, the amount of social welfare already paid required to be calculated and deducted from any arrears of DA due. The amount was deducted and the balance issued to the person concerned on 17 June 2015. All DA arrears are fully paid to the person concerned.
144. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding payment of rent supplement to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39229/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 12 of 13th October 2015.
145. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review the eligibility for rent allowance of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare whose stipend is an allowance for a specific purpose and not non-reckonable income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39235/15]
View answerThe client concerned is in receipt of Rent Supplement which is assessed based on her weekly One Parent Family payment. The Department notes this client may be commencing a full time PhD, which would remove entitlement to Rent Supplement as it is not payable where the person is in education that is not an approved government education programme as defined by the Back to Education Allowance Scheme.
146. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if all social protection recipients who qualify for free ESB units are being paid at the appropriate rate per day (details supplied); the action she will take to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39275/15]
View answerThere are currently almost 414,000 customers in receipt of the electricity/gas allowance as part of the household benefits package. In 2014, my Department spent in excess of €176 million on the electricity/gas allowance.
This report seems to have arisen where a customer misread the amount of their allowance on their energy bill, then contacted the media and a number of outlets ran with the story without making any effort to clarify the information either through my Department or the energy suppliers.
The daily rate of the electricity/gas allowance for all customers in receipt of the allowance is €1.15 per day on average or €35 per month. I want to reassure the Deputy that, where customers have opted to get this allowance as a credit on their energy bills, they are receiving the correct amount of their allowance. This information is clearly displayed on the reverse of all Electric Ireland customer bills.
147. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the procedure for social protection recipients in changing their payment from their bank account to their local post office; her plans to write to all recipients who receive payments via Bank of Ireland given the bank's decision to prohibit withdrawals under €700; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39296/15]
View answerDSP customers who receive payment by electronic funds transfer must retain a clear choice of what financial institutions they wish to use. Customers who wish to change their payment arrangements can contact the relevant scheme area - details of which are available from the department's website www.welfare.ie.
148. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when payment of arrears to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will be made; the amount payable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39297/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance (DA) with effect from 8 October 2014. The first payment issued by his chosen payment method on 4 November 2015.
The person in question was in receipt of another social welfare payment during the period 8 October 2014 to 3 November 2015. Consequently, the amount of social welfare already paid requires to be calculated and off-set against any arrears. It is expected that arrears due, if any, will issue shortly.
150. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding arrears; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39333/15]
View answerThe person in question was in receipt of another social welfare payment during the period 3 September 2014 to 26 May 2015. Consequently, the amount of social welfare already paid required calculation and was deducted from any arrears due. This process was completed by the Department as quickly as possible. Disability allowance arrears issued to the person in question on 7 September 2015.
