Written Answers Nos. 151-159
151. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason the family of a deceased person (details supplied) are not entitled to six weeks' payment from the person's disability allowance; the reason they are not entitled to arrears that were owed to the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39352/15]
View answerWhere a person in receipt of disability allowance dies, the payment may continue for a period of six weeks after death in certain circumstances. The main provisions relating to payments after death are contained in Section 248 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005.
In order to get six weeks payment after death, the deceased person must be getting:
- an increase for a qualified adult or
- the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is getting certain social welfare payments in his/her own right.
As the person in question does not meet the criteria as outlined above, no entitlement to the after death payment exists.
152. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved and granted illness benefit. [39357/15]
View answerIllness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (prsi) contribution conditions. The prsi conditions are that a person must have a minimum of 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the tax year governing the claim. Claims made in 2015 are governed by the 2013 tax year, and only Classes a, e, h, and p contributions are reckonable for illness benefit purposes.
An application for illness benefit was made from 30 Sept 2015. My department contacted the person concerned on 7 October 2015 requesting further information regarding their prsi contributions. Following receipt of the relevant documentation student credits were awarded and person concerned now qualifies for illness benefit at the graduated rate of €121.40 per week. Their rate of payment is determined by reference to their weekly income in the governing contribution year.
I am pleased to inform you that payment of illness benefit issued by cheque to the person concerned on 5 Nov 2015.
If the person concerned is unable to meet their needs or the needs of their household, they may be entitled to supplementary welfare allowance and may to the department's community welfare services at their local Intreo office or local health centre.
153. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for a domiciliary care allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39371/15]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 7th October 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.
154. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 200 of 22 September 2015, if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the number of clerical workers who transferred from Foras Áiseanna Saothair - the Irish National Training and Employment Authority - to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39401/15]
View answerThe staff who transferred from FÁS into my Department in 2012 were in a variety of FÁS grades.
These grades were mapped against Civil Service grades in accordance with pay scales and were approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and were duly agreed with the FÁS unions.
In respect of the FÁS Grades 11G, 11H, 11K, 11L, 11P, the pay scales for these grades, both standard and higher, matched exactly with the contributory pay scales for Civil Service Clerical Officer and were assimilated to that grade on this basis.
It is also the case that FÁS had Grades 11A, 11J and 11N whose pay scales were equivalent to that of the Civil Service Staff Officer Grade and these were assimilated to that grade.
At no stage was the assimilation of the FÁS Grade 11s to the Civil Service Clerical Officer Grade a matter of contention between the FÁS unions and either FÁS or my Department.
As previously advised, new arrangements concerning promotion eligibility criteria have recently been implemented. Competitions for promotion outline both the relevant job specification and person specifications expected of the grade in question. Subject to having two years satisfactory service, any member of staff, regardless of their current grade, is entitled to participate in these competitions.
155. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the staffing levels at the pensions office in Sligo town; if the temporary staff who worked in the water grant section and the back to school grant section, which are now closing down, will have the opportunity of other work at this location in the near future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39408/15]
View answerThere are currently 523 staff serving in my Department’s office in College Road, Sligo.
The temporary staff to whom the Deputy refers were recruited on fixed purpose contracts i.e. they were recruited to assist with specific projects. In accordance with the relevant employment legislation, once the purpose for which they were recruited ends, the Department is obliged to give appropriate notice and end the employment.
In the case of the temporary staff working on the Back to School Clothing and Footwear scheme, the scheme for 2015 has ended and the staff were given appropriate notice and their contracts were terminated.
Work is on-going in the section dealing with the Water Grant Conservation Scheme. The contracts of the temporary staff working on this project are subject to review and they will receive appropriate notice when their temporary employment is to end.
156. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39411/15]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a social assistance payment made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to people who have a disability such that they require that level of care and who satisfy a means test.
The means test includes any income belonging to the carer and their spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant, property, (except their own home) or any asset that could bring in money or provide them with an income, for example occupational pensions, or social security pensions or benefits from another country.
The person concerned has a UK social security pension.
When a carer is getting a social security payment from another State, an amount up to the maximum rate of the Irish State contributory pension is exempt from the means test. Any income in excess of that is treated as income. For a single person, a disregard of €332.50 per week is then applied while a disregard of €665 per week applies to a couple.
The person concerned is in receipt of CA at a reduced rate of payment and a review of their entitlement is currently underway to ensure that the correct payment is being made. To this end, information was requested from the person in question on 5 October 2015. Once the review is complete, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
157. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a fuel allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39417/15]
View answerThe department has reviewed the entitlement of the person in question to the national fuel scheme and this allowance has been awarded with effect from 14 October 2015. The first payment reflecting this increase was on 28 October 2015 and arrears also issued on that date.
159. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on an application for a carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39443/15]
View answerI confirm that the department has received an application for carer's allowance (CA) from the person concerned. The application was referred to a social welfare inspector (SWI) on 23 October 2015 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of CA are satisfied.
Once the SWI has reported, a deciding officer will make a decision on the application without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
