Written Answers Nos. 128-151
128. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the wording of correspondence sent to non-custodial parents, regarding their liability to her Department, in the event of a custodial parent ceasing to receive the one parent family payment, will be changed to make it clear that the parents do have a liability to pay maintenance to their ex-partners. [40210/15]
View answerThe issue of maintenance payments is first and foremost a private matter for the persons concerned, and if they cannot resolve the problem, for the Courts through family law provisions.
The liability to maintain family provisions, contained in social welfare legislation, are separate to family law legislation. In every case where a one-parent family payment is awarded, the Department seeks to trace the other parent (liable relative) to ascertain whether he/she is in a financial position to contribute towards the cost of this payment.
Once the recipient’s youngest child reaches 7 years of age and the one-parent family payment ceases, the liability assessed by the Department under the Liable Relative provisions no longer applies and the Department advises the Liable Relative accordingly.
The letter advising the Liable Relative of this change has always included clarification that this does not impact on any other maintenance arrangements that may be in place. However, based on feedback from the lone parent representative groups the letters have been amended to further clarify the situation. The Liable Relative is now informed that she or he no longer has a liability to pay the contribution assessed by the Department but that this does not affect any other maintenance arrangement, private or otherwise, that may be in place.
129. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why it is asserted that a person (details supplied) in County Kildare owes €312 to her Department, given that the person continues to provide payslips, etc. to her Department in respect of payment under the jobseeker's allowance scheme; the correct level of jobseeker's allowance in this instance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40236/15]
View answerThe client’s earnings for two days worked were €350.17, which is in excess of the prescribed weekly rate of Jobseeker's Allowance for a person in his family circumstances of €312.80. The client was therefore not entitled to his unemployment payment of €312.80 for that week and is overpaid by that amount.
131. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection on the need to increase the basic social protection rate to combat the increase in inflation since January 2011; that the failure to make progress on restoring the buying power of minimum social protection payments in budget 2016 is a concern; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40249/15]
View answerIn 2011, the previous Government reduced most weekly rates of payment to people aged under 66 by €8 per week, a reduction of approximately 4%, at a time when the rate of inflation was 2.6%.
This Government has protected core weekly rates of payment since coming into office.
The best way of increasing a household’s income is through employment. In this regard, this Government has worked to restore public finances to health, to help sustain and create employment, and to chart a course towards strong economic growth. Since the introduction of this Government’s Pathways to Work programme, over 100,000 people have left the Live Register to enter employment. Unemployment has fallen from a crisis peak of 15.1% to 9.3% in October 2015. Importantly, the rate of long-term unemployment has decreased at a slightly faster rate, down from a peak of 9.5% to 5.5% in the second quarter of 2015.
The social welfare package in this year’s Budget had four main aims:
- to deliver welfare improvements for pensioners aged 66 and over;
- to strengthen supports for all families with children;
- to enhance incentives for employment and to make work pay; and
- to provide targeted assistance for vulnerable groups, such as carers and people with disabilities.
Last year, I reintroduced a Christmas Bonus payable at 25% of the weekly rate. This year, a 75% Christmas Bonus will be paid in the first week of December to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and long-term jobseekers. A single person in receipt of Disability Allowance will receive €141.00, while a jobseeker with a qualified adult and two dependent children in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance for 15 months will receive €279.30.
More than 676,500 pensioners and their dependents will benefit from the above-inflation €3 increase in the weekly rate of payments to all social welfare recipients aged 66 and over. This is the first weekly rate increase for pensioners since 2009 and builds on the increase in the Living Alone Allowance last year. This is the first general rate increase for pensioners since 2009.
It should be noted that carers aged 66 and over will benefit from the €3 weekly rate increase. This rate increase will also benefit carers in receipt of the half-rate Carer’s Allowance aged 66 and over, who will gain by €1.50 per week.
The Respite Care Grant, to be renamed the Carer’s Support Grant to better reflect the usage of the grant, will also be increased by €325, from €1,375 to €1,700 per annum. Furthermore, payment of Carer’s Allowance will be extended by 6 weeks, from 6 weeks to 12 weeks, after the death of the care recipient.
In addition, those eligible for the Fuel Allowance will gain from the increase in January of €2.50 per week, from €20 to €22.50 per week over the fuel season.
Funding for the Free Travel scheme, which benefits a large number of pensioners, is being increased by €3 million, from €77 million to €80 million, to meet increased numbers eligible for the scheme and therefore fully protect entitlements under the scheme.
In regard to families with children, I am introducing a number of important measures including:
- A €5 increase in Child Benefit, which increases the rate from €135 to €140 per month per child. This will benefit over 623,000 families in respect of almost 1.2 million children.
- Increased funding for the School Meals programme of €3 million, bringing the provision to €42 million in 2016.
- The introduction of a new Paternity Benefit scheme whereby fathers will, for the first time, have the option of applying for 2 weeks’ leave in respect of births from September 2016. This measure recognises the important role of fathers in bringing up their children.
- An additional €18 million to increase the Family Income Supplement (FIS) thresholds - by €5 for a family with one child and by €10 for a family with two children or more. The measure will benefit nearly 60,000 families and over 131,000 children.
Finally, I am also introducing a PRSI Credit which will benefit over 88,000 lower earners with weekly income between €352.01 and €424, by reducing the amount of PRSI they pay in a week. This complements the increase in the minimum wage by ensuring that those on low earnings brought within the PRSI net will pay a significantly lower amount of PRSI per week, than would currently apply.
The Department carried out a social impact assessment of the main tax and social welfare measures contained in Budget 2016, which is available on the Departmental website: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/SocialImpact2016.aspx. The analysis finds that the average household gains by 1.6%, or €14 per week, as a result of Budget 2016. Significantly, there are higher than average gains for the bottom two income quintiles, while the smallest gain is in the top quintile.
Through the perseverance of our people, we now have a very strong recovery. This Budget will help in that process of spreading that recovery more widely. Maintaining a strong economy and sensibly managing the public finances is the priority while raising living standards across the board and investing in the services that a decent society requires.
We have not got to our destination yet but it is within sight and within reach. With this Budget, we took another firm step towards it.
132. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 217 of 3 November 2015, if she is aware of any individual problems persons have been facing in social protection offices when trying to provide proof of actively seeking employment; her views that the current system is very loose; and that a fairer system needs to be put in place to differentiate between persons who are desperately trying to find employment and those who are not, for the benefit of the applicant and the deciding officer in social protection offices. [40250/15]
View answerThe current system of establishing if a person is genuinely seeking work is well established and based on a number of steps that have to be taken by all customers in order to satisfy the Department that they are actively seeking work.
These steps may include making oral, written or on-line applications for work, researching job vacancies, availing of reasonable training opportunities, acting on the advice given by a case officer or taking steps to become self-employed.
All customers must be in a position to show that they have taken reasonable steps to secure employment and provide examples of such steps. These steps will vary from person to person having regard to their age, education, physique, location and family circumstances.
In determining what are reasonable steps, the deciding officer (DO) considers the nature and conditions of the employment sought and has regard to the individual circumstances of the person concerned in examining the steps taken to seek employment.
When deciding whether a person has made genuine efforts to seek employment, a DO considers all the circumstances, taking into account a person’s skills, qualification and work experience, period(s) of unemployment, the efforts made to seek employment, the availability and location of vacancies and the person’s family circumstances.
Every case is decided based on the individual circumstances of the case. Where a customer is not satisfied with the decision of the DO, this decision can be appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
133. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views that a system which prohibits a cohabiting unemployed parent from claiming a jobseeker's benefit based on the income of the other parent is a contributing factor to social protection fraud in some cases, whereby parents in relationships can, on occasion, claim to be separated in order to receive benefit under the one-parent family payment scheme and the jobseeker's scheme; and the action she has taken to ensure that honest persons are not a loss while unemployed. [40251/15]
View answerThe jobseeker's benefit scheme provides income support for people who lose work and who have the required number of social insurance contributions. The 2015 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure on jobseeker’s benefit of €407 million.
Jobseeker’s benefit is not a means tested payment and as such the means of a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant are not assessed against a jobseeker’s payment. However, a partner’s means will be taken into account when assessing whether or not a jobseeker’s payment includes an increase for a qualified adult (IQA).
If a qualified adult is earning €100 or less, a maximum IQA (of €124.80 per week) will be paid. If he or she is earning between €100 and €310 a reduced rate of IQA will be paid. If the qualified adult is earning more than €310 no increase will be paid.
In the case of an individual not being eligible for jobseeker’s benefit due to insufficient social insurance contributions they may apply for jobseeker’s allowance, which is a means tested payment. If the individual is cohabiting then the means of their partner will be taken into account in assessing their entitlement.
In the case of a couple with children who separate or divorce, or where a civil partnership has been dissolved, should one of the parents claim a One Parent Family Payment they must:
- have been living apart from his/her spouse or civil partner for at least 3 months, and
- have made, and continue to make, appropriate efforts to get maintenance from his or her spouse or civil partner (i.e. where the civil partner is the other parent of the child or children).
Continued entitlement to one parent family payment is conditional on efforts being made to seek maintenance from the other parent of the child or children.
Social welfare inspectors have a key role in investigating and advising the Department’s deciding officers on whether a couple are in fact separated. No single criterion can necessarily support a decision that a couple are separated or not. The criteria for assessing cohabitation are:
- Duration of the relationship
- The basis on which the couple live together
- The degree of financial dependence of either adult on the other and any agreements in respect of their finances
- The degree and nature of any financial arrangements between the adults
- Whether there are one or more dependent children
- Whether one of the adults cares for and supports the children of the other
- The degree to which the adults present themselves to others as a couple.
It is essential that as much information as possible is gathered on all the criteria before a decision is made on whether a couple are separated or not.
The Department has a range of measures to prevent and detect fraud, and to ensure effective debt recovery and deterrence measures are in place. Social welfare inspectors can and regularly investigate whether existing recipients of the one parent family payment are continuing to parent alone. In circumstances where they are found to be cohabiting they will be disqualified from payment and where it was deemed that fraud had occurred further actions including debt recovery may be taken.
134. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if lone parents who are in full-time education and who are in receipt of the maintenance grant and the jobseeker's allowance transition payment will be worse off financially when their youngest child turns 14 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40255/15]
View answerRecipients of the one-parent family payment (OFP) who were due to transition from that scheme on 2 July 2015, and who were participating in full time education were allowed to retain their OFP payment until completion of their course. If applicable, these individuals were able to also retain their Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant, subject to the normal conditions for the grant. The maintenance portion of the grant will continue to be disregarded for means on OFP.
Since the 2 July 2015, customers who transition from OFP have a youngest child aged 7 years and can move to the jobseeker’s transitional payment. The jobseeker’s transitional payment allows customers to study full-time and to simultaneously receive the SUSI grant if eligible. The maintenance portion of the grant is also disregarded when calculating means on the jobseeker’s transitional payment.
As the jobseeker’s transitional payment is paid until the youngest child reaches 14 years of age these customers effectively have up to seven years to complete their course of education, with the benefit of the SUSI grant if applicable and with payment from the Department, subject to the normal conditions for receipt of the jobseeker’s transitional payment.
Jobseeker’s transitional payment customers must sign a quarterly declaration that advises the Department of any changes in circumstances. If a customer indicates an intention to take up an educational opportunity, the Department will provide advice on the best option for them to complete their course of study. If the customer will complete the course before their youngest child reaches 14 they can remain on the jobseeker’s transitional payment and apply for the SUSI grant where appropriate. If the customer is not likely to complete the course before their youngest child reaches 14 they will be advised that as they cannot pursue the course and receive a jobseeker’s allowance payment, their best option is to instead apply for the Back to Education Allowance. This ensures that in both situations the customer can complete their course with financial support from the Department.
All recipients of the jobseeker’s transitional payment receive a one-to-one meeting with a case officer who can advise them on the educational options available to them.
135. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Cork is entitled to a carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40259/15]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a social assistance payment, made to persons who satisfy a means test and who are providing full-time care and attention to people who have a disability such that they require that level of care.
I confirm that the department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 16 October 2015. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
136. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of the report of the Universal Retirement Savings Group (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40266/15]
View answerIn line with the Statement of Government Priorities, in January of this year the Government decided to proceed with work to develop a roadmap and timeline for the introduction of a new, universal, supplementary workplace retirement saving system. This work is being progressed by a Universal Retirement Savings Group (URSG), which is comprised of Assistant Secretary level representatives from a range of Departments/Agencies and includes experts from the UK and OECD. In addition to the 5 meetings of the full Group to date a number of thematic sub groups have also been established.
To date the URSG has considered a broad range of issues including whether the optimal model would be one which is mandatory for those currently without supplementary retirement savings coverage or one which would automatically enrol those without supplementary retirement savings coverage but allow those individuals to opt out should they so choose.
To facilitate input from, and engagement with, sectoral interests, the URSG has undertaken a consultation process. The first stage of this process involved issuing a briefing document and an ‘Invitation for Submissions’ to approximately 35 industry/employer/trade union/consumer and advocate groups. The second stage involved representatives of the URSG meeting with many of the sectoral interests to discuss the submissions received and allow further articulation of views. A number of consumer focus groups have also been held to establish attitudes towards mandatory and auto enrolment retirement savings systems.
In addition to the above, consultations between URSG representatives and a range of international/Irish subject matter experts have also taken place to inform the deliberative process. This includes experts from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and the OECD.
On completion of this phase of work, the URSG will provide a report to Government detailing the constituent factors involved in constructing an efficient and effective universal retirement savings system.
137. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in deciding on an appeal for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40267/15]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
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.
138. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who has been offered a position through the Tús work placement initiative is prevented from accepting this position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40283/15]
View answerWhile the client was written to on 14 October 2015, inviting her to put her name forward to be interviewed in connection with a TÚS programme, she had previously been selected to take part in Jobpath. JobPath is one of the range of activation supports, including schemes such as CE and TÚS, catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers. In general, and JobPath is not an exception, it is not possible for clients to participate in two separate schemes at the same time. In addition, given the need to manage the allocation of places effectively, the Department does not facilitate or encourage jobseekers to leave one scheme early in order to take up a place on another scheme. This approach is particularly relevant in the case of JobPath whereby providers are paid on the basis of outcomes; it is important that the service providers have the opportunity and the time to achieve the outcome – which is to help the jobseeker secure and sustain full-time employment.
Participants on JobPath will receive intensive individual support to help them address barriers to employment and to assist them in finding jobs. Each person is assigned to a personal advisor who will assess a person’s skills, experience, challenges and work goals. A personal progression plan will be drawn up that will include a schedule of activities, actions and job focused targets. Participants are also provided with a range of training and development supports including online modules, career advice, CV preparation and interview skills. They may also be referred for further education and training opportunities. They will spend a year on JobPath and if they are placed into a job they will continue to receive support for at least three months and up to twelve months while in employment.
It should be noted however that jobseekers can in fact be referred to relevant, employment focused, further education and training opportunities provided by ETBs and others while on JobPath. In such cases the engagement period with JobPath will be adjusted.
Finally, participation in other schemes and programmes remains an option that will be assessed by Case officers once the client’s participation on JobPath is completed.
The client has since submitted an Illness Benefit certificate indicating she was ill from 12th Oct 2015, this also makes her ineligible to take part in the TÚS programme.
139. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a carer's allowance will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40285/15]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for Carer's allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 9 June 2015.
It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the carer must be providing full-time care and attention. It is a further condition that the person being cared for must require full-time care and attention.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and a deciding officer decided that the person concerned was not entitled to CA on the grounds that neither of these conditions were satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 17 September 2015 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal.
The person concerned has requested a review and submitted additional evidence in support of her application. The review is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
140. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a fuel allowance will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40287/15]
View answerFuel Allowance is a payment under the National Fuel Scheme to help with the cost of heating a home during the winter months. It is paid to people who are dependent on long-term social welfare payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. Only one Fuel Allowance is paid to a household.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of illness benefit. Illness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. Illness benefit is classed as a short term scheme and as such is not a qualifying payment for a fuel allowance.
141. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision on an appeal under the disability allowance scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40293/15]
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 appellant 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.
142. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she has considered allowing self-employed persons access to the family income supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40302/15]
View answerThe family income supplement (FIS) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS is designed to prevent child and family poverty and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment as compared to social welfare payments. There are currently some 53,000 families with some 116,000 children in receipt of FIS. Expenditure on FIS is estimated to be of the order of €349.2 million in 2015.
To qualify for payment of FIS, a person must be engaged in insurable employment which is expected to last for at least three months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. Therefore, self-employed people are not eligible for FIS.
There are a number of factors that would have to be taken in to account in any consideration of extending eligibility for FIS to include self-employed persons:
- the practical difficulties in defining and controlling an alternative to the hours worked condition;
- establishing satisfactorily a self-employed person’s hours of employment and certifying this on an ongoing basis;
- existing arrangements to provide income support to self-employed people on low incomes, such as jobseeker’s allowance and farm assist for low-income farmers;
- the cost of extending the scheme to the self-employed would be considerable.
Given the aforementioned, I have no plans to extend FIS to the self-employed.
I would bring the Deputy’s attention to the back to work family dividend, for which self-employed people are eligible. The scheme, which the Department of Social Protection introduced in 2015, helps families to move from social welfare into employment, including self-employment, by retaining their qualified child increase for up to two years.
143. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to introduce more supports for self-employed persons, such as access to illness benefit and unemployment benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40303/15]
View answerSelf-employed persons who earn €5,000 or more in a contribution year are liable for PRSI at the class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum payment of €500. These contributions entitle them to access social insurance benefits, including State pension (contributory), widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension (contributory), guardians payment (contributory), maternity benefit and adoptive benefit. This contrasts with a combined employer and employee PRSI rate of 14.75% paid in respect of most employees, who can then access the full range of social insurance benefits.
Self-employed workers who become unemployed or ill can establish entitlement to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance or disability allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. As in the case of a non-self-employed claimant for jobseeker’s allowance or disability allowance, the means of husband/wife, civil partner or co-habitant will be taken into account in deciding on entitlement to a payment.
Any person formerly self-employed who meets the criteria for, and is in receipt of, jobseeker’s allowance is eligible for schemes such as the JobBridge intern scheme, SOLAS work placement programme, back to education allowance, short term enterprise allowance and the back to work enterprise allowance. Receipt of means tested payments can confer automatic entitlement or allow access to a range of secondary benefits, including the medical card, rent or mortgage interest supplement, the household benefits package, free travel, fuel allowance back to school clothing and footwear allowance and school books grant scheme.
In its 2013 report, the Advisory Group on Tax and Social examined issues relating to the provision of social insurance cover for the self-employed on a cost-neutral or cost-reducing context.
The Group was not convinced that there was a need to extend cover for jobseeker’s benefit to the self-employed as almost 9 out of every 10 self-employed people who claimed the means tested jobseeker’s allowance during the three-year period from 2009 to 2011 received payment. The Group did, however, find that extending social insurance for the self-employed was warranted, in cases related to long term sickness or injuries, through the invalidity pension and the partial capacity benefit schemes.
In this regard the Group recommended that the rate of contribution for class S should be increased by at least 1.5 percentage points. Based on the 2010 report on the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund an increase in the region of 17% would be required for the core contributory State pension plus invalidity pension for the self-employed. This takes account of the 15% needed to provide the core full-rate State pension.
While I am anxious to expand the level of social insurance entitlements for the self-employed, any such change would have to be funded by an appropriate level of contribution.
144. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason for a delay in the procedures to issue death certificates for those Irish citizens who have died abroad, following the signing by the President in December 2014 of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014; when the issuing of certificates will begin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40310/15]
View answerThe Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014 was enacted on 4 December 2014. The Act contains a wide range of provisions which are being commenced on a step by step basis.
Section 13 of the Act provides for the creation of a record of deaths of Irish citizens who die while abroad.
The provisions of the Act will be put into operation on the basis of an implementation plan involving both procedural and system changes. A range of provisions are being implemented together. This work is being progressed as quickly as possible in order that the various provisions of the Act can be commenced.
146. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of a jobseeker's allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40320/15]
View answerThe jobseekers allowance claim of the person concerned has been disallowed by a deciding officer following a review of his entitlement. He has been advised of the reasons for the disallowance and that he can appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. He had also been advised that if he wishes he can apply for supplementary welfare allowance and have his entitlement to this payment assessed.
147. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of a review of an invalidity pension for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if successful; when arrears will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40321/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension (IP) with effect from the 20 December 2012. Payment and arrears due from 20 December 2012 to 18 November 2015 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue to her nominated bank account on the 19 November 2015.
148. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal under the disability allowance scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40360/15]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered new evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
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.
149. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal under the carer's allowance scheme by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and when they can expect a decision on their case. [40361/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 20 October 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.
150. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will examine an appeal under the disability allowance scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40363/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 2 November 2015. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal 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.
151. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will examine and expedite an appeal under the domiciliary care allowance scheme for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40419/15]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
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.
