Seán Kenny
Question:80. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 is entitled to a fuel allowance. [2712/16]
View answerFuel Allowance Eligibility
Questions (80)
Written answers
I confirm the Department received an application for a fuel allowance (FA) under the National fuel scheme on 19 October 2015.
FA is a means-tested payment and is payable to certain categories of people who live alone or only with certain other persons. The person in question did not qualify for FA as his household includes person(s) who are not in a qualifying category.
Carer's Allowance Payments
Questions (81)
Noel Harrington
Question:81. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork in November of 2015 for carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2719/16]
View answerWritten answers
The application for carer’s allowance in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 20 January 2016 and the first payment is due to issue to the person’s nominated post office on 28 January 2016.
Arrears of allowance due from 12 November 2015 to 20 January 2016 have issued to the post office for payment on 28 January 2016. The person concerned was notified of this on 20 January 2016.
Community Services Programme
Questions (82, 117)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:82. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will link the funding provided to groups under the community services programme with the minimum wage so that all such groups will receive increased funding to take account of the increase in the minimum wage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2754/16]
View answer
Dominic Hannigan
Question:117. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason the community services grant administered by Pobal will not fund the increase in the minimum wage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3156/16]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 117 together.
The community services programme (CSP) is one of a number of programmes and schemes operated by the Department. It provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a social inclusion nature. Many of these companies are also funded from other sources and generate revenue from the public use of their facilities and services. The CSP provides a contribution to the wage costs of the companies on the basis that the services are not fully self-financing or the cost of provision would be prohibitive on users. The Department does not set the wage rate but requires the payment of appropriate wage rates, consistent with local norms.
At December 2015, 398 companies employing some 2,800 employees were directly supported by the CSP. The Department estimates that, at the end of 2015, some 60% of these employees were being paid above the level of the minimum wage, in keeping with the social inclusion and social benefit objectives of the programme. The Department is committed to working with the remaining companies to achieve the objective of paying a reasonable wage. The Deputy should note that the CSP accounts for less than a third of the resources generated by these companies.
Contracts of up to three years duration are provided for under the CSP. Arrangements whereby individual companies will be able to access additional financial resources to compensate for the welcome increase in the minimum wage are being put in place. Submissions will be assessed on a case-by-case basis with the annual funding commitment being adjusted accordingly, where it is found to be warranted. An advance of 25% of the contract value for 2016 has been, or is in the course of being, paid to companies currently in the programme. This ensures that immediate cash-flow requirements are supported.
Overall, I am satisfied that the level of resources available to the CSP in 2016 at just over €45m will be adequate to meet the on-going funding needs of the programme. I have no plans to change the current arrangements whereby the level of resources to support services is determined on a case by case basis, based on individual company and service circumstances.
Carer's Allowance Eligibility
Questions (83)
Michael McCarthy
Question:83. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the carer's allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2769/16]
View answerWritten answers
Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care.
CA is in payment to the person concerned since 25 June 2015 in respect of one care recipient.
An application in respect of a 2nd care recipient was received on the 8 December 2015. This application for a second care recipient has been disallowed on the grounds that the evidence submitted does not indicate that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.
The person concerned was notified on 22 January 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
Question No. 84 withdrawn.
Carer's Allowance Applications
Questions (85)
Noel Harrington
Question:85. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application made by a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the carer's allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2777/16]
View answerWritten answers
I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 3 December 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
School Meals Programme
Questions (86)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:86. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the annual expenditure, the number of recipients and the number of schools under the school meals programme in 2014-15 and in 2015-16. [2781/16]
View answerWritten answers
The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to schools and organisations at a cost of €39 million in 2015. An additional €3 million was allocated to the programme as part of Budget 2016, bringing the allocation to €42 million in 2016.
There are two schemes operated under the school meals programme. The first scheme is the urban school meals scheme which is operated by local authorities and part-financed by the Department. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and voluntary community groups who run their own school meals projects.
The urban school meals scheme is processed on a financial year basis. In 2014, approximately €1m was provided by the Department to the local authorities benefiting over 62,000 pupils in some 330 schools. In 2015 €1.1m was provided benefiting over 55,000 pupils in 300 schools. It is likely that a similar amount will be expended in 2016.
Funding under the school meals local projects scheme is provided over the course of an academic year. In the academic year 2014/2015, funding totalling some €32.5m was provided to over 1,100 organisations, benefiting in excess of 155,000 children in 1,340 schools, pre-schools and other groups. For the 2015/2016 academic year, which generally finishes end June, approximately €37m has been committed to date to some 1,090 organisations. The Department continues to receive applications under the scheme.
Following the provision of additional funding in recent budgets, the Department has been in a position to grant increases to DEIS schools and special schools for the current academic year where sought. There has been a particular focus on the promotion of breakfast clubs within the programme, which provide very positive outcomes for vulnerable children in terms of their school attendance, punctuality and energy levels.
Social Welfare Code
Questions (87)
Sandra McLellan
Question:87. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason an unmarried couple are deemed a cohabiting couple when claiming social protection, but are deemed single persons when one of the partners gains employment and is trying to claim tax back; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2783/16]
View answerWritten answers
The social welfare code recognises the couple status of co-habiting couples and treats married and co-habiting couples in a similar manner. The EEC Equality Directive 79/9 and the subsequent Supreme Court case (Hyland v Minister for Social Welfare, 1989) led to the change in treatment of non-married cohabiting couples in the social welfare code. The Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the total income a married couple received in social welfare benefits to be less than the couple would have received if they were cohabiting. Accordingly, couples who are married and cohabiting are treated identically to couples who are cohabiting but not married for social welfare purposes since the Social Welfare Act No 2, 1989.
The tax treatment of married and cohabiting couples is a matter for the Minister for Finance.
Domiciliary Care Allowance Payments
Questions (88)
Jack Wall
Question:88. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of the payment of arrears to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2800/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person concerned was notified on the 6th October 2015 that following her successful appeal her application for domiciliary care allowance has been awarded from the 1st December 2014. The first payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, issued on 20th October 2015.
Community Employment Schemes Eligibility
Questions (89)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:89. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of participants under the Tús, work placement initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2807/16]
View answerWritten answers
The purpose of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance employability and mobility by providing work experience and training within communities. The person in question was informed by Departmental staff that she only had eligibility for one year’s participation on CE at present under the standard eligibility criteria (i.e. she did not have sufficient qualifying time for the three-year option of CE). The reason for this one year placement was further clarified with the client recently.
Once she finishes her current CE placement in May 2016, she will have to leave CE and requalify for further time on the programme by being in continuous receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for at least 12 months, per the standard conditions of the programme. That qualifying period will then gain her for a further 12 months CE participation.
Carer's Allowance Eligibility
Questions (90)
Jack Wall
Question:90. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application under the carer's allowance scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2827/16]
View answerWritten answers
I 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 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 (DO) decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 30 September 2015 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal. Following your representations a DO has reviewed the decision. However, following this review the decision remains unchanged. The person in question was notified on 21 January 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of appeal.
Carer's Allowance Appeals
Questions (91)
Denis Naughten
Question:91. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a carer's allowance review will be made for a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2829/16]
View answerWritten answers
Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. CA was awarded to the person concerned from 31 January 2013 in respect of full-time care for his wife.
Following a review of his continuing entitlement, CA was terminated with effect from 23 April 2015 as a deciding officer was satisfied that he was working for in excess of 15 hours per week and, therefore, cannot be considered to be providing full-time care and attention to the care recipient.
The person requested a review of this revised decision to disallow his CA payment. Following a full re-investigation of the circumstances of the case including a referral to a local social welfare inspector for a report, it has been decided that CA may be restored to the person in question from 24 April 2015 as the combined hours of those activities did (and does) not exceed 15 hours per week.
Accordingly, payment of CA has been reinstated from 24 April 2015. The person concerned will receive his first weekly re-instated payment at his nominated post office on 28 January 2016. Arrears of allowance due from 24 April 2015 less any outstanding debts, will issue in due course. The person concerned was notified on 19 January 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal.
Humanitarian Assistance Scheme
Questions (92, 101)
Tony McLoughlin
Question:92. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will change the requirements for victims of flooding under the means test to facilitate more persons affected by flooding in getting access to State assistance during times of need, given that many homes were unable to obtain any assistance from her Department during the floods of 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2832/16]
View answer
Bobby Aylward
Question:101. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if compensation for severe flood damage is available to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who does not currently reside at the residence which was flooded as it is not insured and is listed as a flood risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2920/16]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 101 together.
The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, the Department of Social Protection has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding.
In early December 2015, the Department activated its humanitarian assistance scheme, administered by the local Community Welfare Service (CWS), to assist householders affected by the severe weather conditions. Since early December 2015, support has been provided to some 400 households at a cost of €439,000.
In dealing with emergency events of this nature, the Department generally adopts a three stage approach as follows:
- Stage 1 is to provide emergency income support payments (food, clothing and personal items) in the immediate aftermath of the event. A relatively small amount of financial assistance is generally provided initially with payments around the country ranging from €100 to €500 depending on family size. A person may get an emergency income support payment under the scheme without regard to their income as the primary objective of these payments is to address the person’s immediate need.
- Stage 2 generally involves the replacement of white goods, basic furniture items and other essential household items. It is not until the flood water abates and houses dry out that the full extent of the damage to homes will become known.
- Stage 3 is to identify what longer term financial support or works are required. It could take several months before this stage of response commences and this involves a cross Departmental/Agency response. Works carried out can include plastering, dry-lining, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring and painting.
The scheme is demand led and there is a time lag between the flooding event and actual claims for financial support. It is to be expected that the number of claims increase in the weeks following a flooding event with a move into stage 2 and stage 3 supports which cover the replacement of furniture and white goods and longer term financial supports.
The income test for stage 2 and stage 3 of the humanitarian assistance scheme is fair and the means assessment is significantly more generous than that which applies in the case of means tested social welfare schemes generally. The basic principle of the income test is that individuals and families with average levels of income will qualify for assistance. The income test determines the household’s ability to meet the costs of restoring their home to a habitable condition and all household income will be considered as part of the assessment. For example, a family consisting of a couple and two children with a gross household income of €70,000 or less will receive 100% of the amount allowable in respect of their application. A reduced level of support can be provided in cases where such families have income over €70,000.
Assistance is not provided for losses which are covered by insurance or for commercial and business losses, or generally any loss or damage to private rented accommodation or local authority accommodation. The scheme is confined to assisting persons who have suffered damage to their homes. As the person referred to by Deputy Aylward is not residing in the premises affected, assistance is not available under the humanitarian assistance scheme. The Irish Red Cross is operating a separate scheme for small businesses and Community, Voluntary and Sporting Bodies affected by the recent flooding. The qualifying criteria for small business under that scheme is a matter for the Irish Red Cross and the Department of Defence.
People seeking assistance under the humanitarian assistance scheme should contact their local DSP Intreo Centre or CWS office who will be able to offer assistance. Department contact phone numbers for persons in affected areas are available on the Department’s website, as follows:
http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Humanitarian-Assistance-Scheme.aspx.
Invalidity Pension Payments
Questions (93)
Pat Breen
Question:93. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when she will issue a decision on an invalidity pension to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2837/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 7 January 2016. Payment will issue to his nominated bank account on the 11 February 2016. Any arrears due from 7 January 2016 to 10 February 2016 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 22 January 2016.
One-Parent Family Payment Appeals
Questions (94)
Michael Ring
Question:94. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo under the one-parent family allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2864/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14th January 2016. 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.
Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility
Questions (95)
Pearse Doherty
Question:95. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if it is compulsory for applicants under the jobseeker's allowance scheme to provide evidence of having applied for advertised vacancies in order to qualify; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2866/16]
View answerWritten answers
In order to qualify for a jobseekers payment it is necessary for the person to demonstrate that s/he is taking some positive action and is making genuine efforts to secure employment which is suitable for him/her, having regard to his/her age, education, physique, location and family circumstances. This could include providing evidence of having applied for advertised vacancies.
Question No. 96 withdrawn.