Written Answers Nos. 75-88
75. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme: and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8382/16]
View answerI confirm that, on 21 October 2015, the department received an application from the person concerned for disability allowance (DA). This application for DA, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person in question was notified in writing of this decision on 14 January 2016.
The person in question subsequently requested a review of the decision by a deciding officer (DO) and submitted additional evidence for consideration. The DO has referred the application to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. Once the SWI has submitted his/her report to the DO, the person’s eligibility will be reviewed and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
76. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8385/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 8 February 2016. Unfortunately, the average time taken at present to decide a new application is running at 19 weeks. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.
Frequently, delays are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
This application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
In the meantime, if the means of the person concerned are insufficient to meet her needs she should apply for a means-tested supplementary welfare allowance from her local community welfare service.
77. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will put forward for consideration, a project a person (details supplied) is proposing in respect of an application under the back to work allowance scheme, with particular reference to the personal funding invested in same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8393/16]
View answerThe person concerned applied for the support of the Department for a business venture under the back to work enterprise scheme. The person concerned has met on a number of occasions with a case officer to outline her proposed business plan in which she plans to buy into a franchise venture and operate it at a considerable distance from her home address. After careful consideration of the business proposal the case officer deemed that it was not a viable business proposal which would lead to full self-employment and also had concerns regarding the ability of the person concerned to repay loans which she needs to access in order to further her proposed business venture. The person concerned was advised in March 2016 that the Department would not be in a position to support her business venture through the back to work enterprise scheme. Her application has been reviewed and the decision remains unchanged. The person concerned is currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and she has been advised that she can declare self-employment, if she decides to proceed with her proposal, to her local office and a means assessment will be undertaken to establish any continuing entitlement to that payment.
78. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when she will issue rent allowance to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8399/16]
View answerAs detailed to the Deputy in reply to Parliamentary Question No 43420-15 and several related Parliamentary Questions, the client concerned has been requested on numerous occasions to provide the Department with details of all capital accrued from the sale of the family home. This documentation has not, to date, been received by the Department. A final reminder was issued to the client on 3rd December. This claim for Rent Supplement was closed on the 21st December.
79. Deputy Katherine Zappone asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the procedures in place to monitor and evaluate the employment and education attainment of former recipients of the one-parent family payment after they exit the payment or the jobseeker's transitional scheme when their youngest child reaches 14 years of age. [8401/16]
View answerAll lone parents on a jobseeker’s allowance or jobseeker’s transitional payment currently gain improved access to activation supports.
Jobseeker’s transitional payment recipients now receive, for the first time, a one to one meeting with a case officer from the Department who will assist them to produce a personal development plan and guide them towards appropriate education, training and employment opportunities. While the customer is on the jobseeker’s transitional payment this support is available and is not limited to the 12 month engagement that applies for other jobseekers from their one to one meeting.
Through the jobseeker’s transitional payment, lone parents with children aged between 7 and 13 years are provided with a very long transition period of up to seven years within which to engage with the Department’s Intreo service. The aim of this broader support is to improve the individual’s employment prospects.
Former one-parent family payment recipients who moved to a jobseeker’s allowance payment i.e. those with a youngest child 14 year of age or older, are subject to the standard Intreo activation process. Former one-parent family payment recipients who are not working and are on a jobseeker’s allowance payment will be invited to group engagement with a case officer followed by access to further supports in the same manner as all other jobseekers.
A new Activation Case Management system has recently been implemented across the Department’s network of Intreo Centres. It provides a sophisticated tool to the Department’s case officers that supports the full activation process, includes intelligence gathering to inform policy and a suite of reports that allows the Department to analyse progression outcomes for our customers including the ability to track training referrals. The system also records potential barriers to employment such as access to childcare, health issues etc. with a view to addressing these issues with the customer. Most importantly for the one-parent family payment reforms, the new system includes processes for the activation of lone parents who are now jobseekers and allows the Department to identify and monitor these customers as a ring-fenced group, while treating each customer as an individual from an activation perspective. Access to this more detailed information will inform any future developments of effective activation measures for lone parents that are required.
The Department has also taken steps to include details of periods spent on jobseeker’s transitional payment in the Jobseekers Longitudinal Database. This will include information (where available) on jobseeker’s transitional payment leavers’ entry to activation programmes, education/training, and employment. It will therefore be possible, over time, to report on trends in the destination of jobseeker’s transitional payment leavers.
The first indication of the outcome of the reforms has already been seen in the number of former OFP recipients who have become new FIS recipients. Since the final phase of the reforms took place in July 2015 up to the end of December 2015, approximately 3,000 affected lone parents have become new family income supplement recipients. This indicates that these customers entered or increased their employment as a result of the reforms. These new recipients are also eligible for the back to work family dividend and gain an increase in their overall income when they transition from the one-parent family payment to the family income supplement and the back to work family dividend.
80. Deputy Katherine Zappone asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to expand access to job activation, training and education for jobseekers who do not qualify for the live register due to their spouse's or partner's income. [8402/16]
View answerThe key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective therefore prioritises scarce resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments. Accordingly the employment services and schemes provided by the Department are focused in the first instance on this cohort of unemployed people.
However, many services are available to people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment. For example employment services, such as advice on job-search activities and the use of online job search tools, are available to people if they register with the Department’s employment services offices regardless of their social welfare status. Further, unemployed persons not in receipt of qualifying payments may also be eligible to avail of up-skilling opportunities, for example through ETB (formerly FÁS) training for unemployed people, but are not eligible to receive a training allowance while undertaking the course.
An unemployed person who does not qualify for a social welfare payment due to the assessment of their means may be eligible to sign for social insurance contribution credits. Persons who sign for credits for three months (78 days) of the last six months are eligible to participate in the JobBridge programme. Persons signing on for credits for 12 months or longer over the previous 18 months are entitled to participate on Momentum courses through Solas, provided that they have been actively seeking work, however they will not receive any payment. Persons signing for credits for six months or more are entitled to participate on ETB-run VTOS courses subject to availability. In the case of VTOS courses, participants do not receive a training allowance but may receive travel and lunch allowances. Springboard and Skillnets courses for unemployed people, funded through the Department of Education and Skills, are also open to people regardless of their social welfare status.
It is recognised that there is a need to improve the promotion of and communication around existing activation options. In this regard, for example, the DSP Employer Engagement Unit has conducted a number of career and job fairs in 2014 and 2015 at which information on activation options is made available.
In short, the Government is committed to supporting as many people as possible to participate more fully in employment and to become more self-sufficient by providing supports that address barriers.
81. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the carer’s allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8417/16]
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 oral hearing, has decided to disallow 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.
82. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the diet supplement, by primary social protection payment, and by county; and the cost of the supplement from 2011 to 2016 to date, in tabular form. [8419/16]
View answer83. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have lost their entitlement to the diet supplement, by reason and by county since 2011, in tabular form. [8420/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together.
Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition.
Following the outcome of a review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute commissioned by the Department during 2013, the scheme has been closed to new applicants from 1 February 2014. The research showed that the average costs of the diets supplemented under the scheme could be met from within one third of the current rate of personal social welfare payments. A decision was taken to allow existing recipients to continue to receive the diet supplement at the current rate of payment for as long as they continue to have an entitlement to the scheme or until their circumstances change. This measure ensured that nobody was immediately worse off by the closure of the scheme.
There are currently some 3,850 recipients of diet supplement. A breakdown of these recipients by primary social welfare payment is provided in the following tabular statement. A breakdown of recipients by county from 2011 to date is also provided. Statistics in relation to the total number of persons who have lost their entitlement to diet supplement are not maintained.
A breakdown of the costs of diet supplement is not available as these costs are provided for under the heading of “other supplements” which also include supplements such as heating and travel. Detail of expenditure on these supplements since 2011 is provided in the tabular statement.
Table 1 - Diet Supplement - Breakdown by primary Social Protection payment April 2016
|
Primary Payment |
Recipients |
|
Disability Allowance |
1,474 |
|
Illness Benefit |
60 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
498 |
|
Long Term Jobseekers Allowance |
219 |
|
Short Term Jobseeker's Allowance |
39 |
|
Employment Support Services |
30 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
9 |
|
State Pensions |
799 |
|
Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension |
260 |
|
Pre- Retirement Allowance |
16 |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
119 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
66 |
|
Department for Work and Pensions UK |
23 |
|
Other |
237 |
|
Total |
3,849 |
Table 2 Diet Supplement – Breakdown of Recipients by County
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 (16/04/16) |
|
Carlow |
125 |
111 |
98 |
84 |
76 |
76 |
|
Cavan |
130 |
116 |
111 |
100 |
58 |
53 |
|
Clare |
127 |
132 |
115 |
85 |
58 |
48 |
|
Cork |
894 |
802 |
676 |
540 |
450 |
428 |
|
Donegal |
119 |
124 |
126 |
100 |
86 |
79 |
|
Dublin |
2877 |
2603 |
2233 |
1842 |
1583 |
1470 |
|
Galway |
279 |
255 |
216 |
150 |
121 |
112 |
|
Kerry |
155 |
123 |
116 |
93 |
71 |
67 |
|
Kildare |
215 |
212 |
199 |
162 |
146 |
138 |
|
Kilkenny |
115 |
115 |
100 |
87 |
79 |
76 |
|
Laois |
133 |
137 |
126 |
105 |
78 |
75 |
|
Leitrim |
27 |
28 |
23 |
14 |
11 |
10 |
|
Limerick |
401 |
367 |
321 |
271 |
230 |
220 |
|
Longford |
74 |
73 |
70 |
58 |
52 |
49 |
|
Louth |
175 |
173 |
162 |
135 |
113 |
101 |
|
Mayo |
121 |
120 |
87 |
61 |
50 |
47 |
|
Meath |
145 |
158 |
139 |
107 |
93 |
91 |
|
Monaghan |
63 |
60 |
52 |
48 |
42 |
39 |
|
Offaly |
164 |
151 |
147 |
131 |
121 |
114 |
|
Roscommon |
134 |
126 |
89 |
59 |
54 |
51 |
|
Sligo |
36 |
39 |
41 |
26 |
19 |
18 |
|
Tipperary |
346 |
336 |
293 |
229 |
186 |
171 |
|
Waterford |
151 |
90 |
66 |
61 |
45 |
40 |
|
Westmeath |
92 |
98 |
96 |
86 |
69 |
62 |
|
Wexford |
236 |
235 |
209 |
170 |
131 |
123 |
|
Wicklow |
238 |
226 |
156 |
132 |
98 |
91 |
|
Total |
7572 |
7010 |
6067 |
4936 |
4120 |
3849 |
Table 3 - Expenditure on Supplements 2011-2016 (Includes Diet, Heating and Travel)
€000
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 (Provisional to end of March) |
|
12,766 |
11,248 |
9,526 |
8,125 |
7,380 |
1,757 |
84. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to appoint members to the Citizens Information Board to replace those members whose term finished in early 2015 given that not replacing these members has meant that the board is often unable to obtain a quorum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8422/16]
View answerThe legislative provisions governing Board membership of the Citizens Information Board (CIB) are contained in the Comhairle Act 2000, the Citizens Information Act 2007, and the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011.
The Board of CIB has 7 members at present, including a Chairperson. There are eight (8) vacancies on the Board. In accordance with the Government’s agreed new arrangements for filling State Board vacancies and new Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards published in November 2014, vacancies on the Board of CIB were advertised on the Public Appointments Service (PAS) website from 1st to 21st December 2015. The vacancies were also publicised on the Department of Social Protection and CIB websites during the same period. Applicants were required to meet specific appointment criteria approved by the Minister and which reflected the views of the Chair of CIB.
One hundred and ninety six (196) expressions of interest were received by PAS. An assessment panel, which included the Chairperson of CIB, examined the information provided by all of the candidates. Following assessment, the panel prepared a report and shortlist of potentially appointable candidates for my consideration in early February 2016.
I have decided that it would be more appropriate to allow the incoming Minister for Social Protection to select candidates from the shortlist drawn up by the Public Appointments Service for appointment to the Board, having regard to the legislative requirements.
85. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of her review of the rural social scheme including if she will consider the proposals put forward by representatives of the rural social scheme supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8425/16]
View answerThe rural social scheme (RSS) provides income support for low income farmers and those engaged in fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. The funds allocated for 2016 amount to €44.3m. This level of funding will allow the scheme to continue along the same lines in 2016 as in previous years, but does not allow for the recruitment above the numbers stated above.
The Department is not currently undertaking a formal review of the RSS. As with all other activation and employment schemes funded by the Department, the operations are monitored on an on-going basis to ensure that the RSS remains effective, provides value for money, is aligned with other similar schemes and is in line with Government policies. Any proposals from stakeholders are considered as part of the on-going operations of all schemes.
86. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will award the full rate of payment to new applicants for the State pension (contributory); the significance of the 6 April 2012 date in this regard; if the homemaker's scheme introduced in 1994 is relevant to cases; her plans to move from an average contributions test to a total contributions approach; if she will backdate homemaker's credits to allow more claimants to obtain a full rate of payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8431/16]
View answerThe State pension contributory 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. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid or credited over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement. Since 1961, when contributory pensions were introduced, the average contributions test has been used in calculating pension entitlement. Once over 16 years of age, the date a person enters into insurable employment is the date used for averaging purposes.
“Developing the National Pensions System – Final Report of the National Pensions Board” published in 1993, recommended that the number of paid contributions required to qualify for a contributory pension should be increased to 520 and the necessary legislation to effect these recommendations was contained in Section 12 of the Social Welfare Act 1997 which provided for their implementation in two stages, with the paid contribution requirement being standardised at 260 from 2002, rising to 520 from April 2012.
The homemaker’s scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension (contributory) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in and took effect from 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age (or caring for incapacitated people over that age) to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes, subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State pension contributory also being satisfied. This has the effect of increasing the yearly average of the pensioner, which is used to set the rate of their pension. The scheme does not involve the award of credits. There are no proposals to backdate the scheme prior to 1994 due to the very significant costs involved which would be expected to increase year on year.
Work has commenced to replace the ‘yearly average’ system with a ‘total contributions approach’ where the number of contributions recorded over a work life will more closely reflect the rate of pension payment received. It is expected that the total contributions approach to pension qualification will replace the current average contributions test for State pension (contributory) for new pensioners from 2020, although that date is subject to change, as this is a very significant reform with considerable legislative, administrative, and technical aspects to be addressed in its implementation. When proposals are agreed, legislation will be brought forward to underpin the necessary changes. I believe that it is important that the changes be announced well in advance of introduction, to enable those workers affected to include the new factors into their retirement planning. This new method will provide greater benefit for some, but not all, future pensioners than they would have had under the current system. It is not anticipated that the changes will apply to existing pensioners. Any reforms are required to contribute to the ongoing sustainability of the pensions system and not increase costs.
It is worth noting that the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund in 2012 confirmed that the Fund provides better value to female rather than male contributors. This is due to the distributive nature of the Fund. For example, those with a yearly average of only 20 contributions (38% of the maximum) may qualify for 85% of the maximum rate.
It should also be noted that, where people cannot qualify for a full rate contributory pension as a result of an intermittent PRSI record, the social protection system provides alternative methods of supporting such people in old age. For example, if their spouse has a contributory pension, they may qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult amounting up to 90% of a full rate pension, which by default is paid directly to them. Alternatively, they may qualify for a means-tested State Pension (non-contributory), amounting up to 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate.
87. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why claimants under the disability allowance scheme receive the same rate of payment as claimants under the jobseeker's allowance scheme who are over 25 years of age; if persons on disability allowance have greater difficulties and expenses and her plans to increase the rate of payment under this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8434/16]
View answerDisability allowance (DA) is a means-tested social assistance payment which is paid to persons aged 16 to 66 who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria). Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) is a means-tested social assistance paid to persons aged 18 to 66 who are unemployed, capable of work, available for and genuinely seeking employment.
As indicated by the Deputy, the rate for DA recipients under 26 years of age, at €188 per week, is higher than that of JA recipients in receipt of the age-related reduced rates (€100 per week for JA recipients aged 18 to 24, and €144 for JA recipients aged 25). According to the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services 2014 report, there were almost 13,000 DA claimants under the age of 25 at the end of 2014 (representing 11.5% of all DA claimants).
It should be noted that DA recipients may also be eligible for secondary benefits, which JA recipients may not qualify for, such as:
- All DA recipients are eligible for the Free Travel Pass, which entitles the bearer to free travel on public transport in Ireland (and certain private services);
- depending on the household composition of the DA claimant, he or she may qualify for the Fuel Allowance (€22.50 per week for the duration of the fuel season) and the Household Benefits Package (€35 per month towards the claimant’s gas/electricity costs, and the free television licence worth €160); and
- recipients of DA who are living alone also qualify for the Living Alone Allowance (a €9 per week increase to their weekly payment).
In contrast to this, JA recipients must be unemployed for 15 months in order to be eligible for the Fuel Allowance, and JA is not a qualifying payment for the Household Benefits scheme or the Living Alone Allowance.
Aside from secondary benefits, the means test for the DA scheme is also more generous than the means test for JA in two significant ways. The DA means assessment has a weekly earnings disregard of €120 per week (with a 50% taper for earnings up to €230 per week) in respect of employment of a rehabilitative nature, compared to a €20 per day disregard for JA recipients, (up to maximum of three days) and a 60% taper. In addition, the DA means test provides for a capital disregard of €50,000, compared to €20,000 for JA. This results in a person with savings of €50,000 and no other means being assessed with nil means for DA purposes, while this would be calculated as €70 weekly means in the JA means test.
Accordingly, the social welfare system currently provides extra supports for people with disabilities. It should be noted that a range of employment supports are also available for Disability Allowance recipients.
The appropriate future level of supports for Disability Allowance recipients specifically, and people with disabilities generally, will have to be considered in a budgetary context. In this regard, it should be noted that supports for people with disabilities extend beyond the provision of monetary supports and includes the provision of services, which are proper to other Departments.
88. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the benefits and supports available for carers and if she will extend these; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8435/16]
View answerThe Department provides a comprehensive range of income supports to carers including carer’s benefit, carer’s allowance, domiciliary care allowance and the annual carer’s support grant. The total expenditure on carers in 2016 is estimated at €912 million.
Carers also receive additional support in the form of free travel and household benefits (for those who live with the person for whom they care).
Persons in receipt of certain qualifying social welfare payments and who are also providing full time care and attention to another person can retain the main social welfare payment and receive the half-rate carer's allowance as well. They can also receive an extra half-rate carer’s allowance if they care for more than one person.
There is also provision for carers to engage in economic activity outside the home for up to 15 hours a week without any impact on their entitlement to a carer’s payment. This is to encourage and facilitate carers who wish to engage in economic activity outside the home environment, while still fulfilling their caring duties, to do so.
