Written Replies Nos. 122 to 127
122. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16085/16]
View answerI confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 17 May 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new applications. 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.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
123. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16086/16]
View answerI confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 13 May 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new applications. 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, the person concerned is in receipt of a weekly social welfare support.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
124. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on an application by a person (details supplied) under the invalidity pension scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16087/16]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 17 March 2016. Payment will issue to his nominated post office on the 30 June 2016. Any arrears due from 17 March 2016 to 29 June 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 14 June 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
125. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount his Department paid out and the number of persons who received a payment under the mortgage interest supplement scheme since its introduction, by year, and the amount that will be paid out in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16101/16]
View answerThere are currently approximately 2,700 people in receipt of the mortgage interest supplement (MIS) scheme for which the Government has provided over €7 million for in 2016. Statistics in relation to recipient numbers and expenditure for the scheme from 1999 to date are provided in the following tabular statement. Statistics are not readily available prior to this date.
The MIS scheme was discontinued for new applicants from 1 January 2014, with customers availing of this support prior to 1 January 2014 retaining entitlement until the closure of the scheme on 1 January 2018. The continued payment of mortgage interest supplement does little to assist families in improving the long term difficulty in addressing their mortgage problem. The most appropriate way in which families experiencing mortgage difficulties can be supported is through on-going engagement with their lender to explore sustainable solutions.
It is expected that over the remaining period existing customers will exit the scheme through sustainable solutions being put in place with their lenders; securing employment; or exit strategies sponsored by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, such as the Mortgage to Rent Scheme. My Department is also considering referral of cases to the Dedicated Mortgage Arrears MABS (DMA MABS) service. This service is focused on post-MARP cases and has been established across 26 locations assisting mortgage holders to assess the extent to which the option on offer from the lender is the best and most sustainable option, and where required, negotiating with the lender on the client’s behalf.
Together with the Insolvency Service of Ireland, MABS has established a national network of Court Mentors to attend relevant Courts nationwide, where repossessions hearings are listed, to provide support to distressed borrowers and direct them to the appropriate services which can provide them with the necessary help and assistance.
Guidance has recently issued to the Department’s staff in the Community Welfare Service to inform persons experiencing financial difficulty of these additional supports.
Mortgage Interest Supplement- Recipient Numbers & Expenditure: 1999 to date
|
Period |
Recipients |
Cost €000 |
|
1999 |
5,108 |
8,187 |
|
2000 |
4,233 |
5,878 |
|
2001 |
4,064 |
6,343 |
|
2002 |
4,359 |
7,658 |
|
2003 |
3,933 |
7,663 |
|
2004 |
3,318 |
6,333 |
|
2005 |
3,220 |
6,339 |
|
2006 |
3,424 |
7,873 |
|
2007 |
4,111 |
12,198 |
|
2008 |
8,091 |
27,675 |
|
2009 |
15,101 |
60,885 |
|
2010 |
17,974 |
65,615 |
|
2011 |
18,988 |
67,849 |
|
2012 |
14,597 |
55,082 |
|
2013 |
9,768 |
35,063 |
|
2014 |
5,878 |
20,878 |
|
2015 |
3,482 |
11,9191 |
|
2016 |
2,7172 |
7,0000 |
1 Provisional Outturn Exp 2 Figure as of end May 2016 3 Estimated Expenditure
126. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce a system whereby self-employed persons can be included in a new scheme so that they can be eligible for support if the need arises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16102/16]
View answerThe new partnership Government aims to create an additional 200,000 jobs by 2020, including 135,000 outside of Dublin. This will be achieved by continuing and enhancing a supportive environment for enterprise and employment. In particular, the role of entrepreneurs and the self-employed will be central to this ambition. The new programme agreed with our partners in Government contains a commitment to introduce an improved PRSI scheme for the self-employed.
In addition, we will ensure that the Earned Income Tax Credit available to the self-employed will match that available to employees, over a number of budgets. This process commenced in Budget 2016 with the introduction of a €550 tax credit for the self-employed.
I want to ensure that appropriate sustainable supports are available to the self-employed in the event of certain contingencies arising. The self-employed already have access to State pension (contributory), widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension (contributory), guardians payment (contributory), maternity benefit and adoptive benefit on the same basis as employees. They will also gain access to the new paternity benefit which will be introduced later this year.
However, unlike the position with employees, they are not covered for certain contingencies such as long-term illnesses or disability and may not avail of treatment benefit. The former Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare published a report in 2013 which examined the options for extension of cover to the self-employed.
This is a valuable contribution to the issue and my Department will be examining all of the available options in the coming months. This examination will have to include the level of appropriate additional contribution the self-employed should make for more benefits.
I look forward to making progress on this issue later this year.
127. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question Number 204 of 2 June 2016, the average waiting time for processing payments under the carer's allowance scheme and for benefits in each of the years 2011 to 2016 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16144/16]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy, insofar as it is available, is contained in the following table.
|
Processing Information |
Average weeks to award a new carer’s allowance application |
Number of carer’s benefit claims awaiting decision as at 31 December (*) |
|
2011 |
Not available (**) |
449 |
|
2012 |
Not available (**) |
255 |
|
2013 |
9 weeks |
363 |
|
2014 |
12 weeks |
477 |
|
2015 |
15 weeks |
Not Available (**) |
|
2016 (April) |
20 weeks |
63 |
(*) A processing time was not published in relation to carer’s benefit for the period in question as the processing system did not support it. The number of claims pending decision is given as an alternative indicative measure.
(**) Processing time/number pending statistics not available as the claims were being processed on two separate systems due to service delivery modernisation work.
The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of disability and caring schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision making process. Delays can also arise when the application form is not competed fully or supporting documentation is not provided at claim stage or where additional information has been requested from the applicant but remains outstanding.
Carer’s allowance, which is a means-tested scheme, is experiencing delays presently, averaging 20 weeks in April 2016. Delays are also occurring in the processing of carer’s benefit, where claims are processed in an approx. average of 11 weeks at present. This primarily is due to an ongoing increase in new claim intake over the past few years to these schemes and the complexity attached to processing of these applications. In addition, there is sometimes a reluctance on the part of applicants to give full information at application stage thereby slowing down the processing of their application and in some cases necessitating a visit by a Departmental investigative officer.
Reducing these waiting times is a priority for my Department. As part of its programme of service delivery modernisation, a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology, have been implemented by my Department in recent years. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised.
In addition, staffing needs are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
