Written Answers Nos. 36-45
36. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which exceptional needs payment applications are being assessed to take account of the actual family circumstances, with a view to ensuring the payment remains available to those with an obvious requirement in view of the fact that such payments now replace bereavement grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28779/16]
View answer172. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which exceptional needs payments have replaced bereavement grants in respect of the overall cost of funeral expenses where matters such as grave space costs are outside the control of the applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29187/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 172 together.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €30.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2016.
ENP payments are made at the discretion of the Department’s officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the individual or family in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses, including those for graves, where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship. Department staff will take into account the circumstances of the individual applicant, and that of the deceased person, including any savings, property, insurance policies, etc., as well as the ability of other members of the family to meet, or contribute to, the cost involved. The staff member will also consider if a bereavement grant is available from any other source including former employer, credit union, trade union etc.
Assistance with funeral costs is a long-standing feature of the ENP scheme, rather than a replacement for the discontinued PRSI-based bereavement grant, and is part of a range of supports available from my Department for people following bereavement.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
37. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to his recent meeting with Moate Action Group if he will approve its application for a community worker. [28795/16]
View answerThe Community Services Programme (CSP) is designed to address locally identified gaps in the provision of services to communities and to utilise the potential of community assets and resources that are already in place to support of delivery of services and to improve community well-being. Funding is provided to support the employment of staff to deliver the service.
Funding of €46m has been provided for the programme in 2016 which will maintain the current level of activity. Given the restrictions on resources, the Department has been unable to make an open call for new proposals to the programme since 2008.
However, from time to time and as resources allow, the Department does process new applications received from organisations that have expressed an interest in and are considered eligible under the programme.
The group referred to by the Deputy was advised last week by the Department that Pobal will be in contact with them to progress their proposal. The group will be required to work with Pobal to undertake an in-depth business planning process to determine the overall suitability and the resource requirements of their proposal in line with CSP criteria. Pobal is contracted by the Department to undertake the financial and contract management for the CSP. A decision on the proposal by the group cannot be made until this process is complete.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
38. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection regarding the evaluation of JobBridge, promised in September 2016, his plans for replacing JobBridge with more targeted schemes aimed at specific groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28734/16]
View answer44. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to replace the JobBridge scheme; the procedures in place to ensure the mistakes made with respect to the JobBridge scheme will not be repeated and that participants are not forced into unsuitable and inappropriate employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28745/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 44 together.
Since its introduction in 2011, JobBridge has encouraged over 19,000 mainly small employers to provide work experience opportunities to over 48,000 jobseekers. Participation is entirely voluntary; there is no obligation on jobseekers to look for, or take up a JobBridge internship and jobseeker payments are not conditional on participation in JobBridge.
An independent evaluation of the scheme published in 2013 found that over 60% of participants progressed into paid employment within a short period of completing their internship. This suggests that JobBridge has been instrumental in helping about 30,000 jobseekers to secure employment.
The scheme was introduced in response to the unprecedented collapse in the economy, particularly the sharp increase in unemployment. I have already announced that I plan to replace JobBridge in response to criticisms of the scheme and the much improved economic and labour market conditions.
It is important that the design of any new scheme be informed by the best available evidence. That is why I intend to wait for the results of the second large-scale evaluation of JobBridge by Indecon and London Economics before finalising the design of any replacement scheme.
I also asked the Labour Market Council for its views. The Labour Market Council includes representatives from the INOU, ICTU and IBEC.
Indecon is currently finalising its report on JobBridge. The Labour Market Council has met with Indecon on a number of occasions and will also submit its observations and proposals.
I expect to receive the final version of the Indecon report within the next two weeks and will publish the report, together with the Labour Market Council observations and my own proposals very shortly thereafter.
39. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on whether it is appropriate that corporate trustees and trustees can withhold additional benefits to members of occupational pension schemes while securing indemnities for their personal well-being as the assets of the scheme deteriorate; his plans to deal with pension governance in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28778/16]
View answerAll dealings and decisions made by corporate or individual trustees of an occupational pension scheme are governed by legislation and enforced through the supervision of the Pension Authority.
Legislation together with the trust deed and scheme rules sets out the trustees’ duties and responsibilities. Trustees of pension schemes must act in the best financial interests of the scheme members and must serve all beneficiaries of the scheme impartially. If there is a conflict of interest then a person’s duty as a trustee must take precedence over other interests.
The rules governing the role of a trustee member are constantly being enhanced. The Pensions Authority is presently carrying out a public consultation process on proposals to impose higher standards for trustees. The transposition of the new EU Directive IORPS II within the next two years will further advance the duties and supervision of trustees.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
40. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider reversing the changes made to farm assist with respect to income disregards, in view of the fact it has had a serious negative effect on the income levels of already struggling farming families; if he will carry out an analysis to assess the impact the changes have made on those families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28740/16]
View answerThe farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2016 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €85 million on the farm assist scheme.
Changes introduced in Budgets 2012 and 2013 were introduced to the farm assist scheme, which increased the assessment of means from 70% to 100%. Consequently as a result of this change recipients with higher means faced a reduction in their farm assist payments. However, farm families with the lowest income were least impacted by these changes as the headline rates of farm assist were maintained.
Farm assist customers can continue to benefit from payments received under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme, the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme or the National Parks and Wildlife Service Farm Plan Scheme as they are assessed separately from other farm income. Farm Assist remains a flexible payment and any farmer experiencing lower levels of income or cash-flow issues, due for example to bad weather, can ask his/her local INTREO office to review the level of means applying to his/her claim.
The Programme for Government contains the commitment to undertake a "Review of the Farm Assist Scheme, recognising the challenges facing farmers on low incomes". This review has now been completed and will inform any changes to the farm assist scheme. Any changes will be considered in the context of Budget 2017 subject to the overall budgetary context.
41. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the rule whereby jobseekers need to have been signing on for three years to qualify for more than 12 months on a community employment scheme, in view of the important community functions performed by community employment participants and the need for further time for retraining of these workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28743/16]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) forms an important pillar in the strategy to assist long-term unemployed people return to the open labour market. It does this through the provision of opportunities within local communities to gain work experience and training qualifications, while at the same time, supporting the delivery of important services to communities.
The current eligibility criteria for the programme have been expanded over the years. The criteria have been set to specifically target certain groups for the programme. The basic eligibility requirement is that a person must be currently in receipt of a CE-qualifying payment from my Department for the requisite period of time, for example, jobseeker’s allowance for a minimum period of twelve months.
In general participants can avail of 12 months' participation on CE. Lifetime cumulative participation on CE by an individual is limited to 3 years (156 weeks) for persons under 55 years of age and 6 years (312 weeks) for persons of 55 years of age up to and including 65 years of age. Eligible persons in receipt of a qualifying disability-linked social welfare payment are eligible for one additional year on CE over the standard maximum participation caps.
There are no plans to change the above rules as this would result in a reduction in throughput from the scheme, thereby reducing the overall number of CE beneficiaries per year.
The eligibility criteria for CE places is kept under on-going review to ensure they are effective in targeting long-term unemployed jobseekers and other specific disadvantaged groups. My Department is committed to continuing to enhance the effectiveness of the CE Programme and is conscious of the valuable contribution it is making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland.
As you might be aware a review of CE schemes was conducted by the Department. I met with my Senior Officials who have responsibility for CE schemes at the end of August to discuss the findings of this review. It is hoped that I will be in a position to bring a memo to Government by the end of the year.
42. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the establishment of a universal single-tier State pension rather than the existing two-tier structure, which gives a lower rate for those who have been out of work caring for family members or in training for a longer period in their working life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28794/16]
View answer46. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the establishment of a universal single-tier State pension rather than the existing two-tier structure, which gives a lower rate for those who have been out of work caring for family members or in training for a longer period in their working life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28788/16]
View answerI propose to take Question Nos. 42 and 46 together.
The 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.
One of the conditions of the State pension contributory is that a person needs a minimum of 520 weekly contributions (i.e. 10 years) paid since entering insurable employment. If a person does not have this minimum number of contributions paid, they will not generally have an entitlement to this particular pension, either at a full or reduced rate. Since 1961, when contributory pensions were introduced, the average contributions test has been used in calculating the rate of pension entitlement. Entitlement is banded, with the maximum rate payable to those with a yearly average of 48-52 contributions, and the minimum rate payable to those with a yearly average in the range of 10-14 contributions per year. Even if someone has only 10 years (520 weeks) of paid reckonable contributions between their 16th and 66th birthdays, they would generally qualify for a State pension (contributory), although the rate payable would vary depending on their circumstances, and may not always be their most advantageous payment to claim.
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.
There are a number of reasons why someone might not have sufficient contributions paid to qualify for a State pension (contributory). Some would have been employed in the public service for a significant period, others would have worked abroad during their working life and qualified for a foreign pension based on foreign contributions, and some would have spent significant periods out of the labour force altogether for a number of reasons, e.g., caring for children or elderly relatives, prolonged periods of unemployment or incapacity and other circumstances.
Where people who were unattached to the labour market during most of their adult lives cannot qualify for a contributory pension in their own right as they have paid few or no contributions, or cannot qualify for a full rate as a result of an intermittent PRSI record, the social protection system provides alternative methods of supporting such pensioners in old age. Therefore, 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.
There are no plans to abolish either the State pension (contributory), or the State pension (non-contributory), as both are very effective in ensuring that older people have a decent standard of living. In addition, workers who pay PRSI over their working lives receive a benefit which allows them make further provision for their retirement without losing that benefit via a means test.
Work is underway to replace the ‘yearly average’ system with a ‘total contributions approach’. Under this approach, the number of contributions recorded over a working life will be more closely reflected in the rate of pension payment received. The position of gender and gaps in contribution records will be considered very carefully in developing these proposals. 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 around 2020. This is a very significant reform with considerable legal, administrative, and technical components to be put in place prior its implementation.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
43. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the processing times and criteria for persons availing of community employment schemes and Tús as a matter of urgency. [28796/16]
View answerParticipants for Tús are selected by my Department from those in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment for 12 months or more. They are informed that they have been selected for the programme and their contact details are sent to the relevant Implementing Body. To further support the recruitment process, the Department has put arrangements in place for jobseekers meeting the criteria to apply to the Department for participation on Tús. In such cases, Departmental case officers nominate suitable candidates for recruitment.
The eligibility criteria for Tús are in line with the Government’s policies to focus resources on maintaining the work readiness and employability of jobseekers on the Live Register. In order to maintain this focus, persons who are not in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment are not eligible for selection for the Tús programme.
The current eligibility criteria for the CE programme have been expanded over the years. The basic eligibility requirement is that a person must be currently in receipt of a CE-qualifying payment from my Department for the requisite period of time, for example jobseeker’s allowance, for a minimum period of twelve months. Recent changes to the eligibility criteria for CE include the reduction in the entry age for CE participants working directly with service users in the childcare sector and social/healthcare sector to 21 years of age. The standard minimum entry age for CE is 25 years of age. The eligibility criteria for participants aged 62 and over have also been eased in terms of the maximum duration they can remain on the programme, subject to certain conditions.
The eligibility criteria for both the CE and Tús programmes are kept under review to ensure that they remains fit for purpose and that there is the maximum utilisation of places.
If there is a specific issue with regard to the processing time of an application for a work scheme, the matter should be raised with the local Intreo/DSP Office. Intreo is the single point of contact in my Department for all employment programmes and income supports and it is designed to provide a more streamlined and efficient approach for jobseekers engaging with the Department.
As you might be aware a review of CE schemes was conducted by the Department. I met with my Senior Officials who have responsibility for CE schemes at the end of August to discuss the findings of this review. It is hoped that I will be in a position to bring a memo to Government by the end of the year.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
45. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the impact on the income of families of the policy of stopping child benefit payments for schoolgoing children aged between 16 to 18 years of age for July and August and reinstating and backdating the payment for the two months when the child returns to school with a letter of confirmation that the child is attending school in the next term. [23043/16]
View answerChild Benefit is a universal payment to help families with the cost of raising children. It does not rely on a means test or social insurance contributions and is paid to the parents of qualified children up to the age of 16 years. For older children aged 16 and 17 years, child benefit is payable subject to a declaration from a parent, signed by their school, that their child is in full time education or that they have a disability.
The Department accepts that parents may have a difficulty getting schools to certify attendance during July and August, when schools are closed. While some parents may experience an issue with the timing of their payment over the summer period, there is no impact on the overall family income as payments are processed promptly on receipt of the certification and all arrears are paid in a timely manner.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
