Written Answers Nos. 177-189
177. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons claiming a widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s - non contributory pension - in 2015 and 2016; the number of women claimants in 2015 and 2016; the total amount paid in 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15862/17]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy in relation to expenditure for this scheme is detailed in the following tabular statement.
I regret that it is not currently possible to supply the requested breakdown of recipients.
Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partners Non Contributory Pension total expenditure at 31 December in each of the years 2015 and 2016
|
2015 |
2016 |
|
|
Scheme |
Expenditure - €000 |
Expenditure €000 (Provisional) |
|
Widow’s, Widower’s and Surviving Civil Partner’s Non- Contributory Pension |
15,865 |
14,557 |
178. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of widows, widowers and surviving civil partners claiming the one parent family payment in 2015 and 2016; the number of female claimants who are widows and surviving civil partners in 2015 and 2016; the total paid in one parent family payment in 2015 and 2016; the total paid in one parent family payments to widows, widowers and surviving civil partners in 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15863/17]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy (where available) is detailed in the following tabular statement.
Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partners claiming One-Parent Family Payment
|
2015 |
2016 |
|||||
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
|
Recipients on 31 December |
25 |
207 |
235 |
35 |
211 |
246 |
One-Parent Family Payment Expenditure
|
2015 |
2016 |
|
|
Total Expenditure (€000) |
670,564 |
500,699 |
179. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons receiving a death benefit in 2015 and 2016; the total paid in death benefits in 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15864/17]
View answerDeath benefit is one of the benefits payable under the occupational injuries benefit scheme. It is payable in the form of a pension to the widow, widower, surviving civil partner or orphan of an insured person who dies as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease or where the immediately before death, the deceased was in receipt of a disablement pension due to the loss of 50% or more of their physical or mental faculty.
A funeral grant is also payable to the next-of-kin.
The deceased must have been in insurable employment at the time of the accident or the disease which caused their death.
In 2015 expenditure was €8.2m in paying 655 death benefit pensions. This increased to 711 at the end of 2016 with an estimated expenditure of €8.3m.
180. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons claiming the widowed or surviving civil partner grant in 2015 and 2016; the number of these persons in 2015 and 2016 who were women; the total paid in widowed or surviving civil partner grant in 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15865/17]
View answerThe number of Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant recipients for 2015 and 2016, together with the scheme expenditure, is set out in the following table.
|
Recipients |
||||
|
Year |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Expenditure €000 |
|
2015 |
296 |
752 |
1,048 |
5,771 |
|
2016 |
328 |
695 |
1,023 |
5,693* |
* Provisional figure
The Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant www.welfare.ie. is a once-off payment to widows, widowers or surviving civil partners with dependent children. Full details of the scheme and the qualifying conditions are available on the Departments website
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
181. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which a secure and reliable procedure for deduction at source of social protection payment can be effected to facilitate a building society (details supplied) in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15906/17]
View answerMy Department has advised me that the person in question is currently getting their social welfare payment directly into their building society account, so it should be possible for them to set up a direct debit facility with the building society in question (details provided).
With the exception of the Personal Micro Credit scheme the Department does not facilitate direct deductions from welfare payments for remittance to lenders. The aim of the Personal Micro Credit scheme is to move people away from the use of high cost moneylenders to provide an alternative, legitimate, and low cost personal loan scheme.
The Personal Micro Credit Scheme is offered to eligible applicants through their local credit union. Loans under the Personal Micro Credit scheme, known as It Makes Sense loans, range in value from €100 to a maximum of €2,000, and have a maximum interest rate of 12% per annum.
For applicants who receive their social welfare payment in cash (via a post office), the loan repayment must be made through the Household Budgeting facility, operated by An Post. For those who receive social welfare electronically (into an account in a financial institution), repayment must be made by standing order or direct debit, directly from the account into which their social welfare payment is made.
As Personal Micro Credit loans are only available from participating credit unions, it would not be possible for the person (details provided) to apply for their building society loan to be included.
182. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the determination of eligibility in respect of an application for constant attendant allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15910/17]
View answerDisablement benefit is one of the benefits payable under the occupational injuries benefit scheme to an insured person who suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease. The person must have been in insurable employment at the time of the accident or the disease was contracted.
Disablement benefit when awarded, may be payable in the form of a gratuity or a pension.
A disablement pensioner who has lost 50% or more of their physical or mental faculty can receive an increase in their pension, where they are so seriously disabled as a result of their occupational injury or diseases that they need someone (a relative or some other person) to help them daily at home to attend to their personal needs for a period of at least 6 months.
This increase is known as a constant attendance allowance (CAA).
A decision on entitlement to the allowance is made with the advice of one of the Department`s medical advisors.
The person concerned was awarded a Disablement pension from 13 December 1985 and applied for CAA in January 2017. The application for CAA has been refused on the grounds that she is not so seriously disabled as a result of her occupational injury that she needs someone to help her daily at home to attend to her personal needs for a period of at least 6 months.
The person concerned was notified on 28 March 2017 of this decision and her right of appeal to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
183. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) who has applied for rent support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15920/17]
View answerThe Rent Supplement application for the client concerned was disallowed on the grounds that she failed to provide relevant documentation that was required in order to establish an entitlement to Rent Supplement.
The client has been advised of her right to appeal this decision, should she wish to do so.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
184. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify the way in which it transpires that a person (details supplied) is in receipt of a reduced level of payment in respect of their jobseeker's allowance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15921/17]
View answerThe person concerned is in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance payment which comprises a full personal rate, an adult dependent rate and a dependent child rate for 3 dependent children who qualify for payment under the provisions of the schemes. Additionally the person concerned is in receipt of a fuel allowance. The person concerned has 2 other children who do not qualify as dependent children under the terms of the scheme. One aged 24 is currently in receipt of a Back to Education payment and the other aged 22 has no pending application with the Department.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. If you require any further assistance with this query please do not hesitate to contact Philip in my office who will assist.
185. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to implement changes to the State contributory pension criteria to ensure that persons who had a break in their insurance contribution records while in receipt of farm assist due to periods of low farm income are not deprived of full State contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15944/17]
View answerThe farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to provide income support for low income farmers. It replaced the former smallholders’ unemployment assistance payment. In line with the then existing arrangements for unemployment assistance (including smallholders) and pre-retirement allowance, the income of farm assist recipients was exempt from class S PRSI for self-employed workers.
Recipients of farm assist who had previously paid Class S social insurance had the option of paying voluntary contributions to maintain their social insurance record, provided they satisfied the qualifying conditions. Since 1st January 2007, the exemption from class S PRSI has been removed and those receiving jobseeker’s allowance and farm assist are subject to Class S PRSI as self-employed contributors on their self-employed income, provided their annual income is €5,000 or more.
I have no plans to amend legislation regarding the State pension (contributory), to award a maximum rate payment to pensioners who had such a period during 1999-2006 when they were exempt from PRSI.
However, a person aged over 66 with limited PRSI contributions over the course of their life may claim a State pension (non-contributory) if they have an income need, and this entitlement is not based on payment of social insurance contributions. The maximum weekly rate is €227, i.e. over 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate. While it is means-tested, there are very significant disregards which are to the benefit of claimants, and over 70% of such pensioners are paid at the full rate.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
186. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection if social welfare payments that are due to persons who are placed on temporary layoff by their employer (details supplied) in County Kildare can be expedited, in view of the fact there are 14 employees involved and they have not received any social protection payments to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15978/17]
View answerThe claims in question are being dealt with by Newbridge Intreo Centre. There have been some delays in claim processing recently due to high demand but it is expected that claims for the customers concerned will be processed this week.
All customers are advised of their right to apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance, as an interim payment, while they await a decision on their jobseekers claims.
187. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason there is no independent appeals mechanism available, such as the social welfare appeals officer, when a decision is being reviewed by his Department rather than through the independent appeals process, in the situation where a person is being reviewed in terms of their entitlement to illness benefit credit contributions and his Department decides that they are not so entitled to credit contributions on the grounds that the person is not incapable of work; if this is the situation which prevails in respect of the determination of eligibility for this particular contribution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15981/17]
View answerThe Social Welfare Acts provide that certain decisions under the Acts must be taken by Deciding Officers or Designated Persons nominated by the Minister for that purpose. These decisions may be appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
Other decisions (mainly administrative decisions) do not require a formal decision by a Deciding Officer or Designated Person. The award of credits falls into this category.
Accordingly, there is no legal basis for appealing these cases to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
However, there are other avenues which can be pursued in such cases, such as a request for a review by another official, or a request to the Ombudsman to examine the case.
I trust that this explains the matter for the Deputy.
188. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied) will be adjudicated upon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15982/17]
View answerThis man has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 15 February 2017. The first payment will be made by his chosen payment method on 19 April 2017.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments or in respect of outstanding overpayments (if applicable).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
189. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is only getting a part payment on their social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15984/17]
View answerThe person concerned was awarded Jobseekers Allowance from 20th March, 2017. The rate of payment of Jobseekers Allowance is age-related and therefore the customer is currently receiving the maximum rate payable to claimants in 18 to 24 years age range.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
