Written Answers Nos 45-64
45. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to centralise the provision of insurance for community employment schemes within his Department to reduce the costs for sponsors and schemes. [25841/17]
View answer97. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to improve supports for the sponsors of community employment schemes; his further plans to increase the materials budget for community employment schemes, in view of rising insurance and other costs; and the way in which he plans to address cashflow issues for schemes. [25838/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 97 together.
The annual budget provided to Community Employment (CE) schemes includes an amount to cover consumable services and materials, including insurance, necessary for the effective operation of the project.
My Department has become aware in recent times of an increase in insurance premiums for CE schemes. The main reasons cited for this is an increase in claims frequency over recent years by such schemes. In the first instance, my Department recommends that schemes seek alternative quotes to ensure they get value for money. In this context, schemes are asked to be especially mindful of their obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
The responsibility for insurance for CE schemes rests with the CE sponsoring organisation (the legal employer). The CE Sponsor is responsible for ensuring that all relevant health and safety requirements are adhered to.
Each CE sponsoring body is an independent contractor for all purposes and, in these circumstances, it is not possible for the Department to become an insurance agent for all schemes.
Insurance premium costs are reimbursed from the CE materials budget for the scheme. While the Department is not in a position to allocate additional monies to the materials budget in 2017, if there is a scheme experiencing particular difficulties, the sponsor should contact their local DSP office and the matter will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The capacity to provide for any general increase in the materials budget will be examined as part of the annual budgetary process.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
47. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if he was referring to persons who rely on social transfers from his Department to keep them out of poverty when he referred to those who contribute nothing and want everything free. [25931/17]
View answerNo, I was not. I firmly believe that people and families know how best to organise their own lives and make decisions for themselves and I also believe that the role of the State should be to offer a helping hand to those people and families that need it.
That is why I want the social protection system and anti-poverty policies to focus on improving and extending existing contributory benefits such as parental leave. It is why I want a strong social insurance system and the contributory principle underpinning it so that employees and self-employed people who pay in through PRSI and in return receive benefits when they need them and that everyone who contributes benefits, for example, during periods of unemployment or illness, maternity/paternity, on retirement or if a person pre-deceases their dependents. That is why I want to reduce consistent poverty rates to pre-crisis levels and then lower. I want to do the same for child poverty.
To achieve these objectives will require a holistic set of actions comprising employment opportunities, education, wages, welfare and affordable access to public services. In this respect my Department will focus on policies such as: supporting all families in areas such as extending maternity and paternity leave and will allow couples to share it; helping to restore free education in our schools by increasing the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance; and alongside the implementation of the Action Plan for Education, provide subsidised school books/tablets to all children and extend the School Breakfast Programme to more schools every year
48. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied with the operation of the JobPath scheme, including the costs involved in the operation of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25762/17]
View answerThe JobPath model has a number of key features which enables my Department to monitor the service provider’s performance and ensure contract compliance.
Every participant is provided with a service guarantee - a baseline level of service covering frequency of engagement, personal progression planning, geographic accessibility and in-employment support.
The service providers are subject to regular audits and inspections. In addition my Department will commission independent customer satisfaction surveys to ensure that services are being delivered satisfactorily.
The first JobPath performance report, which includes the results of the first customer satisfaction survey, was published earlier this year and is available on the department’s website.
Regular on-site checks and inspections are carried out to ensure that JobPath is delivered in accordance with the contract. To date, 33 on-site inspections have been carried out at provider service delivery locations around the country, 18 to Turas Nua and 15 to Seetec locations.
The inspections monitor compliance with the service level agreement and the contract generally, including the suitability and standard of accommodation, staffing levels, customer service and customer feedback. Inspections may be notified or un-notified and will be conducted for the duration of the JobPath contract.
In relation to the cost of the service, the service is being delivered through a payment by results model. This is an important safeguard in itself, as the payment model is based on sustained employment outcomes benefitting individual Jobseekers. In addition the model has been designed so that job sustainment fees are only payable were a client of the service ceases to be entitled to claim a jobseekers related payment - during the period of employment. There is therefore an associated saving with regard to jobseeker related income supports and any employment outcomes fees paid.
Through the service jobseekers have access to a personal adviser (PA) who works with them over two phases. During the first phase, of 12 months duration, the PA provides practical assistance in searching, preparing for, securing and sustaining employment. The second phase starts if the jobseeker is successful in finding work. During this phase the personal; advisor continues to work with the jobseeker for a further period of at least three months, and up to 12 months. It will take time therefore to accumulate a sufficient number of clients (who have completed their engagement period) for complete and robust outcome data to be available: with this in mind it is intended to commence an econometric evaluation of the service at the end of 2017.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
49. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he is taking to improve the processing time of applications for domiciliary care allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25938/17]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) claims that require medical and other supporting documentation can take some time to properly assess, particularly as the opinion of one of the department’s medical assessor’s is routinely required.
Increasing numbers applying for DCA have been a feature of this scheme in recent years. In the 4 year period from 2013 to 2016 the number of applications has increased by 54%, from under 5,000 to almost 7,500 per annum.
In addition to the increased volumes, there has recently also been a significant increase in the complexity and length of time required to process applications. This has been impacted by a High Court ruling, following a legal challenge by an unsuccessful applicant, which places a greater onus on the deciding officer to provide the applicant with more detail of the reasoning used in coming to their decision.
This requirement combined with increased application volumes, which show no sign of diminishing, has impacted negatively on processing times, which currently average 16 weeks. In April 2017, 53% of applications were processed within the 15 week target.
Staffing levels in the scheme are kept under continuous review to ensure the best use of available resources.
50. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will reverse the lower rate of jobseeker's payments for young persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25951/17]
View answer51. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is considering reversing previous cuts to young persons jobseeker's allowance in the upcoming budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26042/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together.
In line with other EU and OECD jurisdictions where such measures feature, reduced rates for younger jobseeker’s allowance recipients were first introduced in 2009 and extended to those under 26 in Budget 2014.
These measures were introduced to protect young people from welfare dependency by providing young jobseekers with a strong financial incentive to engage in education or training or to take up employment.
Should a young jobseeker on a reduced jobseeker’s allowance payment participate on an education or training programme they will receive a higher weekly payment of €160. This rate will be further increased to €193 per week from September 2017. With effect from March 2017, rates of jobseeker’s payments were increased for claimants of all ages as a result of measures I introduced in Budget 2017.
The CSO’s latest monthly unemployment figures report that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for persons aged 15-24 years was 12.9% in April 2017. This is a significant decrease of over 5 percentage points, from 18% in April 2016.
I am committed to ensuring my Department identifies effective measures to incentivise and support young people in finding and securing sustainable jobs. The best way to do this is through engagement processes and by incentivising them to avail of educational and training opportunities, thereby enhancing their employment prospects.
I have no plans for any further increases in rates at present. Any such changes could only be considered in a budgetary context.
52. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the cost of the welfare fraud campaign his Department is engaged in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25950/17]
View answer59. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the full cost of his high profile advertising campaign against fraud in social protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25953/17]
View answer60. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will justify the expenditure on the advertising campaign against social welfare fraud in view of the resources available to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26039/17]
View answer78. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the overall estimated savings from his social welfare fraud campaign for 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25897/17]
View answer93. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of the ongoing campaign to tackle welfare fraud; if the 12 staff members he referred to in his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 254 of 16 May 2017 work solely on the social welfare fraud campaign; if he has satisfied himself that the resources dedicated to this campaign represent an effective use of public funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25936/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 52, 59, 60, 78 and 93 together.
The Department administers over 70 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. In 2016, some 1.7 million applications for benefit, assistance and access to schemes were received and processed and over 82 million individual payments were made to people across all age groups and to employers. Measures to prevent and detect fraud and enhance controls across the Department’s various schemes are set out in the Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy which covers the period 2014 – 2018.
The recent fraud campaign was designed to:
- Promote discussion on the topic of social welfare fraud;
- Encourage reporting of suspected/known social welfare fraud;
- Demonstrate that the Government and Department takes the issue of social welfare fraud very seriously; and
- Inform the wider community of the obligations on my Department to protect the integrity of the social welfare system.
The national and regional radio, print and outdoor advertising ran for a period of two weeks, with a longer timeframe of 4 to 6 weeks for digital/online advertising. The cost of the advertising campaign is €165,988 excluding VAT.
My Department did not incur any additional staffing costs arising from the campaign as staff were already in place and dedicated to control and anti-fraud work. I am very satisfied that the campaign has been effective in raising the discussion around this topic and was cost effective, as evidenced by the public support for it. In that context, it should be noted that since the launch of the campaign on 18 April last, 3,377 reports had been received from members of the public. This compares with 2,034 reports received for the same period in 2016, an increase of over 66%. These reports will be examined over the coming weeks and referred to the relevant scheme areas for appropriate follow-up action where this is warranted.
The Department has set no specific savings targets for this campaign. An overall savings target of €510 million has been set for 2017 and additional reporting from members of the public will support the Department in achieving this target.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
53. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount owed to the social insurance fund; the efforts made by his Department to collect moneys owed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25716/17]
View answerAt 31 December 2016, the total amount owed to the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) was €459 million in employer debt and €89 million in customer debt. These figures are provisional pending finalisation of the SIF Financial Statements.
Employers pay into the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) at a rate of up to 10.75% of employee salaries. This payment is designed to contribute to the cost of benefits paid out of the social insurance fund. One of the benefits funded by the SIF is the provision of redundancy and insolvency-related payments in circumstances where the employer making the redundancies is unable to fund these payments itself; in the majority of cases, because the employer concerned is insolvent. In this way the payments made into the SIF by employers help to protect the interests of workers when any individual employer cannot meet its obligations under law to pay salary arrears and redundancy settlements to employees who lose their jobs.
Notwithstanding that payments out of the SIF are properly made in accordance with this insurance principle, the Department pursues recovery of the amounts paid. The balance of any funds paid out but not recovered is recorded and disclosed as a debt in the financial accounts of the SIF. A dedicated debt management unit is responsible for recovering as much debt as possible in line with the Department’s debt management policy. The unit seeks repayment of debt either directly from the employer (typically by means of an agreed repayment schedule) or from any liquidator that may be appointed to wind up the affairs on an insolvent business. The unit has a staff of six (5.1 full-time equivalents) and operating costs of just over €300,000. A total of €10.7 million in funds paid out of the SIF to cover redundancy related payments was recovered by the Department in 2016 (provisional figure).
The majority of employer debt relates to companies which are insolvent. In these cases, recovery of debt is pursued with liquidators through the liquidation process. The Minister for Social Protection is a preferential creditor, along with the Revenue Commissioners.
In cases where employers are not insolvent and are still trading the Department is mindful that an overly aggressive process in pursuing debt with companies that are still trading, but are nevertheless in a financially precarious position, might result in those companies being pushed into an insolvency situation which could result in further job losses. Accordingly the unit engages with employers to establish the situation on a case by case basis and seeks to recover debt on a mutually agreed basis, including setting up repayment by instalment where appropriate.
With regard to the general customer debt of €89m the Department’s policy is to pursue the recovery of all sums overpaid. This is done to discourage wrongful and fraudulent claiming, to ensure that legislative provisions are enforced, particularly those relating to the proper management of the SIF, and lessening the burden on the Exchequer.
The Department raised overpayments due to the SIF in 2016 of €15.6 million and the value of recoveries of sums overpaid, in respect of 2016 and prior years, was €14 million.
54. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 161 and 162 of 17 May 2017, if he will report on the status of maternity benefit applications and the delays there are. [25949/17]
View answer76. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he is taking to ease the backlog of claims for maternity benefit; the current waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25968/17]
View answer83. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in the payment of maternity benefit payments; the number of outstanding payments; the time these persons have been waiting for payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25972/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 54, 76 and 83 together.
Maternity benefit is a payment made to women who are on maternity leave from work and are covered by social insurance (PRSI).
It is a payment for employed and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions.
Some 45,000 maternity benefit claims were processed last year and a similar number is expected in 2017. The rate of maternity benefit was increased to €235 in the 2017 Budget and allowances for dependent adults and children are available to those who qualify.
Maternity benefit section is currently experiencing some difficulty with processing all claims in advance of their maternity leave commencement date. Corrective actions have been taken and progress is being made. However, there are still a number of mothers that will receive their first payment up to 3 to 4 weeks after they commence their maternity leave. The number has reduced to 700 at 29 May, down from 1,100 based on a count at 22 May.
Staff are being recruited to bring the complement up to cadre. Staff have also been moved from other areas in Buncrana and Letterkenny, including the Intreo centres, to work on processing maternity claims on a temporary basis. Information section in Sligo is handling phone calls for the section, freeing up maternity benefit staff for claim processing work. Staff have also been working overtime, including Saturdays, to ensure as many claims as possible get processed and paid by their commencement date.
Once a claim is awarded, any arrears payments due issue immediately along with the first payment. Where a claim is made online, it is decided immediately providing that the conditions are met and the necessary documentation is attached. Efforts continue to be made to promote online applications and I would ask the Deputies to encourage expectant mothers to avail of this facility.
The focus remains on ensuring that all claims are processed as quickly as possible.
55. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the decision by his Department to write off moneys owed by employers under the insolvency and redundancy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26041/17]
View answer98. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the write-off by his Department of moneys owed by employers under the redundancy and insolvency schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26007/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 98 together.
Employers pay into the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) at a rate of up to 10.75% of employee salaries. This payment is designed to contribute to the cost of benefits paid out of the social insurance fund.
One of the benefits funded by the SIF is the provision of redundancy related payments in circumstances where the employer making the redundancies is unable to fund these payments itself – in the majority of cases because the employer concerned is insolvent.
In this way the payments made into the SIF by all employers help to protect the interests of workers when any individual employer cannot meet its obligations under law to pay salary arrears and redundancy settlements to employees who lose their jobs.
Notwithstanding that payments out of the SIF are properly made in accordance with this insurance principle the Department pursues recovery of the amounts paid. The Department has a dedicated debt management unit which has responsibility for recovering as much as possible of the amount paid out in redundancy related payments. It does this through raising a debt against the employer concerned and then seeking payment of this debt either directly from the employer (typically by means of an agreed repayment schedule) or from any liquidator that may be appointed to wind up the affairs on an insolvent business. A total of €10.7 million in employer debt was recovered by the Department in 2016 (provisional figure).
The majority of debt relates to companies which are insolvent. The total employer debt to the SIF at 31 December, 2016 stood at €459 million (provisional figure). Almost two-thirds of the debt originated during the recession years of 2008 to 2013 and three-quarters of current outstanding employer debt is in respect of insolvent companies, i.e. companies which are no longer trading. In company insolvencies, the Minister for Social Protection is a preferential creditor, along with the Revenue Commissioners. The amount recoverable depends on a funds being generated during the liquidation process. Given these circumstances, the Department estimates that up to 90 per cent of employer debt is unlikely to be recoverable..
The process of debt write-offs is part of the proper management of debt and allows resources to be targeted at debts which have a greater chance of recovery. Debt is written-off at the conclusion of the liquidation process – a process that can take up to seven years and only takes place where the Department has completed all appropriate checks and is completely satisfied that the debt is not recoverable. Debt write-offs are carried out under delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Following a recommendation from the Comptroller and Auditor General, a comprehensive review of employer debt to the SIF was completed in 2016. This resulted in a cumulative write-off of €95 million in the SIF financial statements for 2014 to 2016.
The Department is currently reviewing its employer debt policy and practices, taking into account the best practice guide for collection of debt by public bodies published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in January 2017.
The following table outlines employer debt, recoveries and write-offs for the years 2011 – 2016:
|
Redundancy & Insolvency Payments Scheme |
||||||
|
2011* |
2012* |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016** |
|
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
|
Payments (debt incurred) |
87.1 |
117.3 |
98.65 |
82.1 |
40.9 |
38.3 |
|
Recoveries |
3.78 |
5.89 |
7 |
10.2 |
7.4 |
10.7 |
|
Amount written-off |
8.9 |
0 |
24.2 |
63.5 |
18.7 |
12.8 |
These figures are taken from the published SIF Financial Statements.
* The figures for 2011 and 2012 were revised following a review of employer debt.
** 2016 figures are provisional, pending finalisation of the SIF Financial Statements.
56. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will reverse the changes to the eligibility criteria to the State (contributory) pension which was introduced in 2012, which is extremely discriminatory against women, in particular. [25893/17]
View answerEach year more people are living to pension age and living longer in retirement. As a result of this demographic change, the number of State pension recipients is increasing year on year. This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision, and demographic change alone is expected to increase spending on pensions by over €220 million this year, not including the impact of rate increases.
The current rate bands applying to the State pension (contributory) were introduced from September 2012, replacing previous rates introduced in 2000. These rate bands more accurately reflect the social insurance contributions history of a person.
It is estimated that to revert to the previous bands would cost at least €60 million in 2018, and this annual cost would increase by an estimated €10 million each following year. The main beneficiaries from such a decision would be better off pensioners who do not qualify for means-tested pension payments, and who did not make sufficient contributions into the Social Insurance Fund to qualify for a full rate contributory pension.
Prior to the introduction of the current rate bands, a person reaching retirement age with a yearly average of 47 contributions (out of a maximum of 52) qualified for the same rate of payment as someone with a yearly average of 20 contributions, despite their much more significant PRSI contribution record, and regardless of their means. A person with 52 weeks of contributions paid every year of their working life received a weekly State pension of only €4.50 more than someone with a yearly average of 20 PRSI contributions. amounting up to 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate. The rate of payment does not include rent allowance, household benefits or fuel allowance, which would be additional payments where applicable.
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. 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. The rate of payment does not include rent allowance, household benefits or fuel allowance, which would be additional payments where applicable.
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 redistributive nature of the Fund.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
57. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the actions his Department has taken in response to concerns raised by MABS and CIS regarding restructuring plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25895/17]
View answerIn February, the Board of Citizens Information Board (CIB) decided the new governance arrangements for local service delivery would comprise of sixteen boards, eight Citizens Information Services (CIS) and 8 Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS).
Before making its final decision, CIB had engaged in an extensive and comprehensive consultation process, involving service delivery companies and representative organisations and groups. This included representative groups having audiences with the Board itself.
In recent months, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection held hearings and received submissions from the various stakeholders, and issued a draft report. Cognisant of the various concerns expressed to the Committee, CIB undertook a series of regional consultations with stakeholders throughout May, to discuss and examine key aspects of implementing the new sixteen board model.
These sessions were attended by 127 representatives of local company Boards and 223 representatives of management, staff and volunteers of local services. Each session was chaired by an independent facilitator. Attendees had an opportunity to raise any concerns about service delivery under the new model. CIB reports that these engagements were well received and there was considerable support for the planned restructuring.
In addition, my Department understands that CIB intends to host further consultations over the summer months on key areas such as the role of volunteers, the delivery of consistent high quality services countrywide and the preservation of the fundamentally valuable local community focus and support ethos within the new model. CIB will also consider these findings in the development of its Volunteer Strategy.
CIB has established an Implementation Group, with cross-sectoral representation, to assist with the governance reorganisation and has committed to carry out a full Cost Benefit Analysis on the sixteen company model.
My Department is satisfied that CIB is making genuine efforts to allay the concerns of staff, boards and volunteers and is seeking to find ways to best embed the historically strong community ethos in the new governance structure.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
58. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Social Protection the average time it takes for a file to be sent from the carer's allowance section in Sligo to the social welfare appeals office in Dublin once the file has been requested by the latter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25766/17]
View answerCarer'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.
During 2016, the CA section which is based in my Department’s office in Longford, processed 31,881 applications. Each decision notice offered the recipient a right of review and appeal.
When a person appeals a decision, the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO), who are independent of the Department, send a notice of the appeal to the CA section requesting a statement from the deciding officer showing the extent to which the facts and contentions advanced by the appellant are admitted or disputed.
At that stage a different deciding officer reviews in full the original decision which is under appeal and any additional statement or evidence provided as part of the appeal. It is quite often the case that additional information and evidence is supplied by the appellant at this stage, which may require further investigation by a Social Welfare Inspector or Medical Assessor.
This review can take some time and can sometimes result in a revised decision by the deciding officer which means an appeal is no longer required. In 2016, 751 such cases were successful on review, resulting in the withdrawal of the appeal. In another 2,581 cases, the original decision was not revised and a statement on behalf of the deciding officer was sent to the SWAO to assist in their consideration of the appeal.
The average time taken between my Department receiving these requests from the SWAO and issuing the statements to the SWAO was 44 days; this figure includes time spent re-investigating and reviewing these cases.
Reducing this waiting time is a priority for my Department and we are working hard to make this happen. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that appeal processing capability is maximised.
61. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of rent supplement that are aged 18 to 24 years of age, by county, in each of the years 2014 to 2016, and to date in 2017; the measures he is taking with his colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to address recent reports of a 78% increase in homelessness in the 18 to 24 year old age group since 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25714/17]
View answerRent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting 43,700 recipients for which the Government has provided €253 million for in 2017. There are approximately 1,800 rent supplement recipients aged 18 to 24 years old. A breakdown of these young customers, on a county basis for the period 2014 to date, is provided in the table.
As part of Budget 2017, I announced a reduction in the minimum contribution for young people in receipt of rent supplement and reduced rates of weekly social welfare payment from January 2017. This measure provides for an increase in the weekly income of young people affected by up to €20 per week at a cost of €.5 million.
Support may also be provided to persons in receipt of rent supplement or HAP towards rent deposits or rent in advance, which is an important assistance to those on low incomes who are at risk of, or who are homeless. In 2016, my Department made some 2,800 payments of rent deposits/rent in advance at a cost of almost €1.8 million, of which some 460 payments were to young people aged 24 and under, at cost of over €293,000.
I can assure the Deputy that there is ongoing engagement between my Department and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in relation to ongoing supports for those in or facing homelessness, including the ongoing transfer of rent supplement recipients to the HAP scheme which is now available throughout the country.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
|
County |
Dec-14 |
Dec-15 |
Dec-16 |
Apr-17 |
|
CARLOW |
99 |
65 |
38 |
21 |
|
CAVAN |
42 |
44 |
49 |
31 |
|
CLARE |
112 |
49 |
21 |
11 |
|
CORK |
599 |
354 |
250 |
157 |
|
DONEGAL |
110 |
56 |
17 |
6 |
|
DUBLIN |
1,845 |
1,162 |
1,088 |
671 |
|
GALWAY |
283 |
197 |
145 |
89 |
|
KERRY |
143 |
112 |
120 |
74 |
|
KILDARE |
236 |
150 |
103 |
68 |
|
KILKENNY |
97 |
31 |
17 |
8 |
|
LAOIS |
96 |
75 |
84 |
43 |
|
LEITRIM |
20 |
24 |
23 |
12 |
|
LIMERICK |
218 |
74 |
67 |
55 |
|
LONGFORD |
39 |
27 |
27 |
12 |
|
LOUTH |
219 |
83 |
44 |
25 |
|
MAYO |
123 |
91 |
71 |
40 |
|
MEATH |
141 |
87 |
52 |
35 |
|
MONAGHAN |
23 |
9 |
5 |
3 |
|
OFFALY |
90 |
44 |
24 |
15 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
40 |
40 |
43 |
31 |
|
SLIGO |
42 |
33 |
20 |
9 |
|
TIPPERARY |
213 |
152 |
68 |
32 |
|
WATERFORD |
144 |
87 |
45 |
35 |
|
WESTMEATH |
132 |
99 |
103 |
57 |
|
WEXFORD |
261 |
201 |
204 |
137 |
|
WICKLOW |
162 |
125 |
144 |
99 |
|
Total |
5,529 |
3,471 |
2,872 |
1,776 |
Number of rent supplement Recipients Aged 18 – 24 from 2014 to April 2017
62. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason his Department is encouraging recipients of social welfare payments to become self-employed through the back to work enterprise allowance scheme, in view of the amount of bogus self-employment in the construction sector and the loss to the State related to the wrongful designation of workers (details supplied); and when he plans to cease this practice. [25976/17]
View answerThe Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme enables my Department to work with people who have found themselves dependent on the welfare system for various reasons but who have an idea or have identified an opportunity to start their own business. The participants on the scheme have evolved their enterprises and developed their ideas with the assistance of Departmental Case Officers and Enterprise Officers in a Local Development Company (LDC).
In 2016 a review of the BTWEA scheme was conducted. Overall, the review found that the scheme offers effective support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a useful role in supporting the development of new enterprises.
My Department plays an important role in encouraging people to consider self-employment. The LDCs also play a key role in supporting local communities and entrepreneurs to develop new business ideas and to enhance existing enterprises. Equally, the LEOs provide a range of complementary supports to people who want to start-up or grow a business. It is through these services working together with new businesses that the legitimacy and viability of a business is examined prior to approval for BTWEA.
Research demonstrated that the numbers returning from self-employment to the Live Register, after participating on the scheme, are low. Based on the comparison of the BTWEA participants to a control group of similar jobseekers who did not choose the scheme as an option, the BTWEA participant was over twice as likely to remain off the Live Register six months after the payments on the scheme had ceased. This trend continues when examined following an 18 month period after the payments ceasing.
The part played by the BTWEA in supporting the long-term unemployed and other welfare recipients to take up self-employment opportunities is significant. As the Deputy will appreciate, new small businesses and entrepreneurs play a vital role in economic development and new job growth.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
63. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend the widow’s pension to unmarried couples in certain circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25934/17]
View answer71. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to allow unmarried partners qualify for the widow's pension on the death of their partner in certain circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25899/17]
View answer92. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make the widow’s pension payable to unmarried couples in certain circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25894/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 71 and 92 together.
In order to qualify for a widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension, a person must satisfy certain social insurance conditions and be a widow, widower or (since 1 January 2011) a surviving civil partner, and not be in a cohabiting relationship. The contributions must have been paid on one of the spouse/civil partners’ social insurance records and all must have been made before the death of the spouse/civil partner. Once in payment, the pension remains payable while the person remains widowed or a surviving civil partner.
The legal context governing relationships such as marriage is broader than the social protection system. Where that context changes, the social welfare code is examined for appropriate changes, e.g., the scheme was introduced for widows on 1 January 1936; it was extended to widowers on 28 October 1994 in light of gender equality issues that had not been considered in the 1930s; and extended to surviving civil partners from 1 January 2011 following the introduction of civil partnership.
Entering into a marriage or civil partnership is a legal act, which confers both rights and obligations on both parties, which do not exist in a legal sense between cohabiting couples. This is among the reasons that the introduction of civil partnership and the subsequent extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples were of such significance. Widows, widowers and surviving civil partners, who become bereaved, therefore, in addition to their personal loss, also lose someone who had legal duties towards them. In some cases those legal duties were, in part, financial in nature, and the social welfare code recognises that potential loss by providing a pension to them, subject to certain conditions.
A surviving cohabitant who was not married to their deceased former partner may be entitled to other social welfare payments if he or she has an income need, e.g., One-Parent Family Payment, Jobseekers Benefit or Allowance or Family Income Supplement. Payment of Child Benefit would continue, where applicable.
In terms of other income supports, supplementary welfare allowance is a means tested weekly payment, subject to certain terms and conditions, which provides a basic income support to eligible people whose means are insufficient to meet their needs.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
64. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to improve awareness of community employment schemes for those on the live register and other eligible schemes; his further plans for a public awareness campaign; and if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties that the JobsIreland website is causing for those applying to community employment schemes. [25839/17]
View answer89. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which he envisages that the referral process of persons to community employment schemes will be carried out, further to the latest report into community employment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25966/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 89 together.
My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. Jobseekers receive information about all available employment support options, including Community Employment (CE), through the Intreo Service. Jobseekers receive one-to-one support from a case officer and all available and suitable options are discussed.
Sponsors can also promote their scheme vacancies within their local communities. At a local level, various methods of promoting CE have been arranged between my Department and local CE schemes, including targeting potentially eligible jobseekers to attend a CE Job-fare, where details of CE vacancies and employment opportunities are provided.
In addition CE sponsors can advertise their vacancies free-of-charge on the Department's JobsIreland website, www.jobsireland.ie. The process of posting vacancies is relatively straightforward and a tailored video is available online to assist sponsors. There are currently over 1,500 CE vacancies advertised on the site. These are visible to anyone who logs onto the site and users can narrow the search by location. Recent improvements were made to improve the way CE vacancies are displayed. Further enhancements to the website are planned. My Department apologises to users for any inconvenience caused pending full implementation of the new JobsIreland service, which will ultimately provide a much better service than the original website. Anyone experiencing difficulties with the website can contact the National Contact Centre on 1890 800 024 or email for assistance.
Referrals to CE vacancies are made by case officers in the local Intreo Centres and I have no plans to change this process. However, the referral process will be greatly facilitated following the planned integration of JobsIreland with my Department’s Activation Case Management System.
It is reasonable to assume that the difficulties in filling CE vacancies are also related to the significant drop in the Live Register over the last year or so arising from the much improved labour market. Any sponsor who has any recruitment concerns should contact their nearest Intreo Centre who will provide assistance.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
