Written Answers Nos. 854-870
854. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the cost of education allowance to all recipients of the back to education allowance. [30347/18]
View answerThe back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions. The BTEA is designed primarily to support second chance education.
Budget 2017 introduced a new €500 annual cost of education allowance for parents, including lone parents, encouraging them into education by helping to reduce their childcare costs. The cost of education allowance was made available to BTEA participants with children from the 2017/18 academic year.
Based on the number of students in receipt of BTEA for the academic year 2017/18 the estimated cost of extending the cost of education allowance to all recipients would be some €5.4 million. The number of participants on BTEA for this academic year was 10,840 (October 2017). Any such changes would have to be considered in a budgetary context and within the scope of the overall resources available for welfare improvements.
The BTEA is not intended to be an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third level education system. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant payable by the Department of Education and Skills represents the primary support for persons pursuing education. In general, most BTEA customers will also have certain registration and related college fees paid by SUSI.
BTEA continues to support those people who are most distant from the labour market and whose need is greatest.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
855. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated additional cost of providing child benefit for young persons that are over 18 years of age for the duration of their enrolment in second level education. [31042/18]
View answer856. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated additional cost of providing a 25% payment and a 50% payment of child benefit to young persons that are over 18 years of age for the duration of their enrolment in second level education. [31043/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 855 and 856 together.
Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to more than 631,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of more than €2 billion in 2018.
Based on Department of Education and Skills figures on the numbers of 18 and 19 year olds in full-time secondary education in 2017, the estimated annual cost of extending the upper age limit to include 18 and 19 year olds in full-time secondary education alone is in the region of €65 million. The estimated cost of providing a 25 percent and 50 percent payment of child benefit based on the cost above is €16.25m and €32.5m respectively.
The Deputy’s question indicates no upper age limit and would therefore also include young people of 20 years and above, thus giving rise to costs in excess of this figure.
Given the universal nature of Child Benefit, making it payable in respect of young people over 18 years of age for the duration of their enrolment in second-level education would not be a targeted approach. Any adjustment to the payment can result in benefits being spread very thinly, rather than making a difference where there is most need.
Under EU regulations Child Benefit is defined as a family benefit and is exportable in cases where the claimant is working in Ireland but where the children are living abroad. We have no way of predicting with any degree of accuracy the potential in-flow in this category for young people who turn 18 and remain in second level education in other Member States.
857. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a carer’s allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30061/18]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on the 1 June 2018.
As the applicant has previously been self-employed and declined to answer the question about self-employment on his most recent application for CA, the matter was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 5 July 2018 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
Once the SWI has reported, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
858. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [30065/18]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on the 20 June 2018.
As a question arises as to whether the person concerned is habitually resident in the State, the matter was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 5 July 2018 to assess this, assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
Once the SWI has reported, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
859. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a supplementary welfare allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied); and if the appeal submitted recently will be expedited. [30069/18]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 17 July 2018. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
860. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30091/18]
View answerThe lady referred to has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 02 February 2017. Payment will issue to her nominated bank account on the 12 July 2018. Any arrears due from 02 February 2017 to 11 July 2018 (less any overlapping social welfare payment) will issue in due course. The lady in question was notified of this decision on the 06 July 2018.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
861. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department has identified laws which are dependent on or in place as a consequence of Article 41.2 of the Constitution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30099/18]
View answerThe aim of my Department is to promote active participation in society through the provision of income supports, employment services and other services to all citizens.
Article 41.2 of the Constitution is concerned with the recognition of the role and duties of women and mothers in the home. While this Department provides a range of welfare supports to parents, including mothers, no specific laws have been identified which are wholly dependent on, or were enacted as a direct consequence of, Article 41.2.
862. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an appeal for a disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30142/18]
View answerThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance on 23 August 2017. The application, based upon the evidence submitted, was disallowed on medical grounds and they were notified in writing of the decision on 23 October 2017. They were also notified of the option to submit further evidence in support of their application for review by a Deciding Officer and of her right to appeal the Deciding Officer’s decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).
Following receipt of further medical evidence a review was carried out. The original decision was upheld and the person concerned was notified of this in writing on 5 July 2018 and was also advised of their right to appeal this decision to the SWAO.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
863. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if expert advice or data, including existing and or projected costings to the Constitutional Convention in the context of its consideration of Article 41.2 with particular reference to carers was provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30146/18]
View answerIt has not been possible in the time available to respond to this PQ to confirm if the information specified was provided or not.
The Department of Justice and Equality was the Department with responsibility for providing the Secretariat to the Constitutional Convention, and I have asked my officials to liaise with officials in that Department to ascertain whether or not such information was provided, and to revert directly to the Deputy in the matter.
864. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the processing time of each social welfare scheme including the initial application decision, appeal decision, oral hearing decision and processing time for award of payment of each once payment is allowed in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30313/18]
View answerMy Department has set measurable targets for the awarding of claims for the majority of schemes under its remit and details of these are in the attached table 1.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all claims are awarded and just 1% are appealed. Nevertheless, the Department is concerned that these cases are dealt with as quickly as possible.
The time taken to process an appeal reflects all aspects of the appeal process including time spent in the Department preparing the appeal submission. The quasi-judicial nature of the appeals system means that there are inevitable time-lags involved. The time taken is proportionate to the complexity of many of the issues under appeal which require a high level of judgement, and the need to ensure due process and natural justice. The system is designed to be flexible and fair and allows for review and submission of further information at all stages which is to the benefit of the appellant.
Appeal processing times are kept under constant scrutiny by the Chief Appeals Officer. Significant effort and resources have been devoted in recent years to reducing the length of the time taken to finalise an appeal. As a result, appeal processing times improved between 2011 and 2017 from 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing in 2011 to 26.4 weeks in 2017 and from 25.1 weeks for a summary decision in 2011 to 19.8 weeks in 2017. The most recent figures for May 2018 are 30 weeks for an oral hearing and 24.6 weeks for a summary decision.
A number of new Appeals Officers have joined the Appeals Office over the past year to replace staff leaving on retirement. Given the complexity of the appeals process it takes some time for new staff to be trained up and develop expertise and this has led to somewhat longer processing times during this period. The Chief Appeals Officer has advised me that appeal processing times will continue to be a priority for her office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Table 1: Average weeks to award claims at the end of May 2018
|
Scheme |
Weeks to award |
|
State Pension Contributory |
6 |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
13 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
1 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
2 |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
5 |
|
Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension |
4 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
6 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
6 |
|
Disability Allowance |
13 |
|
Illness Benefit |
1 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
7 |
|
Carer's Allowance |
15 |
|
Child Benefit (Domestic & FRA) |
4 |
|
Child Benefit (EU Regulation) |
23 |
|
Family Income Supplement (New Claims) |
2 |
|
Household Benefits |
1 |
|
Free Travel |
1 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
10 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
1 |
Table 2: Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 01 January 2018 - 31 May 2018
|
# |
Average processing times (weeks) Summary Decisions |
Average processing times (weeks) Oral Hearings |
|
Blind Pension |
15.7 |
- |
|
Carers Allowance |
24.2 |
28.0 |
|
Carers Benefit |
20.5 |
27.2 |
|
Child Benefit |
36.5 |
49.4 |
|
Disability Allowance |
17.9 |
25.9 |
|
Illness Benefit |
30.5 |
37.9 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
31.7 |
21.3 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
31.2 |
36.2 |
|
Deserted Wifes Benefit |
- |
30.5 |
|
Farm Assist |
41.4 |
39.4 |
|
Working Family Payment |
29.1 |
31.6 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
23.7 |
24.1 |
|
Liable Relatives |
- |
30.7 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
26.7 |
38.8 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
27.7 |
20.6 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
25.3 |
40.5 |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
39.2 |
48.2 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
30.5 |
38.9 |
|
Occupational Injury Benefit |
38.1 |
60.8 |
|
Disablement Pension |
35.7 |
29.6 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) |
30.7 |
32.4 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con) |
10.4 |
37.3 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) |
31.5 |
35.7 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Payments) |
25.4 |
30.4 |
|
BTW Family Dividend |
32.2 |
- |
|
Jobseeker's Transitional |
39.5 |
30.5 |
|
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance |
46.6 |
- |
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance |
64.0 |
29.9 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
24.6 |
26.7 |
|
Carer’s Support Grant |
27.5 |
28.7 |
|
Incapacity Supplement |
- |
29.0 |
|
Insurability of Employment |
48.8 |
81.5 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
22.2 |
28.3 |
|
Survivor's Pension (Contributory) |
39.2 |
22.4 |
|
Survivor's Pension (Non-Con) |
34.6 |
23.4 |
|
Widowed Parent Grant |
35.8 |
- |
|
All Appeals |
24.6 |
30.0 |
865. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) who is awaiting the result of a retrospective eligibility claim for a jobseeker's payment; when this claim will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30323/18]
View answerThis person submitted a retrospective application for Jobseekers Benefit.
While his contribution record has been amended in relation to the matter referred to, further information is required before a decision can be made on his entitlement. This additional information was requested from him in April 2018, but unfortunately has not yet been received. The local Intreo Centre has written to the person to remind him of the need to submit this information. Once it is received, a decision will be made as quickly as possible.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
866. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the age limit for the one parent family payment to 12 and 18 years of age, respectively. [30332/18]
View answerThe estimate cost of increasing the age limit for qualified child for the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) scheme to 12 and 18 years of age respectively would be very difficult to estimate with any accuracy.
There are three significant barriers to undertaking such an exercise. Firstly, a reversal of the amendments made to the OFP scheme could result in a cohort of lone parents that are currently not in receipt of a social welfare payment becoming eligible and therefore moving onto a social welfare payment. As members of this cohort are not currently in receipt of a social welfare payment it would be difficult to for my Department to estimate the numbers involved.
Secondly, some customers could seek to move from alternative payments such as Jobseekers Allowance (JA), the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) and the Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) back to the OFP. Again, it would be difficult for my Department to estimate the magnitude of this flow between schemes with any degree of accuracy.
Finally, reversing the changes to the OFP would also increase the incidence of dual payments of OFP and the Working Family Payment (WFP). It would not be possible to estimate the extent to which Working Family Payments might change, without having detailed knowledge of individuals’ working patterns and level of earnings.
These unknown factors are critical to providing a reliable costing. My Department is therefore not in a position to provide the costing requested.
867. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of extending child benefit beyond 18 years of age for those in full-time education. [30333/18]
View answerChild Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to more than 631,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of more than €2 billion in 2018.
It is not possible to give the full-year estimated cost of extending child benefit to all those in full-time education who are over 18 years of age because of the open ended nature of the question. Based on Department of Education and Skills figures on the numbers of 18 and 19 year olds in full-time secondary education in 2017, the estimated annual cost of extending the upper age limit to include 18 and 19 year olds in full-time secondary education alone is in the region of €65 million. The Deputy’s question, which seems to include people over 18 in third-level education, and indicates no upper limit as to age, would therefore give rise to costs substantially in excess of, and multiples of, this figure.
The student grant scheme, SUSI, is the main financial support for students in third-level education. There is detailed information on the range of grants and funds for students in further and higher education on the website www.studentfinance.ie including the Student Assistance Fund.
Given the universal nature of Child Benefit, making it payable to persons in respect of children who are 18 years of age, or older people in full-time education, would not be a targeted approach. Any adjustment to the payment can result in benefits being spread very thinly, rather than making a difference where there is most need.
Under EU regulations Child Benefit is defined as a family benefit and is exportable in cases where the claimant is working in Ireland but where the children are living abroad. We have no way of predicting with any degree of accuracy the potential in-flow in this category for children who turn 18 and remain in education in other Member States.
868. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for domiciliary care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30359/18]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 30 April 2018.
Applications received in mid-April 2018 are currently being finalised. This application will be considered by a deciding officer and the decision notified to the person concerned as soon as possible.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
869. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the pension for persons that reach 67 years of age will be introduced; the arrangements in place for persons that leave work prior to 67 years of age and are on jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance prior to that; the requirements for this period of payment before the State pension (contributory) comes into effect; if persons that are on illness benefit can claim this from 64 years of age in circumstances in which they were born in March 1955; if this can continue up to the new pension date; if they will be required to transfer to jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance for a period prior to reaching 67 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30430/18]
View answerThe Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) which was available to people aged 65 who satisfied the qualifying conditions. This measure standardised the State pension age for all at 66 years. This will increase to 67 in 2021 and to 68 in 2028.
The purpose of these changes is to make the pension system more sustainable in the context of increasing life expectancy. This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision which are currently increasing by roughly €1 billion every 5 years.
There is no statutory retirement age in the State, and the age at which employees retire is a matter for the contract of employment between them and their employers. While such a contract may have been entered into with a retirement date of 65, in the context of the previous State pension arrangements, there is no legal impediment to the employer and employee agreeing to increase the duration of employment for one or more years, if both parties wish to do so.
Where a person exits the workforce before reaching State pension age they may apply for either the jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance schemes. Jobseeker’s payments are paid to eligible jobseekers aged 18 to 66 years subject to the rules of the scheme. A decision to change the jobseekers schemes in the context of the increased pension age would be a matter for Government to consider in a budgetary context.
Illness benefit is a payment made to insured people who; are unable to work due to illness; satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions and are under pensionable age. The legislative provision governing the qualifying age is covered under s.40(1)(a) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and a person is entitled to illness benefit where “the person is under pensionable age on the day for which the benefit is claimed”. There are no proposals to amend the wording in respect of the age requirement so a person would be entitled to illness benefit, subject to satisfying the other conditions in respect of illness and contributions conditions, until their entitlement to illness benefit exhausts or they reach pension age, whichever is earliest.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
870. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding PRSI contributions by self-employed persons under class S in the year they reach 66 years of age (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30435/18]
View answerIn general PRSI is charged on income, including income from self-employment, where the individual is over 16 years and under pensionable age, currently 66 years. Self-employed persons, who earn €5,000 or more in a contribution year, are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500. The payment of Class S contributions entitles self-employed workers to a range of benefits including State pension (contributory).
The regulations governing the award of Class S social insurance prescribe that where a self-employed person is assessed as being liable for a compulsory insurance charge, the person is granted a full annual complement of 52 ‘Class-S’ contributions for that tax year once the liability is discharged (irrespective of whether their self-employment was pursued throughout the year, or if it was just for a portion of the year). Therefore, in a self-employed person’s initial year of assessment of having an insurance liability, on payment of the due amount, the person will be recorded as having paid 52 weekly contributions for that year.
Where the self-employed discharge their combined Income Tax, USC and PRSI liability through Revenue’s self-assessed system of collection, a single payment is made in respect of their combined liability for all complete tax years up to and including the year in which the self-employed worker reaches their 65th year.
As Revenue does not have the facility to collect a part of a year’s PRSI liability in respect of the individual’s 66th year, payment can be facilitated by the Department’s Client Eligibility Services, Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection, Government Buildings, Cork Road, Waterford.
Such additional (66th year) S Class contributions may be used, where necessary, to satisfy the ‘minimum 520 paid contributions’ condition for State pension (contributory) eligibility, but cannot be used in the yearly-averaging assessment of pension rate entitlement, for which the cut-off point in totalling contributions is the end date of the immediately preceding (full) tax year. This is exactly the same ‘66th year’ approach that is facilitated in the case of standard employees (rather than self-employed) who may require some additional contributions to satisfy the “520 contribution” condition.
