Written Answers Nos. 2792-2816
2792. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons referred to the local employment service by county in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [33674/19]
View answerThe Local Employment Services (LES) engages primarily with long-term unemployed jobseekers, but may also engage with short-term unemployed jobseekers where a local need arises. Jobseekers are referred directly to the LES by Intreo offices. In line with best international practice, the contract sets a maximum caseload per mediator (120:1) and jobseekers are referred to LES offices on a replacement basis only. Consequently the LES caseload is fairly constant at around 31,000 clients. The engagement period is for a maximum of 12 months.
The below table shows the number of activation customers who have attended/engaged with the Local Employment Service, by County, in 2017, 2018 and year to date 2019. As the LES is not available in all counties, the table reflects the area where the LES office is located. The Department records when a customer attends/engages with the LES service and some of the numbers below may include those persons who were referred towards the end of the 2016, but who attended/engaged with the service in 2017.
Where caseloads permit the LES increase the time they allocate to work with each individual jobseeker. A Mediator with 101-120 clients may be expected to meet their clients monthly, whereas with 81-100 clients they meet them every three weeks and with 80 or fewer client every two weeks.
Smaller caseloads are key to providing the one to one intensive type of engagement which long term unemployed clients benefit from most.
|
County |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 (YTD) |
|
Cork |
1787 |
1781 |
1203 |
|
Dublin |
15877 |
15652 |
10792 |
|
Galway |
818 |
944 |
671 |
|
Kerry |
1329 |
2030 |
1336 |
|
Kildare |
1993 |
2102 |
1405 |
|
Limerick |
1936 |
2371 |
1683 |
|
Louth |
1827 |
1856 |
1487 |
|
Mayo |
607 |
935 |
971 |
|
Monaghan |
626 |
770 |
632 |
|
Waterford |
1451 |
1553 |
1115 |
|
Wexford |
1562 |
1659 |
1229 |
|
Wicklow |
598 |
953 |
633 |
|
Grand Total |
30411 |
32606 |
23157 |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
2794. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the breakdown of the full-year cost of ensuring all weekly social welfare payments are brought into line with the minimum essential standard of living developed by an organisation (details supplied) in tabular form. [33676/19]
View answerThe Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment, developed by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, of the minimum needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of every day life of various household types. Bringing weekly working age social welfare rates in line with the MESL entails increasing the maximum personal rate to €245 and the Qualified Child Increase to €48.50 for children under 12 and €82.40 for children aged 12 and over. There would be no proportionate increase in the current rate for Qualified Adults in order to meet the MESL.
The costings sought by the Deputy are presented in the table below:
|
Scheme |
Full year cost of bringing rates in line with MESL |
|
€m |
|
|
Social Insurance Schemes |
|
|
Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension |
56.49 |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
5.64 |
|
Death Benefit |
0.12 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
109.4 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
2.89 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) |
3.6 |
|
Disablement Pension |
2.83 |
|
Illness Benefit |
110.72 |
|
Injury Benefit |
3.21 |
|
Incapacity Supplement |
1.79 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
67.68 |
|
Carer's Benefit |
3.59 |
|
Health and Safety Benefit |
0.1 |
|
Maternity & Adoptive Benefit |
0.0 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
0.0 |
|
Total Social Insurance Schemes |
368.06 |
|
Scheme |
Full year cost of bringing rates in line with MESL |
|
€m |
|
|
Social Assistance Schemes |
|
|
Blind Pension |
2.64 |
|
Widow/ers or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Con) Pension |
3.01 |
|
Deserted Wife's Allowance |
0.21 |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
85.88 |
|
Carer's Allowance |
68.81 |
|
Half Rate Carer's Allowance |
18.39 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory) |
1.69 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
281.81 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance - for those aged 18 to 24 years of age |
78.59 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance - for those aged 25 years of age |
8.09 |
|
Disability Allowance |
310.24 |
|
Farm Assist |
14.31 |
|
Back to Education Allowance |
11.53 |
|
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance |
12.17 |
|
Community Employment |
21.15 |
|
TÚS |
6.25 |
|
Rural Social Scheme |
3.3 |
|
Jobs Initiative |
1.36 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
34.8 |
|
Total Social Assistance Schemes |
964.63 |
|
Overall Total |
1,332.69 |
The MESL also requires increasing the Qualified Child Increases for under 12-year-olds from €34 per week to €48.50 per week, and from €37 per week to €82.40 per week for children aged 12 years and over. The estimated full year cost of these measures is €420.89 million.
Thus, the overall full year cost of bring Social Welfare payments in line with the MESL is €1.753 billion.
The costs shown above are on a full year basis and are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2019. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2020.
2795. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending the fuel allowance scheme by one week. [33679/19]
View answer2796. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the fuel allowance to €25.95 per week and reintroducing the 32-week payment period. [33683/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 2795 and 2796 together.
The estimated full year cost of extending the Fuel Allowance scheme by one week is €8.4 million.
The estimated full year cost of increasing the Fuel Allowance rate to €25.95 and extending it to 32 weeks is €74.9 million.
Any changes to Fuel Allowance would need to be considered in a budgetary context.
2797. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the age-related jobseeker's payment rates for 18 to 25 year olds to the top rate of €203. [33684/19]
View answerThe estimated full year cost to pay the maximum rate of €203 per week to persons under 26 years of age on Jobseeker's Allowance is €59.9 million. This estimate includes increasing the €112.70 qualified adult rate to €134.70 per week.
Young jobseekers who participate in an education, training or employment programme currently qualify for the maximum weekly rate of payment. Age-related reduced rates of payment also do not apply in certain circumstances, such as when the claimant has a dependent child, or has transferred to Jobseeker's Allowance from Disability Allowance, or was in State care during the 12 months prior to applying for Jobseeker's Allowance.
It should be noted that any change to the reduced rates of Jobseeker's Allowance would need to be considered in a budgetary context.
2798. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of making a one-off annual double payment of child benefit to all recipients in September 2019. [33685/19]
View answerThe estimated cost of a one off annual double payment of child benefit to all recipients in September 2019 is an additional €174m.
There is no provision in the 2019 Revised Estimates for such a payment.
2799. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the qualified child increase payment by €5 for all children over 12 years of age. [33686/19]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing the qualified child increase payment by €5 for children aged 12 years or over is €30.1 million.
Any changes to the Qualified Child Increase would need to be considered in a budgetary context.
2800. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of raising the cut-off age of the one-parent family payment to 14 years of age. [33687/19]
View answerThe full year cost of increasing the age limit of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) to 14 would be very difficult to estimate with any great accuracy.
There are a number of significant barriers to undertaking such an exercise. Firstly, an increase in the age limits 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 the 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 the Department to estimate the magnitude of this flow between schemes with any degree of accuracy.
Thirdly, such changes would also increase the incidence of dual payments of OFP and the Working Family Payment (WFP). It is not possible to predict the impact on payments as a result of the interaction between both schemes without having detailed knowledge of individuals’ working patterns and the degree to which these might change.
These factors are critical to providing a reliable costing. The Department is therefore not in a position to provide the costing requested.
2801. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of raising the cut-off age of the jobseeker's transitional payment to 18 years of age. [33688/19]
View answerMy Department provides a number of options for income support to lone parents once their entitlement to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) ceases. These include the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) payment where the youngest child is aged 7-13 years (inclusive) and the Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) payment which may be paid to lone parents where the youngest child is aged 14 or over. The Working Family Payment (WFP), is also available to lone parents who are working 19 or more hours per week. Lone parents who move to WFP may also apply for the Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD).
The cost of increasing the age limit for a qualified child for the jobseeker's transitional payment (JST) to while the youngest child remains in secondary school is not easily estimated as there are significant barriers to undertaking such an exercise. For example, customers may no longer be within the welfare system, while others could seek to move from alternative payments such as Jobseekers Allowance (JA), the Working Family Payment (WFP) and the Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) back to JST. It would be difficult for my Department to estimate the magnitude of this flow into and between schemes with any degree of accuracy.
Likewise, the number of young people 18 years of age and over who are still in secondary education, and the proportion of those who are the children of lone parents in receipt of benefits is not readily available or easily estimated. As these unknown factors are critical to providing a reliable costing my Department is not in a position to provide the costing requested.
2802. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of reducing the working family payment weekly hours threshold from 19 to 15 hours for lone parents. [33689/19]
View answerThe Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. Estimated expenditure on WFP in 2018 is approximately €430 million and it is currently paid to almost 53,000 families in respect of some 119,000 children.
To qualify for WFP, a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. A couple may combine their hours of employment to meet the qualification criteria. The applicant must also have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them or is supported by them. Furthermore, the average family income must be below a specified amount which varies according to the number of qualified children in the family.
A recent review of in-work supports found that the current range of supports works very well for the vast majority of families and facilitates an element of choice which allows them to select the option which best suits their needs.
For low income workers with less than the minimum hours of employment for WFP and working on a casual basis (that is, up to and including 3 days per week) the Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) scheme provides in-work income support through daily disregards and tapered withdrawal of payments.
Apart from the jobseeker schemes if a person cannot meet the 19 hours WFP threshold or if their hours vary significantly from week to week, the Department offers a number of other schemes which can provide income support that can be combined with earnings from employment, subject to each individual’s circumstances. These include One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) and the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST), and the Part-Time Job Incentive (PTJI) scheme
The number of families working between 15-18 hours and are earning below the relevant WFP thresholds is currently unknown which means it is not possible to estimate a full year cost of reducing the hours.
It is important that WFP does not inadvertently subsidise unsustainably low earnings or encourage employers to offer minimal hours of employment. The longer term goal of WFP, as an incentive to take up and remain in work, could be compromised if the nature of the work taken up is not ultimately sustainable.
This and any changes to any social welfare scheme would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
2803. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of disregarding carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit in the means assessment of the working family payment. [33690/19]
View answerThe Working Family Payment (WFP) provides in-work income support for low-income employees with children. The payment is designed to preserve the financial incentive to take-up or remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might be marginally better off in employment than on social welfare payments. It also seeks to alleviate child poverty. To qualify for WFP, a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. The applicant must also have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them or is supported by them. The family income must also be below a specified amount which varies according to the number of qualified children in the family.
In assessing weekly family income for WFP purposes, most weekly social welfare payments are taken assessed. Budget 2012 contained a measure which provided for the assessment of carer’s benefit and carer’s allowance payments in determining entitlement to WFP. This measure brought the treatment of these two payments for WFP purposes into line with the treatment of all other primary social welfare payments. It also provided for a more consistent approach to the concurrent payment of WFP with other social welfare payments. Moreover, while this measure reduced a person’s secondary payment (WFP) it did so without affecting their primary payment, in this case carer’s benefit and carer’s allowance, therefore targeting available resources at those in most need.
The income disregard and means test for Carer’s Allowance is the most generous within the social welfare system. The amount of weekly earnings disregarded is €332.50 for a single person and €665 for a couple.
Welfare expenditure plays a vital role in protecting the most vulnerable people in Irish society. I am advised that an estimated cost of disregarding carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit in the means assessment of the working family payment is not readily available.
Any changes to the current arrangements regarding any social welfare payment would have expenditure implications which could only be decided in a budgetary context.
2804. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the amount available for the hearing aid grant under treatment benefit to €1,000 per hearing aid. [33669/19]
View answerThe cost of increasing the hearing aid grant, which is available under the treatment benefit scheme, to €1,000 per device will depend on a number of variables. These would include the volume of claims received, the cost of the appliance/s purchased, whether increasing the available grant amount leads to an increase in the price of appliances and the percentage cost of appliances covered by the grant at that time.
Currently the grant covers 50% of the purchase price of a hearing aid to a maximum of €500 per appliance.
Based on 2018 expenditure figures, when grants towards the purchase of over 26,000 appliances were provided, a doubling of the available grant from €500 to €1,000 could potentially increase expenditure from the €12.7m cost in 2018 to over €25m per annum.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
2805. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of making child benefit payable for all those aged 18 years of age and up to 22 years of age in circumstances in which they are in full-time education. [33678/19]
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, as of end-June 2019 to almost 632,000 families in respect of nearly 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of more than €2 billion in 2018.
Given the universality of Child Benefit, extending entitlement to parents of full time students in second level education who are over 18 years of age is not currently considered a targeted approach. The adoption of such a proposal would have significant cost implications and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context. The estimated cost of extending child benefit as proposed is estimated to be in the region of €80-100 million.
Families on low incomes may be able to avail of a number of social welfare schemes that support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including:
- Increase for a Qualified Child (IQCs) with primary social welfare payments;
- the Working Family Payment for low-paid employees with children;
- the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
These schemes provide targeted assistance that is directly linked to household income and thereby support low-income families with older children participating in full-time education.
2806. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the investigative report by the Data Protection Commissioner in respect of the public services card will be published; if she has requested that the report be published; the status of the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33670/19]
View answerMy Department received the Data Protection Commissioner's draft investigation report in respect of the Public Services Card in August 2018.
The draft report contained a number of provisional findings and requested further information and clarifications on certain matters. The Department was specifically asked by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner not to share the draft report with any other party and it has abided by that request.
My Department was given an opportunity to make submissions on the draft report so that the Commissioner could take account of such matters in their further considerations and in finalising their report. Those detailed and comprehensive submissions were provided in late November 2018.
A response from the Commissioner is now awaited. It is a matter for the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner as to when the Department will be provided with the next draft of the report.
A decision as to the publication of the final version of the report will be made once it has been made available to, and has been considered by, my Department.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
2807. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of payments (details supplied) in tabular form. [33692/19]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
The number of persons in receipt of in receipt of a state pension and the number of associated qualified adult increases at the end of June 2019.
|
Type of Pension |
Recipients |
Qualified Adult Increase |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
95,132 |
3,132 |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
419,453 |
62,122 |
2808. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of a State pension who are not resident here in tabular form. [33693/19]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Non-resident recipients of pension payments, June 2019
|
Invalidity Pension |
State Pension Contributory |
Widow's/er's Contributory Pension |
Total |
|
|
Total non-resident recipients |
1,193 |
46,276 |
7,517 |
54,986 |
2809. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the arrangements in place for lone parents in order to seek maintenance via the courts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33694/19]
View answerThe issues relating to maintenance are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has responsibility for the Family Law Acts, which govern maintenance requirements.
The Family Law Acts place a legal obligation on parents to maintain their children. In cases where the family unit has broken down these obligations continue to apply. Relevant maintenance payments can be arranged either directly between the parties themselves, or with the assistance of supports from the Department of Justice and Equality, such as the Family Mediation Service and the Legal Aid Board, or ultimately through the Courts.
2810. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she or her officials have held discussions with the Minister for Justice and Equality and-or his officials in respect of the procedures in place for lone parents seeking child maintenance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33695/19]
View answerWith regard to contact with the Department of Justice and Equality, I understand the Deputy to be referring to the requirement for recipients of one-parent family payment to seek maintenance. My Department is currently reviewing the maintenance and liable relative procedures, insofar as they relate to the one-parent family payment scheme, and has had an initial preliminary contact with the Department of Justice and Equality. Further formal contacts with that Department, which is the Department responsible for the Family Law Acts, which govern family maintenance arrangements, will be required in the context of this review.
2811. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that an organisation (details supplied) representing lone parents has carried out research on child maintenance and is calling for a statutory child maintenance agency; if this option will be examined with the Minister for Justice and Equality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33696/19]
View answerI am well aware of the calls for the establishment of a child maintenance agency by various bodies in the community and voluntary sector. Issues relating to maintenance are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has responsibility for the Family Law Acts, which govern maintenance requirements. I understand that this matter is being considered within the Department of Justice and Equality.
2812. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of households in receipt of a qualified child payment by county in tabular form. [33697/19]
View answerAt the end of June, over 630,000 families with 1.2 million children benefited from Child Benefit. Nearly 120,000 children in over 52,000 families were supported by Working Family Payment and 45,000 children in nearly 41,000 families were supported by Domiciliary Care Allowance.
Moreover, additional payments for qualifying children were made to 340,000 recipients of other social welfare payments.
These figures are detailed by social welfare payment in the table below. I am advised that a breakdown by county of these figures is not readily available.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Table 1 - Recipients of social welfare payments, with numbers of child beneficiaries, at the end of June 2019
|
Type of Payment |
Recipients |
Child beneficiaries |
|
Child Benefit |
631,779 |
1,209,065 |
|
Working Family Payment |
52,775 |
118,998 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
40,952 |
45,106 |
|
Back to Work Family Dividend |
6,617 |
12,734 |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
419,453 |
1,867 |
|
Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory Pension |
122,329 |
11,140 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
146,882 |
99,589 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
39,570 |
73,026 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance (2) |
15,874 |
7,363 |
|
Direct Provision Allowance |
3,931 |
932 |
|
Farm Assist |
6,132 |
4,730 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
32,374 |
6,223 |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
0 |
|
|
Maternity Benefit |
19,507 |
1,129 |
|
Adoptive Benefit |
5 |
0 |
|
Health and Safety Benefit |
33 |
7 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
650 |
104 |
|
Community Employment Programme |
21,367 |
8,291 |
|
Back To Work Enterprise Allowance |
5,038 |
4,218 |
|
Back To Education Allowance(3) |
830 |
654 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
2,712 |
43 |
|
Total Number of Recipients of Working Age on Employment Supports |
30,823 |
13,206 |
|
Disability Allowance |
143,154 |
44,259 |
|
Carer's Allowance |
81,941 |
50,387 |
|
Illness Benefit |
48,487 |
10,156 |
|
Injury Benefit |
1,099 |
154 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
57,987 |
13,201 |
|
Disablement Benefit |
15,086 |
133 |
|
Carer's Benefit |
2,699 |
0 |
2813. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the review into the carer’s allowance payment as committed to in section 14 of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33758/19]
View answerAs required under Section 14 of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act 2018, my Department has recently finalized a review of the financial hardship faced by carers who must provide full-time care in order to receive carer’s allowance restricting them from taking up other work to supplement their income, examining their access to pension entitlements as well as the barriers to the labour market they face after a period of caring. I expect the report will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas shortly.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
2814. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the review into means testing of maintenance payments as committed to in section 21 of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33759/19]
View answerAs required under section 21 of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act, my Department recently finalized a report on the financial effects of the consideration of maintenance payments as household income in the means test for various social welfare payments.
I expect the report to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas shortly.
2815. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of her consultation with stakeholders on examining ways in which social welfare rates are increased with the aim of ensuring adequacy for all recipients as committed to in section 19 of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act 2018; the outcome of the consultation; the stakeholders met as part of this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33760/19]
View answerSection 19 of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act 2018 provides that I, as Minister, will arrange to "consult with stakeholders on examining ways in which social welfare rates are increased with the aim of ensuring adequacy for all recipients and shall do so in quarter 1 of 2019".
In this context, my Department met with numerous interested stakeholders to solicit views on how the adoption of a benchmark, and a system of indexation, might apply to social welfare rates. This involved bilateral meetings with certain stakeholders and roundtable meetings with a range of groups. The organisations consulted included the community and voluntary pillar, ICTU, IBEC, the ESRI and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Various views were put forward as part of the consultation process including adopting an earnings link for social welfare payments, benchmarking and indexing to the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) measure produced by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, adopting a twin-lock approach to indexation (wages and prices), and maintaining the current system of adjusting rates in line with available resources at Budget time.
In addition, the issue was considered and discussed at my Department's Pre-Budget Forum earlier this month. The Pre-Budget Forum included representatives from the community and voluntary sector, ICTU and IBEC, among others.
As the Deputy is aware, the Roadmap for Pensions Reform, published last year, commits the Government to examine and develop proposals to set a formal benchmark of 34% of average earnings for the State Pension and to institute a process whereby future changes in pension rates of payment are explicitly linked to changes in consumer prices and average wages. My Department is currently considering options to implement this commitment.
Any change to the current process of setting social welfare rates of payment would require Government approval and would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context. This would include taking account of stakeholder views, as well as considerations of cost, work incentives, poverty alleviation, policy alignment and the administration of any proposed system.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
2816. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application will be expedited for a carer's benefit by a person (details supplied). [33761/19]
View answerCarer's benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
An application for CARB was received from the person concerned on 13 May 2019.
It is a condition for receipt of a CARB that the person being cared for must have such disability that they require full-time care and attention.
This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continual supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 19 July 2019 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
