Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2020
1187. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the provisions which will be made for persons with fixed low incomes reliant on prepay power services that run out of income. [4870/20]
View answer1198. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if supplementary welfare allowances will be made available to support low-income lone parents caring for sick and self-isolating loved ones that cannot afford unpaid leave. [4993/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1187 and 1198 together.
A number of income supports are available from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for people whose employers do not continue to pay them during a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) related absence or temporary lay-off from work
A person who is medically required to self-isolate or has been diagnosed with Covid-19 in accordance with the up-to-date guidelines from the HSE may apply for the enhanced illness benefit.
Any person who is not advised to self-isolate, but is requested to stay at home by their employer as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19 will, in situations where the employer cannot continue to pay their wages, be considered to have been temporarily laid-off and can apply for an income support in the form of a jobseekers payment. Employees who are laid off temporarily, without pay, due to a reduction in business activity, can apply for a jobseekers payment.
Many employers can, and do, agree compassionate leave arrangements with staff who need to take short periods of time off to care for another person. These include arrangements to enable employees to work remotely from home, to alter shift-patterns, to work-up time taken, to rearrange parental leave or to bring forward annual leave entitlements from future work-periods.
Where it is not possible to make appropriate compassionate leave arrangements, employees can call on some statutory entitlements. An employee is entitled to paid leave, known as force majeure leave, to provide urgent care for an immediate family relative. It is limited to a total of three days in a 12 month period or five days in a 36 month period. In the exceptional circumstances of Covid-19 it is expected that employers will, if at all possible, facilitate people by allowing them to take the full 5 days entitlement in one block, as required.
Parents are also entitled, with 6 weeks’ notice, to take parents leave of 2 weeks for each child under 1 year of age born on or after 1 November 2019 and are eligible to apply for Parents Benefit from the Department. Again, employers are free to waive the notice period or to agree to provide paid leave as an alternative to Parents leave. Employers can also agree alternative leave/absence arrangements.
Assistance is available under the Department's supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme for employees whose earnings are affected by Covid-19 and who have needs that they cannot meet from their weekly income or own resources. Assistance can be in the form of exceptional or urgent needs payments, or a supplement such as rent supplement, subject to the normal rules of these schemes.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement under the SWA scheme should contact the Department's Community Welfare Service at their local INTREO centre. People who require immediate support and cannot, or should not, attend an INTREO Centre can phone 1890 800 024 or 01 2481398 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
