Written Answers Nos. 957-976
957. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision has been made on a domiciliary care allowance appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7599/20]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 4th September 2019. The application was not allowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 15th November 2019 setting out the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance.
A request for a review of the decision was received on the 21st November 2019 and an appeal was subsequently registered by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 28th November 2019. As part of the appeals process, the application was re-examined by a deciding officer and the person concerned was notified on the 23rd January 2020 that the review was unsuccessful. An appeal submission was prepared and forwarded to the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 24th January 2020. The Social Welfare Appeals Office will contact the person directly about the outcome of the appeal.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
959. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of pensions, disability allowance, jobseeker's allowance and benefit that do not have access to contactless payment methods (details supplied); the measures or actions she is taking to provide persons with a contactless payment option; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7640/20]
View answerContactless payment cards are not issued by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection but by financial institutions. Consequently, I am advised that my Department has no information on the number of persons in receipt of a social welfare payment who have access to this type of payment instrument.
960. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 248 of 21 November 2019, if she will provide a further update on the proposed changes of the pension scheme in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7648/20]
View answerThe Total Contributions Approach (TCA), when it is introduced, is intended to be a fairer and more transparent system where the person’s lifetime contribution will be more closely reflected in the benefit received.
Consultation is a very important part of the development and design of such a new approach. With this in mind, a public consultation on the design of the TCA was launched on the 28th May 2018. A wide variety of stakeholder groups were invited to this launch. In addition, the consultation involved a number of workshops with representative bodies, and a briefing and Question & Answer session for Oireachtas members by Department officials in Leinster House.
The online consultation lasted for over three months and the Department received nearly 300 responses from individuals and organisations. Those submissions outlined the views of respondents upon a number of issues, including the number of years required for a full pension, provision for homecaring periods and for the self-employed.
Having carefully examined the outputs of the consultation process, officials in the Department are designing the scheme. It is anticipated that there will be significant recognition for homecaring periods in the new model. The intention is to bring a proposal to the new Government setting out that design.
Once agreed by Government, the Department would then set about introducing the reform by developing the necessary legislation, ICT systems, administrative processes, and crucially, a comprehensive information campaign for the general public. It is anticipated that TCA will replace the current Yearly Average and the interim TCA approaches for new applications for the State Pension at a future date.
I do hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
961. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a social welfare payment reduction appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7655/20]
View answerI am advised by my Department that the person concerned is currently in receipt of Farm Assist with means of €115 being applied to the personal rate of €203 per week from 06/05/2020. The means up to 05/05/2020 were assessed as €65 per week, however this increased as a result of a review of the persons entitlement to the payment. The means were calculated based on documentation submitted by the person concerned with regard to his farm income and capital held in bank and credit union accounts.
Should the person concerned wish to discuss the means calculation they should contact their local Intreo Centre.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
962. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision has been made on a review of an invalidity pension application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7677/20]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for this gentleman on 03 October 2019. He was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. He was notified on 08 January 2020 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and appeal.
The gentleman concerned subsequently appealed the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) and submitted further medical evidence in support of his application.
Following a review of all the information available it was decided that there was no change to the original decision. A submission has been prepared by the department and was forwarded to the SWAO on 21 May 2020 for determination. The SWAO will be in touch with him directly in due course in relation to the progress of his appeal.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
963. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision has been made on an invalidity pension application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7679/20]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the lady concerned on 25 February 2020. The claim will be processed as quickly as possible and she will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
967. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when she plans to revert to social welfare weekly payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7716/20]
View answerMy Department introduced a series of measures to maintain social welfare payments while assisting with social distancing measures designed to combat the spread of the Coronavirus.
Fortnightly payments were introduced to minimise the need for people to attend and queue in banks or post offices to collect payments, so helping people restrict their movements to essential activities only. These were introduced on a ‘payment in advance’ basis so people did not have to wait two weeks for a payment.
Some payments, such as Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit and Parental Benefit, which are paid exclusively into a customer’s bank account by Electronic Fund Transfer, have reverted to a weekly payment pattern. The reversion of other schemes to weekly payments remains under close review given the need to maintain social distancing.
968. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason, in circumstances in which persons become blind and receive illness benefit and the blind person's pension, and when the illness benefit expires, they move onto invalidity pension but they lose the blind person's pension even though they still continue to be blind; the reason the blind person's pension is payable to some blind persons and not to other blind persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7717/20]
View answerBlind Pension is a means-tested payment for blind and visually impaired people between the ages of 18 and 66 who are habitually resident in Ireland. The payment is made up of a personal rate and extra amounts for a qualified adult and any child dependents.
Invalidity Pension is a pension paid to people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness. It is based on a claimant's social insurance contributions and is not means tested. To qualify for award of Invalidity Pension a claimant must satisfy both PRSI contribution and medical conditions.
In general, the social welfare system operates on the principle of one payment per person. There are some exceptions to the multiple payments rule in the case of the Blind Pension. Where a person is under age 66 and satisfies the relevant conditions, they may also qualify for the following short-term social welfare payments:
- Adoptive Benefit
- Half-rate Carer’s Allowance
- Health and Safety Benefit
- Illness Benefit
- Injury Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Benefit
- Maternity Benefit
- One-Parent Family Payment (until youngest child is 16)
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory and Non-Contributory Pension
Any change to these arrangements would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary contexts.
It is important to note that a blind or visually impaired person may also apply for Blind Welfare Allowance (BWA). The Blind Welfare Allowance is a means-tested payment from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to people who are blind or visually impaired. The allowance is paid to eligible people from 18 years of age.
969. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a disability allowance appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7718/20]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
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 trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
970. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an invalidity pension application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7727/20]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the lady concerned on 13 May 2020. The claim will be processed as quickly as possible and she will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
972. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the processing times for disability allowance applications. [7761/20]
View answerDisability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66 with a disability which is expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition, means test and are habitually resident in Ireland.
The target processing time for DA is to process 75% of new claims within 12 weeks. In April 2020, 88% of applications were completed within the expected timeframe. The average time taken to award a DA claim was 7 weeks.
My department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. The DA scheme area is continuously monitored and reviewed to ensure applications are processed and customers are responded to as quickly as possible.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
973. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [7781/20]
View answerFollowing a successful appeal, this gentleman has been awarded disability allowance (DA) with effect from 8 May 2019. He was notified of this decision on 3 April 2020. The first payment was made by his chosen payment method on 6 May 2020.
Arrears of payment due, were calculated to take account of any overlapping payments and have issued to the person concerned on 7 May 2020.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
974. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7782/20]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred on 14 April 2020 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has also advises me that a decision will issue in respect of this appeal in the coming week.
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 trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
975. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [7783/20]
View answerI can confirm that the above named person applied for disability allowance (DA) on 13 February 2020.
On 1 May 2020 this lady's application for DA was withdrawn as she failed to reply to an option letter which issued to her on 6 March 2020 asking her to confirm if she wished to proceed with her DA claim or stay on her current social welfare payment which is being paid at a higher rate.
The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 1 May 2020. It is open to this lady to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent social welfare appeals office (SWAO).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
976. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [7785/20]
View answerThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 25 February 2020. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that this lady was substantially restricted in taking up employment.
The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 14 April 2020 and was also notified of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). No request for an appeal or review has been received.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
