Written Answers Nos. 641-660
641. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position in relation to self-employed persons whose main or sole income relates to unearned rental income qualifying for the pandemic unemployment payment in circumstances in which they are no longer receiving that rental income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9749/20]
View answerThe COVID 19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as an emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. For self-employed people, they must have experienced a collapse of income and be available to take up other full-time work if it was available to them in order to qualify.
If the person's sole source of income came from rental income and it has now ceased completely, rather than being deferred, they may be eligible for the COVID 19 pandemic unemployment payment provided that they satisfy the other qualifying conditions. If they have other sources of income which they continue to receive they may not qualify. Each case would have to be considered on its own merit before a definite position could be provided.
If a person does not qualify for this payment and they are experiencing financial hardship, they may be eligible for other supports under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
I trust that this clarifies the matter.
642. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the period of exclusion to claim redundancy due to temporary lay-off and or short time during Covid-19 is due to be extended beyond 31 May 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9769/20]
View answerI can confirm that the Government has extended the suspension of redundancy provisions relating to temporary lay-off and short-time work which arose as a result of Covid-19 until 10th August 2020.
A temporary suspension of these provisions was introduced on 13th March under new emergency measures as the existing provisions were not considered adequate to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. The suspension was considered vital to ensure the future viability of businesses and to help prevent further permanent job losses.
In light of the on-going emergency situation serious risks to jobs and businesses remain and the Government decided to extend the end date of the emergency measure from 31st May 2020 to 10th August 2020. The Government has announced a roadmap for reopening society and businesses under which it is envisaged that most businesses should reopen by 10th August. For employees an extension is important to ensure that they have a continued link to their employment and a pathway to return. For employers, many still regard their businesses as being temporarily closed and plan to re-open as soon as is possible for them to do so.
If the end date was not extended further, a significant number redundancies could occur in the very near future which will burden employers with further debt and have a serious impact on the potential for a business to recover. This in turn increases the risk of insolvency and bankruptcy situations which will only exacerbate the risk of further permanent job losses.
It is important to note that the employee’s right to claim redundancy has not been removed, but deferred for the emergency period in circumstances of temporary lay-off or short-time employment caused by the Covid-19 crisis. These arrangements have no effect on temporary lay-off and short-time work arising for reasons other than as a consequence Covid-19 where the rights of the employees remain unchanged.
643. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on a matter in relation to a respite care grant application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9789/20]
View answerThe Carer's Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers by my Department.
I can confirm that my department received an application for the Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) for 2018 from the person concerned on 13 March 2020.
It is a condition of the Carers Support Grant that a person may apply for the grant in any given year from 8 weeks before the date on which the grant is payable up to the 31 of December the following year. The person concerned was notified that their application for 2018 was disallowed on the grounds that is was a late claim.
I can confirm that an appeal has now been submitted to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
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.
644. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 863 of 27 May 2020, if a reply will issue to correspondence from a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9815/20]
View answerThe Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business sets out how COVID 19 restrictions will gradually be lifted. However, I am aware of the issues for workers with childcare responsibilities, particularly for those working on the front line.
The Government has requested employers to be as flexible as possible in allowing staff, which could include partners of frontline workers, time off to look after their children or other members of their families. Some of the flexible options include offering paid compassionate leave, allowing employees to work from home, altering shifts so that employees can coordinate caring between themselves and partners or another person, allowing employees to rearrange holidays and allowing employees to take paid time off that can be worked back at a later time.
Where it is not possible to make appropriate compassionate leave arrangements, employees may be able to call on some statutory entitlements including force majeure leave, parental leave together with parental benefit or carers leave together with carers benefit or carers allowance.
If a parent has left work to care for a child because of school or childcare closures and the employer is no longer paying the person’s wages, they may qualify for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
I hope that this clarifies the position at this time.
646. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if carer’s allowance will be approved in the case of a person (details supplied); and if required, if an oral hearing will be arranged. [9859/20]
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 such a disability that they require that level of care.
An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people.
Two applications for CA were received from the person concerned on 27 March 2019 in respect of two care recipients.
The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 11 July 2019 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
It is a condition for receipt of CA that the person/s being cared for must have such a disability that as a result 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 and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.
It is a further condition that the carer must provide this level of care.
In addition, every applicant for a social welfare payment is required to furnish a deciding officer with such certificates, documents, information and evidence as may be required for the purpose of deciding a claim.
I am advised that the person concerned did not provide documents that were requested in relation to her means. In addition it was decided that she was not providing full-time care and attention and that the person’s being cared for did not require full-time care attention. Therefore her applications for CA were disallowed.
The person concerned was notified on 21 November 2019 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision and submitted additional evidence in support of her application.
The outcome of this review was that the fulltime care and attention condition was not met. The person concerned was notified of the outcome on 17 February 2020 the reason for it and of her right of appeal.
Following this and subsequent reviews the decision remained unchanged.
The department was notified on 27 May 2020 that the person concerned had appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). A submission in support of the decision is being prepared and will shortly be forwarded along with the file to the SWAO for determination.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy
648. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision will be made on an appeal for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied). [9881/20]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 28 May 2020. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required and possible in the context of the Covid-19 restrictions, hold an oral appeal 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 trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
649. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an alteration will be made to the pandemic unemployment payment conditions in order to allow a person in receipt of the payment to travel outside the State to attend a family funeral. [9886/20]
View answerThe COVID-19 unemployment payment was introduced as a time limited emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This payment was introduced at a time of limited travel restrictions in the interest of necessary public health measures.
The payment is payable to people while in the State and there is no provision to pay this emergency payment while a person is outside the State.
A person who leaves the State may be eligible to reapply for the pandemic payment once they return if they continue to meet the qualifying conditions for receipt of the payment.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
650. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a reply will issue to correspondence she referred to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9914/20]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 12 May 2020. The Office is aware that the person concerned stated that she sent in her appeal at the end of February but, unfortunately, there is no record of the appeal being received at that time.
It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers were received from the Department the case in question was referred to an Appeals Officer on 25 May 2020.
The Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. Under social welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts.
I am advised that the person concerned has submitted additional evidence and that the Department has been requested to return the file to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. On receipt of this file, the case will be referred to the Appeals Officer for review under Section 317 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. The person concerned will be contacted when the review of her appeal has been finalised.
I am also advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the Deputy's representations (reference REPS-2020-20284) were replied to by that office on 12 May 2020, confirming that an appeal was now being registered in this case.
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.
651. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an appeal by a person (details supplied) will be expedited in view of the circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9915/20]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13 May 2020. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required and possible in the context of the Covid-19 restrictions, hold an oral appeal 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 trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
652. Deputy Norma Foley asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider extending the contract of community employment supervisors that are obliged to retire at 66 years of age that wish to continue working by one year in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. [9952/20]
View answerFirstly, I would like to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that CE sponsoring bodies provide in running CE schemes throughout the country. CE supervisors, as employees of those organisations, are an integral part of that good work.
CE is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and others with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsoring bodies that receive state funding from the Department to cover the cost of CE employee remuneration.
Funding for CE supervisors is available until the person reaches the state pension age. CE supervisors may apply for a State Pension on retirement from CE.
CE is a working age activation scheme and CE supervisors who continue to be funded through CE must be of working age. As you will appreciate, if my Department continues to fund CE supervisors that have reached the state pension age it would significantly impact on the opportunities for those people who are still of working age and also, would undermine the reputation of CE as an active labour market programme.
A number of CE supervisors have retired over the course of the Covid-19 emergency and recruitment of new CE supervisors has been managed by CE sponsoring bodies using processes that are in line with existing national guidelines. The recruitment of new CE supervisors offers valuable employment opportunities to those of working age, including those who may be unemployed at present.
653. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which a person can obtain a public services card during the Covid-19 pandemic due to restrictions. [9969/20]
View answerThe SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity, is a face-to-face process which results in the issuing of a Public Services Card (PSC).
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department has temporarily suspended the SAFE registration process. This decision was taken in order to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of social distancing. As a result, it has not been possible for those who wish to obtain a Public Services Card (PSC) to get one.
My Department is moving towards a resumption of the SAFE registration process over the coming weeks on a phased basis and this will be done in accordance with all relevant HSE and Government guidelines to ensure the health and safety of the Department's customers and staff.
In the meantime, anyone who has lost their PSC can contact the Department and a replacement will be issued.
Where the Department has written to a person inviting them to renew their PSC, they can do so by post.
It should also be noted that the National Transport Authority has confirmed that expired Free Travel PSCs will be accepted on public transport for the time being.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
654. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason an 18-year-old person cannot sign on for jobseeker’s until after they receive their leaving certificate results (details supplied). [9970/20]
View answerUnder Social Welfare legislation students are disqualified from receiving jobseekers allowance while attending a course of study, including school or college holiday periods and for the 3 month period after completing the Leaving Certificate or leaving second level education. Following the cancellation of this year's Leaving Certificate Examination, these students will be eligible to apply for jobseekers Allowance from 30 August 2020, which is 3 months after their end of term on 29th May.
Where a person, of any age, is experiencing financial hardship they can apply for assistance through the Department’s means tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
655. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons that availed of and the costs incurred by her Department regarding the cycle to work scheme since it was introduced to date by year and cost in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9982/20]
View answerThe information required by the Deputy is provided in the table below.
Cycle to Work Amounts by Year for the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
|
Request Year |
No. of Applications |
Total Cost |
|
|
2014 |
214 |
€164,441.95 |
|
|
2015 |
237 |
€185,129.54 |
|
|
2016 |
201 |
€159,405.52 |
|
|
2017 |
154 |
€126,088.57 |
|
|
2018 |
123 |
€105,101.62 |
|
|
2019 |
153 |
€124,571.86 |
|
|
2020 to-date |
71 |
€68,188.00 |
|
|
Grand Total |
1153 |
€932,927.06 |
656. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of rent supplement applications received from 13 March 2020 to the most recent date for which figures are available; the number of claims in payment on the most recent date for which figures are available; and the breakdown of these Covid-19 rent supplement claims and average payment by county. [9998/20]
View answer680. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons that have applied for rent supplement since the criteria was changed due to Covid-19; the number of these applications refused; the main reasons for refusal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10386/20]
View answer681. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on whether rent supplement is expected to be effective in reducing Covid-19 related rent arrears; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10387/20]
View answer682. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to promote the availability of the rent supplement payment to those that previously did not require it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10388/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 656 and 680 to 682, inclusive, together.
Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 21,150 recipients.
The scheme provides short-term income support, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The scheme ensures that for those who were renting, and due to temporary loss of employment, can continue to meet their rental commitments.
Since the introduction of the Government’s Covid emergency response approximately 6,700 customers have been provided rent supplement support; in addition, there are currently, approximately, 1,600 pending applications awaiting a decision or in the process of providing the necessary documentation to the officer dealing with the claim. Statistics in relation to overall approval/refusal rates in relation to the Scheme are not currently available.
The Department’s response to this emergency, ensuring that the inherent flexibility of the rent supplement is available, has been extended to 19 June 2020 and is being reviewed in the context of the Government’s continued response to the Covid emergency. The Department has put in place specific measures to ensure that there are no undue delays in processing applications despite the large number of new cases received over a relatively short timeframe. This included a redesigned 5 page application form and ensuring resources were in place for areas with expected high levels of demand. The standard time for applications to be processed is 2/3 working days. The quick turnaround of applications received ensures customers do not experience arrears build ups, officers attempt to ensure that a person's rental obligations are met in full.
The cases that are currently in payment and awarded from the 13 March 2020 by county, along with cases currently pending a decision (or documentation still outstanding) are provided in the attached tabular statement.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Table 1: Rent Supplement Awards Post 13th March & Pending Claims as at 2 nd June 2020
|
County |
Awarded RS Cases Post 13th March |
Pending Cases |
|
CARLOW |
101 |
19 |
|
CAVAN |
110 |
15 |
|
CLARE |
110 |
18 |
|
CORK |
691 |
413 |
|
DONEGAL |
120 |
8 |
|
DUBLIN |
2,679 |
605 |
|
GALWAY |
335 |
122 |
|
KERRY |
265 |
58 |
|
KILDARE |
328 |
44 |
|
KILKENNY |
123 |
32 |
|
LAOIS |
104 |
11 |
|
LEITRIM |
33 |
2 |
|
LIMERICK |
256 |
6 |
|
LONGFORD |
39 |
18 |
|
LOUTH |
117 |
34 |
|
MAYO |
135 |
27 |
|
MEATH |
207 |
31 |
|
MONAGHAN |
50 |
7 |
|
OFFALY |
48 |
6 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
62 |
18 |
|
SLIGO |
69 |
10 |
|
TIPPERARY |
150 |
18 |
|
WATERFORD |
37 |
16 |
|
WESTMEATH |
129 |
7 |
|
WEXFORD |
165 |
19 |
|
WICKLOW |
278 |
24 |
|
Grand Total |
6,741 |
1,588 |
657. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration has been given to extending the period within which child benefit can be paid up until the end of full-time education even if this means paying it for a child over 18 years of age; the estimated number of children such a decision would benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10007/20]
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 until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child benefit is currently paid, as of end-March 2020, to over 638,400 families in respect of over 1.2 million children with an estimated expenditure of more than €2 billion in 2019.
Enrolment data from the Department of Education and Skills and combined with data from my Department indicate that there were up to 25,901 students aged 17 and 18 in full-time secondary education at the start of the 2019/2020 academic year. Extending the payment in respect of full time students in second level education who are aged 18 and over would have significant cost implications and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
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) paid 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.
Further information on these schemes and other supports for families and children are available in a recently published guide on schemes and services produced by my Department for families and children and which is available via www.gov.ie .
658. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when arrears of the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment will be issued. [10038/20]
View answer676. Deputy Norma Foley asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to accommodate the payment of arrears due to persons in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment. [10279/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 658 and 676 together.
The emergency Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been introduced as a time-limited emergency measure so that payments can be made as quickly as possible to the large number of people who have become fully unemployed due to the pandemic.
During the month of March, my Department received and processed jobseeker claims equivalent in number to a three year claim-load. These applications were processed as quickly as possible, with almost 59,000 people paid in the first week of the scheme, 283,000 people paid in the following week, and over 507,000 people in the third week of the scheme. To date, almost 6 million payments have issued to just over 670,000 individuals at a cost of over €2 Billion.
Currently, the Department is focused on processing and managing payments to ensure that they continue to be made to all who qualify for them. The work involved in doing this is complex, with people joining and leaving the scheme each week, along with management of overlaps between the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the Revenue Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme.
The Department is aware that many people are due some arrears and that each person’s case is unique. This means that each person’s application may need to be individually reviewed.
It will take time to review all of the applications and assess for back payments. The Department is committed to reviewing cases as quickly as possible.
I can assure the Deputies that all cases will be examined and where arrears arise they will be processed and claimants will be notified.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
659. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will permit civil marriage ceremonies to commence again particularly in certain circumstances (details supplied); if registry offices can be set up for social distancing; if teleconferences can be used for such ceremonies; if consideration will be given to providing protective plastic screens in registry offices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10062/20]
View answerDue to current restrictions to support of public health initiatives, access to the Civil Registration Service offices is greatly restricted and civil marriage ceremonies cannot proceed, other than in exceptional circumstances, involving the risk of death to one of the parties to a marriage.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Civil Registration Service. The General Register Office, which falls under the aegis of my Department, is liaising with the HSE to put plans in place for the resumption of services, including the provision of civil marriage ceremonies in line with the Government's roadmap.
I understand that provisional plans involve the re-opening of local Civil Registration Offices from 29th June to facilitate the completion of the legal preliminaries for marriage. , A further extension of services to conduct civil ceremonies from 20th July is also planned. This is subject to strict adherence to social distancing recommendations and each registration area will introduce safeguards, depending on each office's specific needs.
With regard to marriages taking place by teleconference, the Deputy should note that this would require changes to legislation. Currently all parties to the marriage are required to be in attendance in the presence of the registered solemniser, who are each then required to sign the necessary paperwork immediately after the ceremony.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
660. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if family income supplement will be approved for persons (details supplied). [10065/20]
View answerWorking Family Payment (WFP) is an income tested, in-work, family payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children. In order to qualify for WFP, an applicant or the applicant and a spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in fulltime remunerative employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight.
To date, I am advised that an application for WFP has not been received by the Department from the persons (family) concerned.
An application-form (WFP 1) has been issued to the family concerned for completion. Alternatively a WFP application-form can be accessed @ www.gov.ie .
On receipt of a completed WFP application from the person(s) concerned, their application will be processed accordingly.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
