Brendan Griffin
Question:518. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on persons returning to work (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24954/20]
View answerCovid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
Questions (518)
Written answers
All social welfare schemes are subject to control and compliance checks in order to ensure that the Exchequer resources provided for those schemes are protected. The pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) scheme is subject to conditionality, in particular that a person must have lost their employment due to the pandemic and are now fully unemployed.
Where payments of any social welfare scheme may have been incorrectly paid, each individual case is examined and the Department then decides on a relevant course of action, up to and including prosecution, if so warranted.
My Department's Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy 2019 - 2024 aims to combat social welfare fraud and abuse. It is designed to ensure a targeted response to high risk sectors and to ensure an integrated approach to the prevention, deterrence and detection of social welfare abuse across the Department’s services and schemes.
The emphasis of my Department’s control activities is on direct intervention and engagement. High visibility operations by my Department's Special Investigation Unit are regularly and systematically undertaken.
In the context of self-employed trades people who may be engaged in social welfare fraud, whether related to the PUP or other welfare payments, specific activities being undertaken in the context of our overall anti-fraud strategy include:
- The active policing of the hidden economy sector where there is a prevalence of social welfare and abuse. Investigations are undertaken through Joint Investigation Units with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners;
- Where intelligence or reliable reports are received about persons engaged in concurrent working and claiming or under declaration of income, reviews of eligibility are undertaken;
- Site visits and employer inspections are systematically conducted to detect incidences of social welfare fraud. These visits and inspections are undertaken in those sectors where the risk of fraud is most prevalent; and
- Multi-agency checkpoints are undertaken with the Garda Traffic Unit and Revenue. Persons driving commercially taxed vehicles are interviewed as part of these projects.
I would also encourage anyone with knowledge of specific instances of suspected fraudulent claiming to report them to the Department using the confidential reporting facility at https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/secure/ReportFraud.aspx, or on (01) 6734545. This facility allows members of the public to report suspected fraud, including suspected cases of working while claiming social welfare benefits. Cases reported here will be examined and investigated appropriately.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Carer's Benefit
Questions (519)
Kieran O'Donnell
Question:519. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Protection if a carers benefit application will be reviewed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24978/20]
View answerWritten answers
Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention.
My Department received an application for CARB from the person concerned on 12th August 2020. Under the provisions of the legislation, a person claiming CARB must be in remunerative full time employment, for a minimum of 16 hours in the week or 32 hours in the fortnight, for eight weeks out of the previous 26 week period immediately prior to the first day on which a claim is made.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that this requirement was satisfied. The person concerned was notified of this decision on 1st September 2020 and of her right of review and appeal.
There is no provision in legislation to waive this requirement. The person concerned has however been advised to apply for Carer's Allowance which is not a contribution based scheme.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision. The outcome of the review is that the original decision is confirmed. On 17 September 2020 the person concerned was notified of this outcome and of their right of appeal directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
Questions (520)
Pearse Doherty
Question:520. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was refused the higher rate of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment; if further supporting evidence supplied was considered in the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25044/20]
View answerWritten answers
From 17 September 2020 until 31 January 2021 the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be paid at 3 rates.
If a customer earned less than €200 per week - the rate of the payment will be €203 per week , which is the same as the primary rate of Jobseekers Benefit. If a customer earned between €200 and €300 per week - the rate of payment will be €250 per week. If a customer earned over €300 per week - the rate will be €300 per week
My Department is currently managing requests from customers in relation to reviews of rates of payment. I am advised that, that on examination of this case, Department records (confirmed by the Revenue Commissioners) currently show no reckonable earnings in either 2019 or 2020 for the person concerned. As this produces a weekly earnings figure of below €200 per week, the lower weekly rate of €203 is the maximum possible rate currently applicable in the circumstances.
If the person concerned believes that the earnings information held by the Department is inaccurate, or wishes to provide further details of recent employment or self-employment income, the relevant documentation should be supplied to the Department.
If, pending the completion of a review of her entitlements, the person concerned is experiencing financial difficulties at the moment, she may wish contact her local Community Welfare office to make a claim for a means tested supplementary welfare allowance.
I trust that this clarifies the matter.
Free Travel Scheme
Questions (521)
Pearse Doherty
Question:521. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if the free transport scheme will be extended to include travel to HSE day services across older persons, disability and mental health services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25045/20]
View answerWritten answers
The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 979,000 customers with direct eligibility. The 2020 funding allocation for the free travel scheme is €95 million.
One of the key aspects of the free travel scheme is that the service provided is via open, publicly available services. In contrast, the door to door transport services provided by the HSE are only open to HSE service users and consequently those services are considered a closed service. The vehicles participating in this service would be considered private hire vehicles.
Any decision to allow people to use their free travel passes on private hire vehicles would lead to similar requests from other groups that provide private hire vehicles and would place significant extra costs on the free travel scheme. It would lead to a fundamental change to the nature of the Free Travel Scheme and would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), my Department may award a travel supplement in any case where the circumstances of the case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Redundancy Payments
Questions (522)
Ged Nash
Question:522. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection if workers laid off for extended periods that commence new employment will lose their entitlement to redundancy lump sums from their original employer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25115/20]
View answerWritten answers
Firstly I would like to say that the decision to extend the emergency measure relating to temporary lay-off or short-time work which arose as a result of Covid-19 has been a difficult one. I know many employees who have been laid off are experiencing great uncertainty but in making this decision the Government had to consider the need to ensure businesses survive, which in turn ensures further permanent job losses are avoided as much as possible.
While an employee may be temporarily laid off from their usual employment, there is no statutory provision in employment legislation which prohibits them from seeking alternative employment. If an employee chooses to take up other employment during that temporary lay-off and they remain available to resume their employment with their usual employer, they have an entitlement to claim redundancy from that employer when this emergency measure ends.
When the emergency measure ceases to have effect and the employee has not been taken back to work by their usual employer, they are entitled to claim redundancy from that employer. Under existing provisions the employer can then either agree to the redundancy payment if they still have no work available to offer the employee, or the employer may within seven days of the employee’s claim for redundancy, give a counter notice by offering the employee not less than 13 weeks unbroken employment (with no lay-off or short-time) starting within four weeks of the employee serving notice.
If the employer does not fulfil the counter notice above and the lay-off or short-time persists the employee retains the right to claim redundancy from their employer.
In situations where an employer offers to take the employee back to work from temporary lay-off to their job and the employee chooses not to return to that employment a redundancy situation does not arise and the employee does not have an entitlement to claim redundancy.
Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
Questions (523)
Paul McAuliffe
Question:523. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason 2018 PAYE and self-employed income cannot be combined for the purpose of calculating the pandemic unemployment rate of a person; the reason it is the case for 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25135/20]
View answerWritten answers
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid. In order to ensure that the scheme was simple and accessible for the unprecedented number of applicants, a flat payment rate was introduced. This rate was the equivalent of the rate for a two-person household.
From 26 June 2020, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment moved to 2 rates of payment, and a 3 rate structure is in place since 17 September. These changes more closely link the rate of payment to the amount that individuals previously earned and make the scheme more targeted and fair. In determining the rate payable, the objective was to ensure that recent earnings were taken into account.
For employees, the greater of their gross weekly earnings in either 2019 or January to February 2020 was used to determine the rate of Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
For self-employed people a different approach was required, based on their average weekly income for 2018 or 2019.
In order to address situations where individuals had only moved from employment into self-employment or vice versa during 2019, earnings from both sources can be aggregated. This is to ensure that these individuals are not disadvantaged by the fact that a full year’s earnings from either source is not available. Of the 108,725 cases which were rerated based on their 2019 earnings, only 652 cases qualified for a rate of either €250 or €300 based on an aggregation of their income as outlined above. It is not proposed to extend the aggregation of income to the 2018 year as this potentially distorts the objective of linking the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to recent earnings.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Probate Applications
Questions (524)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:524. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application by a solicitor (details supplied) for clearance to take out probate and pay out the beneficiaries of a will, will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25187/20]
View answerWritten answers
State pension non-contributory is a means-tested social assistance payment. Following award, claimants are obliged to notify , in a timely manner, any changes in their circumstances that may affect their pension entitlement. A list of the reportable changes of circumstance is included in the initial notification of pension award and in all subsequent review communications issued.
Social welfare legislation provides that the personal representative of a deceased person who at any time received a social assistance payment is obliged to give notice of their intention to distribute the deceased's estate and to provide a schedule of the assets of the estate to the Department . The personal representative is informed not to distribute the estate until a formal clearance letter is issued from the Department.
If, on examination of the schedule of assets, it is found that not all of the deceased’s means had been disclosed, or if the values of previously assessed means have changed, an overpayment of pension may arise and the Department will seek to recover any due debt from the estate.
The deceased person concerned was in receipt of state pension non-contributory. On 18 December, the personal representative was informed of their obligation to provide a schedule of assets. The schedule of assets, received on 27 August 2020, indicates that the deceased may not have been entitled to the rate of pension paid.
The file has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector to review the pension entitlement. The personal and legal representatives have been informed not to distribute the assets of the estate until a letter of clearance has issued. The Social Welfare Investigator will be in contact with the personal and legal representatives shortly on this matter.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Code
Questions (525)
Holly Cairns
Question:525. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on introducing paid domestic violence leave to enable victims of domestic violence to leave their partners, find new homes and protect themselves and their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25198/20]
View answerWritten answers
The provison of statutory leave is not a matter for my Department. Family leave, force majeure leave and other similar provisions fall under the Department of Justice, which is also the lead department for the policy response to issues related to domestic violence.
Since August, I introduced changes to the rent supplement scheme to make it more easily accessible to victims of domestic violence. This seeks to ensure that victims of domestic violence are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial or accommodation difficulties.
I trust that this clarifies the position.
Exceptional Needs Payment
Questions (526, 530, 554)
Catherine Connolly
Question:526. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid out by her Department in exceptional needs payments in each month from January to September 2020, by payment type; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25207/20]
View answerCatherine Connolly
Question:530. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid out by her Department in urgent needs payments each month from January to September 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25210/20]
View answer
Bernard Durkan
Question:554. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons that applied for and received an exceptional needs payment in each of the past five years to date; the extent to which the figures have fluctuated throughout the period in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25532/20]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 526, 530 and 554 together.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time. Government has provided €44.2 million for the exceptional and urgent needs schemes in 2020.
The ENP and UNP schemes are demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
Statistics are maintained relating to payments made; however they are not maintained on the number of applications. The tabular statement below shows the monthly expenditure and number of payments made to the end of August 2020 on ENPs and UNPs. Also shown is the number of payments made under the ENP and UNP scheme each year since 2016.
The Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment was paid under UNP legislation from its introduction in March 2020 until 5 August 2020 when it was placed on a separate legislative basis. Covid 19 pandemic unemployment payments are not included in the figures.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an ENP or UNP should contact my Department's Community Welfare Service. My Department has established an Income Support Line - 1890 800 024 – which can be used by customers at this time to contact the Department. Staff can advise them of how to make an application for assistance from the Department.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputies.
Monthly Expenditure for ENPs and UNPs for January to August 2020
|
Month |
ENP expenditure |
No. of ENPs |
UNP expenditure |
No. of UNPs |
|
January |
€3,422,749 |
7,625 |
€10,785 |
40 |
|
February |
€3,971,287 |
7,367 |
€12,365 |
24 |
|
March |
€4,000,928 |
6,662 |
€25,963 |
63 |
|
April |
€2,269,856 |
3,821 |
€79,185 |
173 |
|
May |
€2,552,845 |
4,021 |
€93,779 |
169 |
|
June |
€3,231,389 |
4,989 |
€80,013 |
159 |
|
July |
€3,555,210 |
5,551 |
€60,437 |
108 |
|
August |
€2,962,264 |
4,614 |
€30,082 |
83 |
Number of ENP and UNP payments made 2015-2019
|
Year |
Number of Payments |
|
2015 |
101,600 |
|
2016 |
100,100 |
|
2017 |
103,500 |
|
2018 |
112,500 |
|
2019 |
92,200 |
Note: These figures are taken from the Department’s ENP database and represent a snapshot of the ENPs as they are approved by an officer rather than when they are paid. Please note the figures do not capture payments that are cancelled, payments that go out of date or overpayments recouped.
Departmental Reviews
Questions (529)
Catherine Connolly
Question:529. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection when the external consultants review of all current contracted public employment services will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25211/20]
View answerWritten answers
In December 2019, my Department engaged with external consultants in order to undertake a review of all current contracted Public Employment Services (PES), including JobPath. The consultants' research, recently completed, will help inform the Government's approach on the future structure of all contracted PES. I expect that the final report will be formally submitted to me shortly.
The review process was interrupted by Covid-19 and the associated restrictions. The review was commissioned with a review to ensuring that all our contracted public employment services continue to be fit-for-purpose and provides value for money. This must be balanced against maintaining sufficient employment services capacity as needed by those who have lost their jobs as a result of the on-going public health crisis.
Any provision for contracted Public Employment Services in 2021 will be in the context of managing and responding to the labour market impacts of Covid-19. My Department will work to ensure there is sufficient capacity within the Public Employment Service to provide a high quality service to help individuals back into employment.
My Department is considering how to ensure that we have sufficient capacity in the Public Employment Service to ensure that we are in a position to provide the necessary supports and services to individuals who have lost employment arising from the labour market impacts of the pandemic
The publication of the report will be dependent on the timing of any competitive procurement competition in relation to the provision of contracted public employment services to my Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Question No. 530 answered with Question No. 526.
Community Employment Schemes
Questions (531)
Seán Sherlock
Question:531. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will meet with community employment supervisors or their representatives in respect of pension entitlements or payments that may accrue due to years of service. [24460/20]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme.
CE sponsoring authorities are the legal employers of their CE supervisors, CE assistant supervisors and CE participants; the Department’s role continues to be that of CE funder.
The issue was examined by a Community Sector High Level Forum, chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A number of Departments, including my own Department, were represented on this group, as were the unions and Pobal.
A detailed scoping exercise was carried out with input from the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) on the potential costs of providing Exchequer support for the establishment of such a pension scheme for employees across the Community and Voluntary sector in Ireland. This exercise estimated a potential cost to the State of between €188 million and €347 million per annum depending on the numbers involved. This excluded any provision for an immediate ex-gratia lump sum payment of pension as sought, which could entail a further Exchequer cost of up to €318 million.
Officials from my Department are engaging with with CE supervisor union representatives on this issue. Discussions were also undertaken with my Department officials and their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER). These are ongoing.
Fuel Allowance
Questions (532)
Christopher O'Sullivan
Question:532. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the weekly income limit for pensioners applying for fuel allowance. [25220/20]
View answerWritten answers
The fuel allowance is a payment of €24.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €686 each year) from October to April, to an average of 352,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €261.35 million in 2020. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. People who are in receipt of a qualifying contributory payment must also satisfy a means test. All non-contributory recipients are accepted as satisfying the means-test for fuel.
A fuel applicant and members of his/her household may have a combined assessable income of up to €100.00 a week above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory and still qualify for a payment. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.
The €100 a week means limit is significantly higher that the weekly fuel allowance rate of €24.50 and also the combined weekly total of household benefits and fuel allowance added together (€35.65). It should be remembered that more than half of those over 66 years of age are solely dependent upon the State pension, and so a person with additional pension income above €100, is not amongst the cohort of more disadvantaged people that Fuel Allowance is targeted towards.
Any extension of the fuel allowance qualifying criteria, such as increasing the allowable means for fuel allowance purposes, can only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet from his / her own resources.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Questions (533)
Claire Kerrane
Question:533. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties faced by a group of self-employed businesses (details supplied) which are unable to access supports for their businesses with the exception of the pandemic unemployment payment; if existing supports will be made available to the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25244/20]
View answerWritten answers
The Government has extended the Pandemic Unemployment Payment until the end of March 2021 to support employees and businesses who continue to be impacted by the on-going public health restrictions. I have also secured approval to keep the scheme open to new applicants until the end of the year. This payment in addition to other existing supports are available to the sector referred to by the Deputy.
To be eligible for the pandemic unemployment payment a self-employed person must have suffered a reduction in their trading income to the extent that they are available to take up other full-time work. This allows some scope for a self-employed person to engage in once-off or emergency work and still retain their payment unless it becomes regular work or it generates significant income. The once off or emergency work should be infrequent or occasional work and show clear divergence from previous work patterns.
Where a person is engaged in regular employment they may be eligible for a jobseekers payment depending on their personal circumstances. A person in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment may take up employment but they must be unemployed for at least 4 days in 7 consecutive days to be eligible for a payment and continue to satisfy the other qualifying conditions of the schemes.
The Enterprise Support Grant has also been extended to provide once-off supports for self-employed people who have been severely impacted and have had to cease operations as a result of the pandemic. The grant of up to €1000 is designed to help the self- employed small business owners who transition from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to re-open their business and who do not qualify for other business re-start grants from other Government Departments. Further information and the application process to access this grant is available on www.gov.ie.
I trust that this clarifies the position at this time.
Social Welfare Appeals
Questions (534)
Seán Sherlock
Question:534. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in a decision on an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25309/20]
View answerWritten answers
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18 March 2020. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 7 April 2020.
On consideration, the Appeals Officer has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case. Due to Covid-19 restrictions in-person oral appeal hearings were suspended since 13 March 2020 and have only resumed in recent weeks. Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for 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.
Invalidity Pension
Questions (535)
Seán Sherlock
Question:535. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in the event that the State pension is not payable until 67 years of age, eligibility for the invalidity pension will rise accordingly and persons currently in receipt of an invalidity pension will remain on same until pension age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25310/20]
View answerWritten answers
Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people of working age who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
Those in receipt of the personal rate of invalidity pension at pension age generally transfer automatically to the State pension (contributory) at the full payment rate. Should pension age change, a person in receipt of invalidity pension would continue to receive that payment until pension age.
The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provided for increases to the State pension age to make the State pension system more sustainable as life expectancy increases. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State Pension (Transition). This measure standardised the State pension age for all at 66 years. The legislation provided for increases to the State pension age - to 67 in 2021 and further to 68 in 2028.
The public policy and social issues in relation to funding a sustainable and adequate State pension system are complex. Therefore, in line with the Programme for Government, a Commission on Pensions will be established to examine a range of issues including contributions, calculation methods, sustainability, eligibility and intergenerational fairness. The Terms of Reference for the Commission on Pensions are currently being developed and options for its membership are being considered. Proposals will be brought to Government in that regard as soon as possible. Once it has concluded its deliberations, the Commission will report to Government by June of next year.
The Programme for Government also sets out how the planned increase in the State pension age next year will be deferred and legislation to this end will be introduced later this year.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Carer's Allowance
Questions (536)
Catherine Murphy
Question:536. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection when the carer’s allowance application by a person (details supplied) will be finalised; if the matter will be prioritised in view of the circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25357/20]
View answerWritten answers
Carer'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 child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
I can confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 20 August 2020.
To qualify for CA, the Carer must show that they are habitually resident in the State, that they are providing full-time care and attention to a person who requires this level of care and that their means are less than the statutory limit.
Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a Deciding Officer on 16 September 2020.
Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Personal Public Service Numbers
Questions (537)
Paul Donnelly
Question:537. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the fact that there is a six week or more delay on the processing of PPSN applications with some applications backlogged since March 2020. [25366/20]
View answerWritten answers
The SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity when they apply for a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), is a face- to-face process.
At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process. This decision was taken to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of social distancing.
To help ensure that those who required a PPSN could get one, my Department introduced an email and postal service through which applications could be made. The area of my Department that processes these applications is currently dealing with high volumes of applications received. By its nature this process involves, in most cases, correspondence with the customer which may lead to delays - for example, where there is a delay in receiving documents required.
I am happy to confirm that the SAFE registration service has now resumed in most Intreo Centres and Branch Offices, for those who already have a PPSN and wish to obtain a Public Services Card and I expect that the PPSN application service will be fully resumed in my Department's network of offices over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, any person who wishes to talk to someone about their application for a PPSN can call my Department on LoCall 1890 927 999.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (538)
Bernard Durkan
Question:538. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the payment available and appropriate in the case of a person (details supplied); if they have an entitlement to a Covid-19-related payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25368/20]
View answerWritten answers
The person concerned has been participating in a Tús employment programme since 18/11/2019. He is in receipt of the maximum personal payment rate of €203 plus an additional allowance of €22.50 in line with current Tús guidelines. His total weekly payment is €225.50.
The person concerned does not currently have an entitlement to a Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
Information regarding PUP eligibility can be found on www.Gov.ie/DEASP .
I trust this clarifies the matter.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (539)
Bernard Durkan
Question:539. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the appropriate payment and level of payment in respect of jobseeker’s or disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25371/20]
View answerWritten answers
The person concerned submitted an application for a Disability Allowance on 13/06/2018. The application, based upon the evidence submitted was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 07/08/2018.
A further application was received from the person concerned on 18/10/19 and this was also refused on medical grounds. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 08/01/2020 and was afforded the option to submit further medical evidence in support of her application for review. She was also advised of her right to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. To-date no request for a review or an appeal has been received from the person concerned.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of a Jobseeker’s Allowance payment at the maximum weekly personal rate of €203 plus an increase of €40 in respect of a qualified child. Her weekly rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance is €243.
I trust this clarifies the matter.