Written Answers Nos. 582-606
582. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a process is available for applicants looking to avail of the additional three weeks benefit under parent's leave and benefit announced in budget 2021 with payment then issuing from her Department’s systems to administer this extension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12909/21]
View answerParent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021. This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted on or after 1st November 2019. The period during which this leave can be taken will be extended from 12 to 24 months so it can be taken up to a child's second birthday or within two years following adoption.
In December 2020, Government approved the drafting of a Parent’s Leave and Benefit (Amendment) Bill, to provide for these statutory amendments. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has responsibility for parents leave policy and is leading on this legislation.
I can confirm that my Department will be in a position to process and issue payments in respect of Parent's Leave taken from the date of enactment of the necessary legislation.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
583. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) relating to maternity benefit will be examined. [12910/21]
View answerMaternity benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed pregnant women who satisfy certain pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. In order to qualify for maternity benefit, a person must be in employment immediately before the first day of her maternity leave. The last day of insurable employment must be within 16 weeks of the end of the week in which her baby is due. If a woman satisfies these conditions and ceases employment within this 16 week timeframe, payment of maternity benefit can commence from the following day. In 2021, it is estimated that my Department will spend approximately €261 million on maternity benefit.
The fundamental qualification criteria for maternity benefit are that a woman must be in insurable employment or self-employment and is entitled to statutory maternity leave. The applicant must also satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. These conditions must be satisfied by the applicant in their own right.
Where an individual is not in employment within the 16 week timeframe or has insufficient social insurance contributions to qualify for maternity benefit, they may be eligible for another social welfare payment provided they meet the relevant conditions.
New mothers who do not qualify for maternity benefit may also be eligible for a payment under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme. This scheme is considered a "safety net" within the overall social welfare system for eligible people whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other welfare schemes.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
584. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider appointing representatives of affected groups to the Pensions Commission such as groups (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12912/21]
View answer610. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider including representatives from organisations (details supplied) on the Pensions Commission. [13128/21]
View answer612. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will include representatives of key groups that the Pensions Commission’s deliberations involve and its decisions will affect (details supplied) and if not, the reason and basis for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13176/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 584, 610 and 612 together.
The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine sustainability and eligibility issues with the State Pension and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfillment of a Programme for Government commitment. These issues are being considered from a perspective of fiscal and social sustainability, and intergenerational fairness. It has held eight meetings to date and will report on its findings by the end of June 2021. In this regard, the Commission is halfway through its work.
Membership of the Commission includes representation of workers, employers, civil society, academics and those with technical and policy expertise. This includes those with involvement in organisations supporting older people. The ICTU nomination on the Commission is a senior representative from SIPTU, a founding member of the Stop 67 coalition, and a member of the Executive Board of the National Women's Council of Ireland. I was keen to ensure that the Commission had strong female representation in its membership, and I am pleased that the majority of members – 7 out of 11 – are women. It is imperative that the Commission has the required expertise to progress its work and is independent in its deliberations.As part of its work, the Commission has been asked to seek the views of recognised experts and representative groups by inviting submissions and presentations. Details on the Commission's work is available on its website, PensionsCommission.gov.ie. The Commission’s public consultation process closed just this week on the 9th of March. It sought submissions by email or by post from interested parties on sustainable State Pensions arrangements into the future. There was also a survey for those who did not wish to make a formal submission.
I am satisfied that the Commission, with its gender-balanced membership and extensive experience of social and public policy, is well equipped to grasp the potential impacts of any pensions reform options on affected groups, such as women, workers, and older people. It is of particular importance to consider the impact of any potential changes to the State Pension system on those who rely on it for all or most of their income.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
585. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12916/21]
View answerDisability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66 with a disability expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition, means test and are habitually resident in Ireland.
Processing times vary across schemes, depending of the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigations and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision making process.
The average time taken to award a DA claim at the end of February 2021 was five 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.
586. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the jobseeker’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12917/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the different qualification criteria. Also, means-tested payments can require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision-making process.
As at January 2021 the average time for award of Jobseekers Allowance is 2 weeks with 96% of applications being processed within 6 weeks target.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
587. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the State pension, contributory and non-contributory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12918/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to ensuring that State pension claims are processed as quickly as possible. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. All claims processing is kept under active review.
The operational target for State pension (contributory) claims is 90% of timely applications awarded (where qualified) by entitlement date, currently the applicant's 66th birthday. According to the latest figures available to end February 2021, 95% of these applications were processed by date of entitlement with an average processing time of 5 weeks.
The State pension (non-contributory) scheme (SPNC) has a performance target of 75% of new claims to be awarded (where qualified) within 12 weeks of receipt. The average processing time achieved for SPNC claims to end February 2021 was 88% within 12 weeks with an average processing time of 6 weeks.
Processing of all applications is dependent on the completeness of the application and the availability of all the required information.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
588. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12919/21]
View answerThe Department's Back to Education Allowance provides income support for people who wish to pursue second or third level courses.
In advance of commencing a course of education or training, either part-time or full-time, including springboard courses, a person must establish an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare weekly payment, generally a Jobseeker’s payment.
Under the July 2020 Stimulus the Back To Education Allowance has been extended to people who have been in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. A person will be required to transfer from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to the relevant qualifying social welfare scheme to continue to receive income support while availing of full-time education provision.
My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Currently the average time for award of Jobseekers Benefit is 1 week with 94% of claims processed within 3 weeks and the average time for Jobseekers Allowance is 2 weeks with 96% of applications being processed within 6 weeks.
The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant, payable by the Department of Education and Skills, represents the primary support for people pursuing third level education and its administration is a matter for that Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
589. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12920/21]
View answerThe back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.
The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom an increase for a qualified child is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid.
To qualify for BSCFA, a person must meet a number of conditions namely:
- The child must meet the age criteria.
- The applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and getting an increase in that payment for the qualified child (except in certain circumstances) in the period 1 June to 30 September.
- The assessable income for the household must be within prescribed limits.
- The applicant and the child (or children) in respect of whom the allowance is claimed must be resident in the State.
All applications received for the scheme in 2020 have been processed.
The BSCFA scheme will be open in June 2021. It is planned, similar to previous years, that the majority of payments under this scheme will be paid without the need of an application. These customers will receive their BSCFA payments in the week ending 16 July.
Customers, who do not receive a letter regarding their BSCFA by the end of June can apply for BSCFA online on www.mywelfare.ie. The online application will be open from the end of June. Customers who are experiencing issues applying online can contact our contact centre on 071 9193318 or 0818 11 11 13 or alternatively customers can email our dedicated email address, bscfa@welfare.ie.
Once received, all applications will be processed in date of receipt order.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
590. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the basic supplementary welfare allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12921/21]
View answer595. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the exceptional needs payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12927/21]
View answer600. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the urgent needs payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12932/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 590, 595 and 600 together.
The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment as well as single exceptional needs payments (ENPs) and urgent needs payments (UNPs).
The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.
Decisions on ENPs and UNPs supplements 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.
Provision of a prompt service is a major objective for the Department’s staff dealing with applications for all schemes, and in particular for the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme which acts as the safety net within the social welfare system.
The timescale for determining applications under the SWA schemes may be dependent, among other things, on the availability of supporting documents needed to consider the application, which may include details of applicant’s income and savings, and information to establish the need. If there is any doubt about the validity of a claim, further information or verification may be requested.
I wish to assure the Deputy that the SWA scheme is kept under review to ensure that it continues to a timely response to support those most in need of assistance. If the Deputy has concerns in respect of a particular case, he should bring the details to the attention of the Department.
Anyone who wishes to make an application for a payment under the SWA scheme should contact the Community Welfare Service at their local Intreo Centre. There is a national Income Support Helpline in place (1890 800 024) which will assist callers to make contact with the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
591. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the blind pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12922/21]
View answerThe current timeframe for a decision on an application for the Blind Pension is 4.5 weeks.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
592. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12923/21]
View answerCarer'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.
At the end of February 2021 the average number of weeks to award new Carer's Allowance applications was 4 weeks. My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Once all of the necessary information is provided, there are currently no delays in processing claims.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
593. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the carer’s support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12924/21]
View answerThe Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is paid automatically to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attention are also eligible and can apply for the grant. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject to certain conditions, one of which is that the period of full-time care and attention must last for at least six months. This period of care must include the first Thursday in June.
There are currently no delays in processing Carer's Support Grant applications. Once the necessary information is provided by the claimant a decision will be made on an application for the carer’s support grant without delay. My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
The 2021 Carer's Support Grant is payable on the 3rd June. Applications for the 2021 Carer's Support Grant can be submitted from the week of 5th April 2021 to the 31st December 2022.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
594. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the domiciliary care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12926/21]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance has a target of deciding 90% of new claims within 10 weeks of receipt. The average processing time for new applications in 2020 was 8 weeks and this is still being achieved to date in 2021. Since April 2020, the monthly target of deciding 90% of claims within 10 weeks has been achieved every month, with the latest figures for February 2021 showing that 96% of claims were decided within the 10 week target timeframe.
Processing times can vary depending on the volume of applications received, availability of resources and complexity of individual cases. All of these factors are continuously monitored to ensure targets are achieved.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
596. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12928/21]
View answerFuel Allowance is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is a contribution towards heating costs, it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made at the weekly rate of €28.00; or if preferred, by way of two lump sum payments; and is paid over the winter season (28 weeks in the 2020/2021 fuel allowance season). Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household.
Fuel Allowance applications are processed by the customer's primary scheme payment area, across a number of different (IT) platforms. For this reason, the average waiting time for a decision on a Fuel Allowance application can vary. Decision waiting times can also fluctuate based on the level of applications received, for example during or outside of the winter fuel allowance season. Additionally, where further information is requested before a decision on eligibility can be made (generally relating to means or household composition), delays in the provision of the required information can occur. While is not possible to provide an average timeframe for a Fuel Allowance decision, given the variables set out, my Department is currently unaware of any area experiencing any delays in processing of Fuel Allowance applications for customers.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
597. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the household benefits package; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12929/21]
View answerThe Household Benefits Package is a set of allowances aimed at assisting qualifying recipients with their household running costs. It includes an allowance towards their electricity or gas costs, as well as the cost of their television licence.
The current average turnaround time for Household Benefit Package applications is one week.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
598. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12930/21]
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 average timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for an IP claim is currently 5 weeks. The Department is committed to ensuring that claims and reviews are processed as expeditiously as possible.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy
599. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the one-parent family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12931/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the different qualification criteria. Also, means-tested payments can require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision-making process.
As at January 2021 I can confirm that 95% of applications for One Parent Family Allowance were processed within 10 weeks and that, on average, applications are awarded within 2 weeks.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
601. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of plans to provide pension provision as per a 2008 Labour Court recommendation for community employment supervisors; the engagement under way; the timeframe for a decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12947/21]
View answerAs 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 for CE supervisors who are employed by CE schemes.
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.
This 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.
In its findings, the High-level Group stated that while CE supervisors and assistant supervisors represented only a very small part of the wider community and voluntary sector, any explicit provision of State funding for such a scheme in respect of CE Supervisors could potentially give rise to claims for funding for employees in the broader sector. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform stated that it had to have regard to any potential Exchequer exposure associated with dealing with the specific issue as regards CE supervisors arising from the Labour Court recommendation.
At this point, I want to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that CE supervisors provide in running CE schemes delivering local based community services while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those often furthest removed from the labour market.
The current position is that officials from my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are engaging in discussions on this issue and I am hopeful that, with goodwill and flexibility on all sides, a resolution can be found in the near future.
Funding of any potential pension provision for CE supervisors will ultimately be a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and will need to be considered in the wider economic and budgetary context in which any such scheme will need to operate.
As the Deputy will be aware, these matters take time to resolve given the complexity of the subject, the wider financial implications and the number of parties involved. It is therefore not possible at the present time to predict, how much more time is required to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion. Nevertheless I, and my colleague the Minster for Public Expenditure and Reform are keen to find an approach that will resolve this issue as soon as possible.
602. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of students who undertook work experience or internships with State and semi-State agencies under her aegis in 2019; the cost in terms of wages and allowances; and the estimated numerical capacity of State and semi-State agencies to provide work experience and internships on an annual basis. [12962/21]
View answerThere are two agencies under the aegis of my Department - the Citizens Information Board (CIB) and the Pensions Authority.
Two students undertook unpaid work experience in The Pensions Authority in 2019. The work experience was for a period of two weeks in one case and for a period of one day in the other. The Pensions Authority have the capacity to provide unpaid work experience in the future on an ad-hoc basis.
No students undertook work experience or internships in The Citizens Information Board in 2019. CIB would be open to exploring a work experience or internship scheme for students, but given the constraints of the salary budget, this would most likely have to be unpaid. CIB has no plans at present for a work experience or internship scheme.
603. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will make changes to a service agreement with local community employment sponsor groups (details supplied) in County Cork to ensure the continuation of the individually and communally beneficial scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13001/21]
View answerAt a meeting held on 27/01/2021 with representatives from the CE sponsors, a range of issues causing concern was outlined. Following this meeting, my colleague Minister Humphreys and I announced a number of changes to CE, on Tuesday 2nd March, which substantially address the concerns raised.
Amongst the issues raised were the implications of a 2017 rule change that affected CE participants aged 55 years and older who were on CE in July 2017. We have confirmed that this cohort now have the option of remaining on CE for a maximum of six consecutive years, in accordance with the terms of the saver clause included in the 2017 rule changes.
As the Deputy will be aware, since the start of the Pandemic, Ministers Humphreys and I have approved the extension of CE participant contracts that would have come to an end during Level 5 restrictions on a number of occasions. We have now provided for a further extension up to the 2nd July.
I would also like to reassure the Deputy and the CE scheme in Skibbereen that, subsequent to the final extension date, there will be a planned ending of contracts on a phased basis, over a period of time, in order to ensure continuity of local services. Department officials will be working on the ground with CE schemes to support them in managing this process.
I remain committed to continuing to support and improve the programme for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services.
604. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection if a death registered before the enactment of the amended section 37 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 can have the qualified informant to the registration of a death, cohabitant, added to a death certificate as this does not alter the facts of the death in any way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13015/21]
View answerSection 37 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 was amended with effect from 20 November 2020 to allow additional persons, including cohabitants, to act as qualified informants for the purposes of registering the death of a loved one. This new provision sought to address the issue of cohabitants not being officially recognised for the purposes of registering the death.
Previously, the duty to register a death fell to a family member or civil partner to the exclusion of cohabitants unless no other relative was available to do so.
The legislative measures introduced from 20 November 2020 are not retrospective in nature. This means that any deaths registered prior to this date cannot be amended to show “cohabitant” as a qualified informant.
I hope that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
605. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a disability allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13036/21]
View answerBased on the evidence supplied in support of their application for disability allowance (DA), this person’s application was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied. They were notified in writing of this decision on 31 August 2020.
The person concerned requested an appeal of the decision and submitted additional medical evidence for consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office decided, based on this additional evidence, that the medical qualifying condition was satisfied.
On 11 February 2021 the person concerned was awarded DA from 6 January 2021. A review has been carried out and DA has now been awarded from 12 August 2020. The first payment was made by her chosen payment method on 3 March 2021.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments (if applicable).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
606. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the correspondence and interaction there have been between her Department and the board of a group (details supplied) regarding the pending job losses at its site in Raheen, County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13053/21]
View answerI received formal notification from this employer on 17 February 2021 of proposed collective redundancies at this site. I noted and welcomed the employer's commitment to engage in a consultation process with affected employees from the week beginning 21 February in order to identify solutions and reach agreement in relation to the proposed redundancies. I also noted the employer's commitment that, where a decision was taken to proceed with the proposed redundancies following the period of consultation, the employer would honour the employees' contractual and statutory rights with respect to a redundancy package as part of this process.
The Department has worked closely with this employer in similar circumstances previously and is doing so again in relation to this particular issue. The employer contacted my Department officials directly to request assistance with managing the employee’s social welfare entitlements post-redundancy. A local Department Area Manager has been nominated to liaise with a nominee from the employer involved. It has been agreed that all enquiries from this employer to my Department will be coordinated through this liaison person. Information packs containing application forms for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, Disability Allowance and information on the EmployAbility Service and the Department's Activation Services were issued to the employer on 25 February. At a local level, dedicated staff in my Department have been assigned to work directly with the employees affected by this redundancy to ensure they receive their proper entitlements and appropriate supports.
Arrangements have also been made to ensure that any social welfare claims arising from the company closure will be expedited. My Department will work to ensure that the employees will be able to access their entitlements swiftly and in a manner that does not cause any further distress.
I hope this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
