Paul Kehoe
Question:142. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding community employment supervisor pensions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35123/21]
View answerCommunity Employment Schemes
Questions (142)
Written answers
As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (CE) E supervisors and CE 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 and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsors.
This claim creates some difficulties because the State is not, in fact, the employer of the supervisors.
Within this context, officials from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform held discussions on proposals to progress and resolve this complex issue, while having regard to the wider budgetary framework. Officials from my Department also held discussions with unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.
At the start of April, agreement was reached with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long-standing issue. These proposals include a financial package.
I am confident these proposals are a solid basis for progressing and resolving this complex issue. Discussions on these proposals are ongoing between my Department and the unions representing CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. The unions have made some observations and these are now being examined by my officials in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
My officials continue to progress this matter as a priority and I would hope that these discussions can reach a conclusion in the near future.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (143)
Pauline Tully
Question:143. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual expenditure on the disability allowance for 2021; the estimated additional cost of increasing disability allowance payments by €5, €15 and €20, respectively for those currently in receipt of this payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35149/21]
View answerWritten answers
The estimated expenditure on Disability Allowance in 2021 is €1.8 billion.
The costings sought by the Deputy are contained in the table below.
|
Increase |
Cost (€m) |
|
€5 |
42.7 |
|
€15 |
128.3 |
|
€20 |
171.1 |
The costs shown above include a proportionate increase for qualified adults, and are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021. This costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (144)
Pauline Tully
Question:144. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated additional cost of increasing the upper limit of the earnings disregard for the disability allowance from €350 to €400, €450 and €500, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35150/21]
View answerWritten answers
Disability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test.
DA is structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or in insurable employment. When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, a 50% taper on earnings between €140 and €350 is also applied (disregarded), for the purpose of the means test.
The ESRI SWITCH microsimulation model has been used for the purposes of the estimate requested. The additional cost of increasing the upper limit of the earnings disregard for the disability allowance from €350 to €400, €450 and €500, respectively are set out in tabular form below.
It is important to note that SWITCH is a tax-benefit microsimulation developed by the ESRI. It provides estimates of full-year policy changes, using data from the CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions. The CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions is a representative sample, but it is quite small. As Disability Allowance is a relatively small scheme in terms of recipients, there may be issues around sample size when running costings. The microsimulation does not take into account, for example, persons who left DA and who may re-apply as a consequence of the increased upper limit of earnings.
Table: Disability Allowance Disregard Upper Limit Increase from €350.00 to €500.00 in increments of €50.00
|
Disregard |
Increase |
Cumulative Increase from Existing Disregard |
Estimated Additional Cost (€M)from the current disregard |
|
€400.00 |
€50.00 |
€50.00 |
€2.29 |
|
€450.00 |
€50.00 |
€100.00 |
€3.01 |
|
€500.00 |
€50.00 |
€150.00 |
€3.01 |
Youth Work Supports
Questions (145)
Paul Murphy
Question:145. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the potential abuse of the youth employment support scheme by employers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35162/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) was introduced on 1st October 2018 and was open to applications from that date.
YESS was targeted at young jobseekers aged between 18 and 24 who are long-term unemployed or who face barriers to employment. The scheme aimed to provide jobseekers with the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a supportive environment while on a work placement. The scheme provided a supportive structure for participants, including case worker support for both placement hosts and jobseekers.
Since the scheme's inception, a total of 1,002 people have commenced a placement. There are currently 50 participants on the YESS.
During placements there is close monitoring of participants and host organisations to ensure all the conditions of the scheme are being met, thereby ensuring that any potential difficulties are identified and resolved.
YESS guidelines provide that placements must provide the participant with a broad, meaningful and practical workplace experience within the organisation. The placement should genuinely enhance the participant’s ability to obtain future full-time employment. The placement should demonstrate that an organisation is willing to support the individual and provide the opportunity to learn new and practical skills and access to formal and/or informal training through the support of their mentor. Participants are not permitted to work unsupervised/unaccompanied for extended periods of time. A placement host cannot state that previous experience is required when advertising a placement. The placement title and associated learning outcomes from the work placement must reflect these principles. Placements are checked before being placed on the JobsIreland website in order to ensure that they follow the specification of the scheme outlined in the YESS guidelines.
The YESS programme quality is monitored by the Department’s case officers. Hosts are required to complete a monthly compliance checklist specifying attendance and if the participants are progressing in line with the agreed Learning & Development Plan. Case officers carry out a two-month review of the placement and the Learning & Development Plan with the host and the participant. After three months, a placement extension can be requested if enough progress has been made and where further learning and development opportunities exist. If both parties agree to the extension and the case officer is satisfied both the host and the participant sign the extension.
At the end of the placement both the host and the participant are asked to complete an evaluation form.
Complaints and any workplace issues which arise during the placement are addressed and resolved between the placement host, the participant and the Departmental case officer, where possible. All complaints relating to participation on the YESS are investigated in full by the Department, and appropriate action taken where necessary. Details of investigations can be made public.
Therefore I am satisfied that there are procedures in place to deal quickly with any issues that could potentially arise, even where these would occur in only a very small number of YESS placements.
I trust this information satisfies the Deputy.
Departmental Schemes
Questions (146)
Paul Murphy
Question:146. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeframe and details of the proposed new work placement scheme including the proposed level of remuneration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35163/21]
View answerWritten answers
The July Jobs Stimulus set out the Government investment plan of €200m investment towards training, education, skill development, work placement schemes, recruitment subsidies and job search and assistance measures; these measures aim to help those who have lost their jobs find a new one, retrain or develop new skills, in particular for emerging growth sectors.
Building on the July Jobs Stimulus, the Economic Recovery Plan provides for a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience for 10,000 jobseekers for six months, for jobseekers unemployed for more than six months. Time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) will contribute towards eligibility. This work experience programme will provide valuable work and development opportunities to persons whose employment has been adversely affected by COVID and to those who were unemployed prior to the pandemic. In addition to work experience, this programme will provide innovative learning and development opportunities for participants.
This initiative builds on advice from the Labour Market Advisory Council that such placements have the capacity to keep unemployed people close to the labour market and provide them with quality work experience to increase their employability.
I am pleased to advise that I will be bringing details of the new work placement experience programme, to Government for approval in the near future. This will include final approval for the payment rate for participants. I intend to launch the programme shortly thereafter.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (147)
Róisín Shortall
Question:147. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the payment for persons who retire at 65 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35230/21]
View answerWritten answers
The new Benefit Payment For 65 year olds has been introduced in line with the Programme for Government commitment and is designed to bridge the gap for people who are required to or who choose to retire at age 65 but who do not qualify for the State Pension until they reach age 66. Those retiring at age 65 should meet the required PRSI conditionality for the payment, having recently left employment.
Applicants must satisfy the PRSI conditionality for payment which includes having a specified number of contributions paid in the Governing Contribution Year (GCY), which is the second last complete tax year. For example, for a claim in 2021, the second last complete tax year is 2019. A person must have paid 104 PRSI insurable employment contributions at class A, H or P or paid 156 class S contributions if they are self-employed. The second contribution condition requires that a person must also have 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the GCY. At least 13 of these contributions must be paid. Where a person does not have 13 paid contributions in the GCY they can be from 2 years before the GCY, the last complete tax year or the current tax year; or they have at least 26 reckonable contributions paid in both the GCY and the year immediately preceding the GCY.
The reason for the requirement to have paid contributions in the manner set out in legislation is to demonstrate a recent attachment to the workforce. The Benefit Payment For 65 year olds is not designed to provide that those outside employment for significant periods can qualify for a benefit in advance of any entitlement to a State pension.
Where a person does not satisfy the contribution requirement for receipt of the new payment, they may be eligible to apply for means tested Jobseeker's Allowance subject to satisfying the conditions for that scheme.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
Questions (148)
Paul McAuliffe
Question:148. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on a press release (details supplied); if the information is correct; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35231/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as an emergency measure to support qualifying employees and the self- employed who lost employment due to the pandemic.
Government recently announced, as part of the National Economic Recovery Plan, that PUP will be extended beyond 30th June 2021 until February 2022. This is to allow the impact of the lifting of restrictions to take hold and for further sectors to re-open. A transitional approach will be taken with PUP whereby the rates of payment will remain unchanged until September from which time these rates will be gradually reduced over 6 months back to the jobseekers rate of €203. People currently receiving the €203 rate and those who reach the €203 rate in each phase, will then transition to standard jobseeker terms. This will be done over a period of time commencing from this September and with advance notice.
A person who continues to be eligible to PUP during the transition period and who is engaging in self-employment can continue to earn up to €960 over a rolling eight week period and continue to maintain entitlement to PUP.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (149)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:149. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter in relation to the fuel allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35235/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. 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 the fuel allowance.
A fuel allowance 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 €28.00 and also the combined weekly total of household benefits and fuel allowance added together (€39.15). 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.
Departmental Strategies
Questions (150)
Holly Cairns
Question:150. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to review and update the National Carers’ Strategy. [35312/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Programme for Government commits the Government to Review and update the National Carers’ Strategy. This is being led on by the Department of Health and as such the Deputy should direct this matter to my colleague the Minister for Health.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
General Practitioner Services
Questions (151)
Holly Cairns
Question:151. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to extend free general practitioner care to carers in receipt of the carer’s support grant. [35313/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Programme for Government commits the Government to extend free GP care to carers in receipt of the Carer’s Support Grant. This is being led on by the Department of Health and as such the Deputy should direct this matter to my colleague the Minister for Health.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (152)
Holly Cairns
Question:152. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on recognising the costs associated with caring in the deductions allowable for carer’s allowance and assess income on its net rather than gross value; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35314/21]
View answerWritten answers
The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on a system of means testing. The means test ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.
By its nature, the means test takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property - other than the family home - and capital. It does not take account of a person’s expenditure. In line with most social assistance payments, deductions permitted for carer's allowance include PRSI, union dues, superannuation (pension contributions) and travel expenses. Uniquely in the system, an income disregard of €332.50 per week (or €665 for a couple) applies to carer's allowance. A couple with an annual gross income of up to €37,500 (net of PRSI and other allowable deductions) can qualify for a maximum payment, and a couple with an income of up to nearly €60,000 can still qualify for a reduced rate.
If net rather than gross income was assessed for Carer's Allowance, it would mean that changes in tax rates or tax reliefs could change the claimant’s rate of carer’s allowance. In addition, to deduct costs associated with caring would significantly increase the complexity of the means assessment. It would also have significant budgetary implications and would give rise to inconsistencies in how means tests are applied across schemes.
The carer's support grant is an annual non-means tested payment made by my Department to carers. This grant was increased to €1,850 this year and may be used in whatever way the carer wishes.
I recognise the crucial role that carers play in Irish society and will continue to seek to improve the supports for carers. However, any changes must be considered in an overall budgetary context.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (153)
Holly Cairns
Question:153. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on extending eligibility for carer’s benefit to include persons who are self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35315/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Carer's Benefit payment is an entitlement based on social insurance contributions. Carer’s Benefit is a payment made to insured people who may be required to leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention. A person may be eligible for Carer's Benefit if they have enough PRSI contributions. It is payable for a period of 2 years (104 weeks) for each care recipient and may be claimed over separate periods up to a total of 2 years (104 weeks). As of May 2021 there were 3,646 recipients of Carer's Benefit. Estimated expenditure in 2021 is in excess of €47 million.
Under the provisions of the legislation, to be eligible to claim Carer's Benefit, a claimant must have paid PRSI contributions in Classes A, B, C, D, E or H. Self-employed workers who pay social insurance contributions at the Class S rate of 4% are not eligible for Carer’s Benefit.
To claim, the carer must have 156 PRSI contributions paid since entry into insurance and either 39 contributions paid in the relevant tax year or 39 contributions paid in the 12 months immediately before the commencement of the Carer’s Benefit claim or 26 contributions paid in the relevant tax year and 26 contributions paid in the previous relevant tax year.
Where a person does not have the necessary social insurance record, for example where they are self-employed, they can claim for Carer's Allowance, and the first €332.20 of weekly income for a single person, or €665 for a couple is disregarded in the means test. Those who are self-employed can also apply for the Carer’s Support Grant – which was increased by €150 as part of Budget Measures 2021. Self-employed carers can now work up to 18.5 hours per week, this was increased from 15 hours to 18.5 hours in January 2020.
There has been an extensive expansion of access to the range of social insurance benefits to self-employed social insurance contributors in recent years without any increase in the 4 percent rate of contribution made by them. Self-employed contributors are now covered for most of the benefits available under the social insurance scheme which represents approximately 93 percent of the value of all benefits paid by the Social Insurance Fund.
Any proposal to further extend social insurance entitlements to self-employed contributors would have to be considered in a budgetary context, taking account of the current economic circumstances and with a view to the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (154)
Holly Cairns
Question:154. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on extending eligibility for domiciliary care allowance to children residing in hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35311/21]
View answerWritten answers
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a payment made in respect of a child with a severe disability who requires additional care and attention. It is payable to the person providing for the child's care while they are resident with that person for at least 5 days each week.
DCA can be paid, for a period not exceeding 13 weeks in any 12 months, if the child is admitted to hospital on a full-time basis for medical or other treatment.
If a child is resident in an institution (including a hospital) for part of each week, DCA can be paid at 50% of the normal rate if the child resides with the qualified person between 2 and 4 days each week.
Any amendment to the qualifying conditions of the scheme would have cost implications and could only be considered in a wider Budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (155)
Gary Gannon
Question:155. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in each of the past three years who received partial capacity benefit broken down by those who were in receipt of illness benefit and those in receipt of invalidity pension in tabular form. [35393/21]
View answerWritten answers
The total number of customers that were in receipt of Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) in each of the past three years, broken down by whether they were in receipt of Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension prior to receiving PCB, is outlined in the tables below.
|
Scheme customer was in receipt of prior to PCB |
2020 Number of Customers who received PCB |
|
Illness Benefit |
1,836 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
2,145 |
|
Total |
3,981 |
|
Scheme customer was in receipt of prior to PCB |
2018 Number of Customers who received PCB |
|
Illness Benefit |
1,582 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
1,710 |
|
Total |
3,292 |
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Rates
Questions (156)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:156. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the annual incremental increases in the disability allowance each year since 2008, in tabular form. [35395/21]
View answerWritten answers
Disability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test.
The number of DA recipients in each year from 2008 to 2021 along with the corresponding maximum personal rate of payment is set out in the table below.
It is important to note that DA is structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or in insurable employment. When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, a 50% taper on earnings between €140 and €350 is also applied (disregarded), for the purpose of the means test.
Table: Disability Allowance Recipients & Maximum Personal Rate 2008 – 2021
|
Year |
No. of Recipients |
Maximum Personal Rate |
|
2008 |
95,754 |
€197.80 |
|
2009 |
99,576 |
€204.30 |
|
2010 |
101,111 |
€196.00 |
|
2011 |
102,866 |
€188.00 |
|
2012 |
101,784 |
€188.00 |
|
2013 |
106,279 |
€188.00 |
|
2014 |
112,097 |
€188.00 |
|
2015 |
119,042 |
€188.00 |
|
2016 |
126,203 |
€188.00 |
|
2017 |
133,929 |
€193.00 |
|
2018 |
140,835 |
€198.00 |
|
2019 |
146,755 |
€203.00 |
|
2020 |
152,580 |
€203.00 |
|
2021 |
153,619* |
€203.00 |
* May 2021