Written Answers Nos. 1154-1173
1156. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has plans to extend the domestic violence emergency rent supplement scheme into 2022 and onwards in view of rising figures in domestic violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40734/21]
View answerLead responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
In August 2020, I agreed a protocol with Tusla on a pilot basis to make Rent Supplement more easily accessible to victims of domestic violence on a pilot basis. This seeks to ensure that victims of domestic violence are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial or accommodation difficulties. The arrangements in this protocol are additional and complementary to, and not a substitution for, the range of other supports already in place for victims of domestic violence.
There are currently 57 victims of domestic violence being supported with rent supplement under these arrangements.
Under the protocol, after six months period of support, it is expected that the customer will, if eligible, be able to migrate to HAP or other social housing supports supported by their local authority.
In line with the National Economic Recovery Plan, these special arrangements for victims of domestic abuse will remain in place at least until the end of 2021. A review of the pilot will be undertaken at that stage, involving key stakeholders, to determine whether the provision of rent supplement to victims of domestic violence should be extended and to take on board any lessons learned.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1157. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the present youth unemployment rates; the plans in place to tackle youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40735/21]
View answerIn December 2019, just prior to the pandemic, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate (15-24-year olds) stood at just under 12 percent. Latest estimates from the CSO indicate that the traditional unemployment rate for young persons is 19.9 percent. This estimate excludes those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). When those in receipt of the PUP are included, the COVID-19 adjusted unemployment rate estimate is 44.2 percent for young people at the end of June.
A significant number of PUP recipients are students. As of last week (July 20th, 2021), it is estimated that approximately 19,000 PUP recipients are students, with the vast majority under the age of 25. Using international measures of unemployment, set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), students are generally not counted as unemployed, as they are not considered part of the labour force. Therefore, the inclusion of PUP recipients, including students, in the COVID-19 adjusted measure of youth unemployment inflates this measure somewhat.
We also know from past recessions that youth unemployment levels start to reduce quite quickly once economic activity resumes. This is also evident from trends in youth unemployment since public health restrictions began to be lifted, from early May. Since that time the number of young people under the age of 25 receiving PUP has fallen by almost 56 percent. This compares to an average decline of close to 44 percent across all other age groups over the same period.
I expect to see continued numbers of persons, including young people, returning to work, as our economy and society continues to reopen. However, we must also be aware that some jobs will be permanently lost as a result of the pandemic.
Therefore, Government is supporting a range of initiatives to assist people back to work; as outlined under the Pathways to Work 2021-2025 strategy which I launched on July 12th. This strategy seeks to support people back into employment and to minimise any long-term scarring effects which may arise due to the periods of economic inactivity as a consequence of the pandemic. It includes a range of measures targeted at young people such as:
- The newly launched Work Placement Experience Programme, which is a 6-month, 30 hour per week voluntary work experience programme, for persons out of work for six months or more and has 4,000 places ring-fenced for young people.
- Expanding the JobsPlus scheme to 8,000 places and enhancing the incentive to recruit young jobseekers in particular, by increasing the youth age limit from 25 to 30 years.
- A new Government Youth Employment Charter for intensive engagement with young jobseekers which will build on the new EU Reinforced Youth Guarantee.
- Ring-fencing at least 1,000 out of the 3,000 additional Community Employment and Tús places for long term unemployed young people.
My Department also works closely with the Further Education and Training sector to provide access to training, upskilling and reskilling opportunities that are of particular relevance to young people entering the labour market for the first time. As part of Pathways to Work 2021-2025, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are providing an additional 50,000 further education and training places to help more people, including young persons, to have the opportunity to upskill and reskill. In addition, the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme has been extended until the end of December 2021. This scheme provides financial supports for employers who register apprentices to a national apprenticeship scheme.
Using these measures, Pathways to Work 2021-2025 aims to reduce the youth unemployment rate back to or below the 2019 average of 12.5% by 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1159. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department and the HSE will provide funding to allow the charities that provide two soup runs in Dublin to remain in operation if the HSE close down on the foot of a HSE environmental health section report. [40766/21]
View answerMy Department has no role in direct funding to charity services. However, the Department of Social Protection is the designated managing authority for the Fund for European Aid to the most Deprived (FEAD) and has responsibility for the implementation of the programme in Ireland.
Support provided through FEAD aims to help people take their first steps out of poverty and social exclusion by addressing their most basic needs. There are 156 approved Local Partner Organisations/Charities currently operating the programme nationwide by receiving food products for distribution to recipients. In 2020, over 250,000 people were supported through this programme.
If the charity in question is a FEAD local partner organisation and is in receipt of food products for distribution, these food products will continue to be available for collection when the charity is operating.
1160. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of broadening entitlement to the household benefits package to households in which a civil or public service occupational pensioner aged 66 to 69 inclusive is not in receipt of a qualifying payment or is not an excepted person for the purposes of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40816/21]
View answerThe household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €265 million this year on HHB for over 470,000 households. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare payments, such as Disability Allowance.
My Department does not hold information in relation to the number of households which contain a public or civil service pensioner (or pensioners) aged between 66 and 69 who are not currently in receipt of a qualifying payment for the HHB package or who are not an excepted person for the purpose of the scheme. Therefore, I am unable to provide an estimated cost of the measure proposed by the Deputy.
A person aged between 66 and 69 who is not receiving a qualifying payment from the Department such as the State Pension (Contributory) may still apply for the HHB package subject to satisfying a means test. The means test involves calculating their appropriate weekly means limit. This limit is based on the current maximum rate of State pension (contributory) including any increases for age, living alone, and adult/child dependents plus €100. The weekly income limit is then compared to their weekly means as assessed in a means test. If their weekly means are less than or equal to their income limit, then they satisfy the means test and qualify for the household benefits package subject to also satisfying all other qualifying conditions.
Any decision to change the qualifying criteria for HHB to allow public and civil servants to automatically qualify for the package when they turn 66 would have wider budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of overall budget negotiations.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1161. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a copy of a birth certificate for a person (details supplied); and if arrangements will be made for the birth certificate to be issued urgently to enable the person to avail of emergency housing support. [40911/21]
View answerThe application referred to by the Deputy has been placed with the Health Services Executive which operates an online civil certificate issuing service.
I have been informed that the application in question was placed with the HSE on 16th July 2021 and that the HSE indicate that with current levels of demand, the certificate should issue within 30 working days.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1162. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to ongoing delays in the issuing of birth certificates for children born in 2021; the reason for the delay in issuing birth certificates; the current waiting time for birth certificates to be issued; if families can still access PPS numbers and child benefit payments while waiting for birth certificates; the efforts being undertaken to address the delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40921/21]
View answerThe registration of births is undertaken by the HSE civil registration offices. Registration has been impacted by the recent cyber-attack on the HSE and the work to securely restore its ICT systems. Notifications of births must first be received from maternity hospital before a birth can be registered. For births which occurred in Dublin based maternity hospitals, notifications are communicated electronically. Due to the disruption caused by the cyber-attack and the work required to restore systems, delays have occurred in this process with an onward impact on the registration of births. The HSE have informed me that they have made good progress on restoring the systems involved and are dealing with the backlog of birth registrations .
A Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) is allocated by the Department of Social Protection on receipt of a birth registration. Once the birth has been registered and a PPSN allocated, the Department will notify the parents of the PPSN and automatically issue an application for Child Benefit Payment or adjust the level of payment where Child Benefit is already being paid to the family. Any arrears of Child Benefit arising from delays in the birth registration are automatically calculated and paid.
My Department will continue to engage and work with the HSE to enable full restoration of timely services.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1163. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons on each pandemic unemployment payment band. [41233/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. The data refers to those receiving a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on July 27th 2021. Data on the recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is published each week by my Department at www.gov.ie/dsp
|
Payment Rate |
Recipients |
|
€203 |
36,628 |
|
€250 |
33,078 |
|
€300 |
33,737 |
|
€350 |
88,853 |
1164. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of reinstating the pandemic unemployment to €350 per week. [41234/21]
View answer1179. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of the pandemic unemployment payment at current levels from now until the end of 2022. [41251/21]
View answer1180. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of paying all persons in receipt of pandemic unemployment payment a rate of €350 until the end of 2022. [41252/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1164, 1179 and 1180 together.
The PUP was introduced as an exceptional measure for employees and the self-employed who lost employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19.
As more and more people return to work every week due to the gradual lifting of restrictions and continued progress on the roll out of vaccines, the requirement for emergency measures is diminishing. As the economy reopens, it is important to transition from emergency pandemic supports to standard social welfare supports.
To allow as much time as possible for the economy to recover and employments to reopen, there will be no change to the PUP rate until 7th September when it will be gradually reduced on a tapered basis over a 6 month period until February 2022 back to jobseekers terms.
As PUP recipients go on to the €203 rate during this period they will be transitioned to standard jobseeker terms with the normal eligibility criteria for jobseekers applied. In the case of those in receipt of another weekly social welfare payment, including carers, they will be contacted by the Department in September and, where they do not return to employment, will transition from PUP.
It is not possible to accurately estimate future trends on schemes such as PUP due to uncertainty regarding the full trajectory of the virus to the end of 2022.
However, for every 100,000 PUP recipients the annual cost of reinstating the PUP to €350 per week would be €260 million.
For every 100,000 PUP recipients the full year cost of the PUP at current levels until the end of 2022 would be €1.56 billion.
The estimated cost of paying a rate of €350 until the end of 2022 is approximately €2.63 billion for every 100,000 recipients.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy at this time.
1165. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of raising the payment on headline social welfare rates to €350 per week. [41235/21]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of all weekly social welfare schemes to €350, with a proportionate increase for qualified adults, is €9.8 billion.
This cost refers to increasing the standard weekly social welfare rates of payment and does not include increases, where applicable, for temporary payments such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
This costing is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.
1166. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing all social welfare payments by €50 per week. [41236/21]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing all social welfare payments by €50 per week, with a proportionate increase for qualified adults is €3.9 billion.
This cost refers to increasing the standard weekly social welfare rates of payment and does not include increases, where applicable, for temporary payments such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
This costing is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.
1167. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of a one-off social welfare bonus of €1,000 for all essential workers who worked through the Covid-19 pandemic including but not limited to health, food retail, food production workers and transport workers. [41237/21]
View answerTo accurately estimate the cost of providing a once off payment of €1,000 to essential workers, consideration would have to be given to which employees constitute essential workers and how they may be identified and verified as such for the purposes of any such payment.
The CSO's quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) categorises all persons aged over 15 in employment in the State, according to the sector of the economy they work in. According to the Q1 2021 LFS, published in June, the numbers employed in each high level NACE sector are provided below.
|
NACE Sector |
Numbers Employed (000s) |
|
Agriculture, forestry and fishing |
104 |
|
Industry |
298 |
|
Construction |
119 |
|
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
296.9 |
|
Transportation and storage |
88.8 |
|
Accommodation and food service activities |
95.6 |
|
Information and communication |
139.8 |
|
Financial, insurance and real estate activities |
120.5 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
143.6 |
|
Administrative and support service activities |
78.4 |
|
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security |
123.9 |
|
Education |
201.8 |
|
Human health and social work activities |
290.5 |
|
Other NACE activities |
81.6 |
|
Not stated |
48.3 |
|
Total |
2,230.6 |
The NACE sectors above, which align most closely with the Deputy's description of essential workers in the health, food retail, food production and transport sectors would be: human health and social work activities; wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; accommodation and food service activities; and transportation and storage.
The cost of providing a one-off bonus of €1,000 to all 771,800 workers in these sectors would be €771.8 million.
1168. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid out annually in rent allowance in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021; and the projected amount for the remainder of 2020 and 2021. [41240/21]
View answerRent Supplement provides short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source.
The Department is currently reviewing performance on each of the Departments schemes to inform the financial requirements for the remainder of 2021 and for Budget 2022 in October 2021.
The table below details the expenditure on rent allowance for 2019, 2020, 2021 (Jan to Jun) and the full year 2021 Estimate for rent allowance contained in the Revised Estimate of Expenditure (REV) published in December 2020.
|
Year |
€000 |
|
2019 |
125,248 |
|
2020 |
133,090 |
|
2021 (Jan - Jun) estimate |
70,254 |
|
2021 (REV) |
116,190 |
1169. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of ensuring the State contributory and non-contributory pensions are available to all those that reach 65 years of age. [41241/21]
View answerReducing the State Pension Age to 65 years would increase pension related expenditure significantly.
Last year my Department estimated the potential cost of introducing such a measure from this year (i.e., from 1 January 2021). Based on that, it is estimated that it would cost €450 million extra in the first year, €845 million extra in the second year, rising to over €1 billion extra in 2025, and this extra cost would continue to rise every year thereafter. The accumulated cost differential for the period 2021-2025 would be over €4.25 billion, i.e., it would cost c.€4.25 billion more than the existing system.
The estimates are for net costs and take into consideration additional increases or reductions arising in PRSI receipts, movements from other social welfare schemes, and secondary benefit entitlements including Free Travel, Fuel Allowance, Household Benefit Payment and Telephone Allowance. The estimates are based on current rates of payments and do not make any provision for rate increases. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revisions of the estimated numbers of recipients.
In February of this year, I introduced the new Benefit Payment for 65 year olds in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to provide a benefit payment for people who are aged 65 and who are required to retire, or who chose to retire, without a requirement to sign on, engage in activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. This new payment is designed specifically to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self employment at 65 but who do not qualify for the State Pension until age 66.
The Deputy is aware that the public policy and social issues in relation to funding a sustainable and adequate State pension system are complex. That is why the Programme for Government committed to the establishment of a Commission on Pensions to examine a range of issues including contributions, calculation methods, sustainability, eligibility and intergenerational fairness. That Commission has now completed its deliberations and I expect to receive its report in the near future.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1170. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of reinstating the transitionary pension. [41242/21]
View answerWhen the State Pension (Transition) existed, it was a scheme which allowed those who were retired to get a transitionary payment between the ages of 65 and 66 years. The maximum personal rate was equivalent to the then maximum rate for the State Pension (Contributory). Eligibility was based on PRSI contributions and credits.
It is important to note that the conditions and eligibility requirements for State Pension (Transition) were different to those for the State Pension (Contributory). For example, a person had to have a minimum average of 24 contributions per annum to be eligible for the previous model of State Pension (Transition) whereas an average of 10 contributions per annum is required for State Pension (Contributory) eligibility. In addition, recipients of the previous model of State Pension (Transition) were not eligible for secondary schemes such as Free Travel, the Household Benefits Package (electricity, gas, TV licence) or Living Alone Allowance.
My Department’s best current estimate for the gross cost of reintroducing State Pension (Transition), on the same basis as it previously operated, is €293 million for a full year. It is expected that these costs would be offset by savings of some €166 million on Working Age Schemes, arising from recipients transferring from these schemes to State Pension (Transition), giving a net cost of €127 million each year. These figures are based on current payment rates and are likely to increase over time in line with demographic changes. It should be noted that these costs could increase substantially if a State Pension (Transition) was introduced with reduced qualifying criteria or greater secondary scheme eligibility.
In February of this year, I introduced the new Benefit Payment for 65 year olds in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to provide a benefit payment for people who are aged 65 and who are required to retire, or who chose to retire, without a requirement to sign on, engage in activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. This new payment is designed specifically to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self employment at 65 but who do not qualify for the State Pension until age 66.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1171. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to introduce a universal State pension of €350 weekly and reduce the pension age to 65 years of age. [41243/21]
View answerAt present, the State pension system comprises two basic components. Firstly, the State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means-tested pension funded from taxation. Secondly, the State Pension (Contributory) is not means-tested but is based on social insurance (PRSI) contributions and paid from the Social Insurance Fund, and as such it is important to ensure that those qualifying for the State Pension (Contributory) have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives.
The introduction of a universal State pension paid at full rate to everyone of 65 years of age and over, regardless of their PRSI contributions or their means, would require fundamental reform of the State pension system, and perhaps to the entire model of social insurance. It would give rise to a considerable range of complex policy and operational issues. Examples of such issues include -
- the impact on customer behaviour with respect to work, work patterns, employment status, personal savings, contributions into the system in tax/PRSI, etc.;
- the interplay between the State pension system and occupational and private pensions and the scope of the State to support such arrangements;
- the applicability of such a pension to those in public service employments;
- the potential legal issues involved in different treatments of those with occupational pensions in the private and public sector and those with a mix;
- how such a system would work with existing EU pension and social security law and with international bilateral arrangements; and
- the treatment of retirees who are not resident in the State, but who have built up a contributory pension entitlement over the years that they worked here and paid PRSI.
The latest available figures from the CSO, in April 2020, estimated that 710,100 people were aged 65 and over in the state. This is an increase of 14.3% on the figures from April 2016.
Providing a €350 per week payment to this population would cost over €13.1 billion a year, including provision of a Christmas Bonus. This would represent an increase of over €4.6 billion on the amount spent by this Department on pensions in 2020 or, in percentage terms a year on year increase of 53%.
This is without any payment to those living abroad who currently receive the State pension contributory having paid into the social insurance fund during their working life and takes no account of increased costs anticipated in the future due to well known demographic issues in respect of the future pensioner population.
The Deputy is aware that the public policy and social issues in relation to funding a sustainable and adequate State pension system are complex. That is why the Programme for Government committed to the establishment of a Commission on Pensions to examine a range of issues including contributions, calculation methods, sustainability, eligibility and intergenerational fairness. That Commission has now completed its deliberations and I expect to receive its report in the near future.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1172. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if the moneys saved following the transfer of recipients of rent allowance to HAP, leasing arrangements and RAS have then been transferred to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government; the organisation responsible for the latter payments; and if so, the amount in each of the year since the commencement of the payments. [41244/21]
View answerThis Department prepares estimates for Rent Supplement for the coming year based on emerging trends on recipients for Rent Supplement having regard to anticipated transfers to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) over that year.
Similarly, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage prepares annual expenditure estimates for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) based on trends and expected demand for the schemes administered by local authorities.
Anticipated changes in numbers and, accordingly, in spending because of transfers from Rent Supplement to HAP and RAS, is already reflected in the estimates of expenditure. As such, there is no transfer of funds between the two departments because of such transfers.
1173. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of reinstating a concurrent payment of half-rate illness benefit and jobseeker’s benefit in addition to one parent family payment and widow’s and widower’s pensions. [41245/21]
View answerUntil 2012, recipients of a Widow's or Widower's Pension or a One-Parent Family Payment who met all the qualifying conditions for Jobseeker's Benefit or Illness Benefit, were entitled to concurrently claim half payment of their Jobseeker's or Illness Benefit entitlement.
The abolition, in Budget 2012, of the concurrent payment of half-rate Illness Benefit and Jobseeker's Benefit, with One-Parent Family Payment and Widow's and Widower's Pensions, gave rise to savings of €22.6 million in a full year.
I am advised that the Department is not immediately in a position to determine how much it would cost to reintroduce this, as it is not possible, in the time available, to determine how many lone parents, jobseekers, widows, widowers or surviving civil partners recipients would also qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit or Illness Benefit and, as such, would be entitled to concurrent half-rate payments.
