Written Answers Nos. 606-630
606. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to reduce the delays being experienced by school term workers such as school bus drivers who have to sign on during the summer months but who regularly experience significant delays in getting their payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37263/22]
View answerThe process in respect of all Jobseeker's Payments including part-time workers in the educational sector is kept under review. In general, there is no delay in processing Jobseeker Benefit claims if the relevant claim application forms and supporting documentation are completed by the customer in a timely manner. Issues have arisen in the past where details of accrued holiday pay were not furnished so my Department would encourage that these details be supplied as quickly as possible.
Seasonal workers including educational workers should apply for jobseeker’s benefit as soon as they become unemployed.
Educational sector workers, who are employed on a temporary basis and who have previously been in contact with the Department, are issued with a repeat jobseeker’s application form and holiday form in advance of the school holiday periods. This advance process facilitates an efficient service to these customers and allows for speedy processing of their claim when the period of unemployment actually arises.
However, it is important to note that educational sector workers are still required to sign on for each period of unemployment and satisfy all the qualifying conditions for jobseeker’s benefit including the 3 waiting days at the start of the claim if it does not link to a previous jobseeker's claim.
I want to assure the Deputy that prompt processing of all claims remains a priority for my Department. Scheme areas are monitored on an on-going basis and processing procedures are reviewed to ensure that claims are paid to customers as quickly as possible.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
607. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department and bodies under the aegis of her Department have engaged the services of two organisations (details supplied) at any point from 1 January 2020 to date; the costs associated with or incurred by the provision of services from these organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37290/22]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection, the Pensions Authority and the Citizens Information Board have engaged the services of Carr Communications Ltd during the period from 1 January 2020 to date, details of which follow.
Department of Social Protection
It should be noted that there are over 6,000 staff employed in the Department.
In 2020, the Department of Social Protection engaged Carr Communications services for Interview Training (€10,426.40), Health and Well-being (€4,747) and Upskilling Training (€10,459).
In 2021, the cost in respect of these services were Interview Training (€16,600), Health and Well-being (€27,962) and Upskilling Training (€62,384).
The amounts spent on these services in 2022 to date are Interview Training (€5,300), Health and Well-being (€2,564) and Upskilling Training (€5,675).
Pensions Authority
In 2020, the Pensions Authority engaged Carr Communications services for Interview Training (€4,700); in 2021 for Upskilling Training (€2,800) and in 2022 for Interview Training (€1,700).
Citizens Information Board
In 2020, the Citizens Information Board engaged Carr Communications services for Media Skills Training (€1,600) and in 2022 for Strategy Communications (€2,383.13).
Neither The Department of Social Protection nor any of the bodies under its aegis engaged the services of Kinzen in the period from 1 January 2020 to date.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
608. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the dates that back-to-school clothing and footwear allowances will be paid. [37309/22]
View answerThe Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance 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 the end of September each year.
The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child allowance 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.
This year, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment has been increased by €100 for the 2022 scheme year, building on the previously announced increase of €10. The rates of payment for the 2022 scheme year are €260 for children aged between 4 and 11 years and €385 for children aged 12 and over.
To date, 123,500 families in respect of 219,000 children have been awarded the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and these families will receive their payment as outlined in their award notification this week, i.e. week beginning 11 July. The additional €100 payment will issue to these families during the week commencing 18 July.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme opened to new applications on www.mywelfare.ie on 20 June. In the first 5 days of the scheme opening, over 10,500 applications were received. Officers are processing these applications as efficiently as possible and once the application is awarded, the payment will issue to the customer within the next 3 working days.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
610. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the State pension (contributory) and the State pension (non-contributory) by €10, €20, €30, €40 and €50 respectively in tabular form.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37311/22]
View answerThe below table shows the estimated cost of increasing the State Pension (Contributory) and State Pension (Non-Contributory) by €10, €20, €30, €40 and €50.
|
€10 Increase |
€20 Increase |
€30 Increase |
€40 Increase |
€50 Increase |
|
|
Scheme |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
253.7 |
507.3 |
761.1 |
1014.8 |
1268.5 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
50.4 |
100.8 |
151.2 |
201.5 |
251.9 |
|
Total |
304.1 |
608.1 |
912.3 |
1216.3 |
1520.4 |
These costings are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2022 and are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
611. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of introducing a second band of fuel allowance for persons on fixed incomes. [37312/22]
View answerFuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. It is a targeted payment to people dependent on specified long-term social welfare payments. The purpose of this payment is to assist those households most in need with their energy costs.
Taking account of the fact that the Fuel Allowance is a household-based payment and that qualification is not just based on the means test but on a number of other complex qualifying criteria such as household composition, it is not possible for my Department to provide an accurate projection of the potential cost of the measures outlined by the Deputy.
My Department also does not maintain records of households that are on fixed incomes.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
612. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of introducing an autumn bonus across all social welfare payments. [37313/22]
View answerThe estimated cost of introducing an autumn bonus across all social welfare payments, based on a double week's payment, is in the region of €313 million. This is based on the cost of last year's Christmas Bonus and assumes qualifying criteria remains the same.
The costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
613. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of introducing free travel to students who hold a public services card. [37315/22]
View answerThe free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are approximately 1,034,000 customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2022 is €95 million.
Providing an estimate of the cost of extending the free travel scheme to all Students who hold a Public Service Card is not readily available as the cost is determined by the usage of the extra passes provided and not by the increased number. The fact that many operators have reduced fares for students would also have to be taken into account.
The objective of the free travel scheme is to ensure older people and people with disabilities remain active within their community and, while consideration is always given to any requests to improve or extend eligibility to the free travel scheme, uncoupling the link between receipt of particular social welfare payments and eligibility for the free travel scheme would so fundamentally alter the scheme that it would move it away from being a social welfare measure to being a general transport initiative.
Any such scheme would also require a fundamental expansion to the administrative set up and operation of the free travel scheme, as it would have to grant and withdraw potentially hundreds of thousands of passes each year, using information which would have to be provided by all the colleges in the State in the case of higher education students. Any proposals in this regard would have to be considered in the context of priorities for the free travel scheme and the budgetary implications of same.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
614. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing eligibility thresholds for supplementary welfare allowance by €10%, 20% and 30% respectively in tabular form. [37316/22]
View answer651. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of expanding criteria of additional need payments and exceptional needs payments, by €100, €200, €300, €400 and €500, respectively. [38007/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 614 and 651 together.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently receiving a social welfare payment or working on a low income.
The household income amounts published in relation to additional needs payments are not an eligibility threshold, but are intended as an information guide to assist persons who may find themselves in financial difficulty and require assistance with essential expenses.
Guidelines issued to staff administering the scheme assist them in the decision making process and ensure consistency of service. However, they do not affect the discretion available to officers in issuing an additional needs payment to assist an individual or household in any particular hardship situation which may arise.
Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, considering the requirements of the legislation, and all the relevant circumstances of the case to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
An additional needs payment amount, which can have a wide range value, will depend on a person’s weekly household income, their outgoings and the type of assistance needed.
On this basis, it is not possible to provide an estimated cost of increasing eligibility thresholds for additional needs payments by €10%, 20% and 30% or by €100, €200, €300, €400 and €500.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
615. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the capital disregards that are taken into account by her Department in respect of applications by persons for the State pension (non-contributory) and disability allowance payments in cases in which the applicants are married persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37318/22]
View answer616. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the position that applies to applicants for means tested payments to her Department, such as the State pension (non-contributory) and the disability allowance in cases in which one of the partners in the marital relationship reaches pension age and has no assets at all in their own name and the other partner has a landholding worth circa €300,000; if their application as the non-owning spouse is not affected by the ownership of the asset by the other spouse in respect of their entitlement to a State pension (non-contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37319/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 615 and 616 together.
Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes such as the State Pension (Non-Contributory) and Disability Allowance, all income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her spouse/partner/cohabitant, where applicable, are assessable for means assessment purposes.
The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – such as disability, unemployment or caring. This ensures that each recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.
If a claimant is married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, the means of the couple will be assessed. This is the case even if only one of the couple is actually claiming a payment. The means assessed include income from employment or self-employment, non-social welfare pensions, and the capital value of savings, investments and property other than the family home. It should be noted that the value of the family home, regardless of who is the legal owner, is never taken into account in this assessment.
It should be noted that the full value of capital is not assessed. The standard formula for assessing the value of capital for most social welfare payments is as follows: the first €20,000 is fully disregarded; the next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per thousand, the next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per thousand, with the remainder assessed at €4 per thousand.
The formula for Carer’s Allowance and Disability Allowance is as follows: the first €50,000 is fully disregarded; the next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per thousand, the next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per thousand, with the remainder assessed at €4 per thousand.
Any proposals to change the means assessment formulas for social assistance schemes would have to be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy
617. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if an Intreo centre at Navan Road, Cabra West, Dublin 7 will reopen to the public upon the completion of refurbishment works. [37334/22]
View answer618. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a list of the refurbishment works being carried out at the Intreo Centre, Navan Road, Cabra West, Dublin 7 [37335/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 617 and 618 together.
Significant maintenance and upgrade works to the Intreo Centre on the Navan Road in Cabra, Dublin 7, had been scheduled for 2022. The work originally planned was based on no significant changes being made to the services being provided by Navan Road Intreo Centre, the way those services are delivered and the layout of the building. Given the significant increase in construction and maintenance costs in recent months, including in building supplies, it was decided, before finalising the works contract, to review the future use of the building at Navan Road to ensure efficient and effective use of resources.
A comprehensive review was undertaken in 2021 of all services and activities delivered by the Department’s network of local offices, with the purpose of determining the best future operating models for delivering these services and activities.
The review identified that significant portions of work that had previously taken place in Intreo Centres had been moved to alternative work streams, with the most significant being the processing of payments by the National Processing Team (NPT) and the handling of phone and electronic contacts by the National Intreo Contact Centre (NICC). The review also identified substantial benefits for standardising and streamlining work previously replicated across different local divisions.
In terms of the layout of the Department’s Intreo Centres, this means that instead of large waiting areas with rows of seats and multiple hatches, the Department will be providing self-service zones with interactive touch screens, child friendly spaces and autism supportive sensory rooms. The layout will reflect the fact that many customers will be there by appointment and won’t need to queue. The work in Navan Road Intreo Centre had been planned some time ago and it was considered appropriate to pause the works while further consideration was given to the optimal use of the building.
619. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost if the disability allowance increased by €12.50 per week. [37358/22]
View answerThe estimated full-year cost of increasing disability allowance by €12.50 per week is €109.1m. This figure includes a proportionate increase for qualified adults.
This costing is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2022 and is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
620. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider making amendments to the fuel allowance threshold; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37553/22]
View answerFuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. It is a targeted payment to people dependent on specified long-term social welfare payments. The purpose of this payment is to assist those households most in need with their energy costs.
In Budget 2022, the Government increased the weekly means threshold for the Fuel Allowance scheme by €20 to €120, which enables more people to qualify for this support.
The allowable means limit 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.
Any decision to further increase the allowable means for the Fuel Allowance payment would have budgetary consequences and can only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.
Finally, the Department of Social Protection provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
621. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will remove the fuel allowance means test for persons over 70 years of age in line the household benefits scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37596/22]
View answerThe criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the fuel allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including a means test and the household composition criteria. 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.
While the Department's schemes are reviewed on an ongoing basis, any further expansions to the Fuel Allowance scheme in the manner outlined by the Deputy would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.
However, significant additional cost is not the only feature of the Deputy's proposal. Removing the mean test criteria for the Fuel Allowance payment to the cohort of people referred to by the Deputy would fundamentally change the nature of the scheme. The scheme would no longer be a targeted measure, as it would be awarded irrespective of a person's or a household's means. These are implications that would clearly require further consideration in any proposed expansion of the scheme.
The Government is acutely aware of recent price increases and their impact on households. For this reason, this Government did not await a further budget cycle to address these challenges but acted early. Overall, the tax and spending measures we have introduced to ease the burden and provide support to those most in need have amounted to €2.4 billion.
Finally, the Department of Social Protection provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
622. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the total annual cost of State old age pension payments; the total cost of full-rate payments; the number of recipients of such payments; the total cost of partial payments; the total number of recipients in this category; if she will provide a breakdown by gender in each category in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37631/22]
View answerFor the purposes of providing the response to the Deputy's question, the figures used are those from my Department that relate to the State Pension (Contributory) at 31 December 2021, and are set out in the table below.
The annualised expenditure estimate and breakdown by gender are based on State Pension (Contributory) recipients at 31 December 2021 and administrative data at 30 June 2022. The estimate includes 52 weeks of payments + 1 week Christmas bonus and supplementary payments including Living Alone Increase, Increase for Living on a Specified Island, Increase for Qualified Adult, Increase for Qualified Child and Over 80s Allowance.
|
At 31-Dec-2021 |
Women |
Men |
Total |
|
Full (personal) rate |
|||
|
Recipients |
92,270 |
178,284 |
270,554 |
|
Expenditure (€bn) |
1.3 |
2.8 |
4.1 |
|
Partial (Personal) rate |
|||
|
Recipients |
94,127 |
104,053 |
198,180 |
|
Expenditure (€bn) |
0.9 |
1.1 |
2.0 |
|
Total Recipients |
186,397 |
282,337 |
468,734 |
|
Total Expenditure €bn |
2.2 |
3.9 |
6.1 |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
623. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the child dependent cut off-age to 24 years in cases in which the child is still attending a third level course (details supplied). [37670/22]
View answerMost weekly social welfare payments include an additional payment known as an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) in respect of each qualified child up to age 18. This is extended to encompass older school or college going children up to age 22 under certain circumstances. This increase provides targeted assistance that is directly linked with household income and family-size to support low-income families.
In Budget 2022 I provided for the weekly rates of the Increase for a Qualified Child to increase by €2 to €40 per week in the case of children under age 12 and by €3 to €48 per week in the case of children age 12 or over.
The measure is in recognition of the need for greater income support for welfare-dependent households with children. It includes a higher level increase for children aged 12 and over, in recognition of the higher costs faced by families with older children. It is estimated that this measure will cost €39.3 million in 2022.
There are no plans to increase the age in respect of which an Increase for a Qualified Child is payable.
624. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a person (details supplied) is not in receipt of a full State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37677/22]
View answerThe person concerned reached pension age on 10 June 2008. According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 2,162 qualifying paid and credited social insurance contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment 18/04/1960 to end December 2007, equating to a yearly average of 45 contributions.
This gives entitlement to a standard State pension (contributory) at 98% of the maximum rate. In order to qualify for a maximum rate of pension, the person concerned would need a yearly average of 48 paid and/or credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment to the end of the last complete tax year preceding the year they turned pension age.
I have arranged for a copy of their contribution record to issue. If they consider that they have additional contributions or credits that have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence to my Department and their pension entitlement can be reviewed.
The person concerned is also in receipt of the over 80 allowance from 10 June 2022.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
625. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the eligibility for the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance to foster children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37680/22]
View answerThe Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance 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 a qualified child allowance 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.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is not payable in respect of foster children as the financial support available to foster parents from Tusla, the foster care allowance, includes assistance with the cost of clothing and footwear for the foster child.
Applications which fall outside the normal rules of the scheme may be considered for an additional needs payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme by the Community Welfare Service.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local Community Welfare Service. There is a National CWS Contact Centre in place – 0818-607080 – which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
626. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will increase the eligibility for the back-to-school allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37696/22]
View answerThe Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance 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.
This year, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment has been increased by €100 for the 2022 scheme year, building on the previously announced increase of €10. The rates of payment for the 2022 scheme year are €260 for children aged between 4 and 11 years and €385 for children aged 12 and over.
The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child allowance 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 in order to target those most in need of assistance.
To qualify for the allowance 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.
Following a review of the scheme the income limits for one parent families were increased this year to bring them in line with the income limits for two parent families, widening the eligibility for that cohort of customers. The income limits were also increased to ensure that the increases in weekly social protection payments rates introduced in Budget 2022 will not negatively impact on an individual’s entitlement to the allowance.
Applications which fall outside the normal rules of the scheme may be considered for an additional needs payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme by the Community Welfare Service.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local Community Welfare Service. There is a National CWS Contact Centre in place – 0818-607080 – which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
627. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current length of time that it takes to process and approve a range of payments (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37734/22]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table, and outlines the average weeks to award for each of the named schemes, as of the end of May 2022.
Table 1: Average weeks to award
|
Scheme |
Average weeks to award |
|
Illness Benefit |
1 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
1 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
7 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
9 |
628. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether low to middle-income families that are not in receipt of social welfare payments could qualify for the family income supplement; her plans to increase the income bracket; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37735/22]
View answerThe Working Family Payment, previously Family Income Supplement, is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees, on low earnings, with children. It is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. Eligibility for the payment is not linked to receipt of a social welfare payment but rather a person must be in employment of at least 38 hours per fortnight, and have at least one relevant child, in order to qualify for the payment.
To qualify for the Working Family Payment the average total weekly family income must be below the relevant income threshold for the family's size. The payment is calculated at 60% of the difference between the total family income and the income threshold that applies to the family.
In Budget 2022 I provided for a €10 weekly increase in the Working Family Payment income limits for families of all sizes. The income threshold increases with the number of children. For example, the weekly income threshold for families with one child is €551 and for families with two children it is €652.
Based on current and projected claim volumes, my Department estimates expenditure of €348.6 million on the scheme in 2022.
Any expansion of the scheme could only be considered in a budgetary context.
629. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the total house income criteria for additional needs payment applications due to the rising cost-of-living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37736/22]
View answer630. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional needs payments that have been received throughout 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; the number of these applications that have been refused for the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37737/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 629 and 630 together.
The Government is acutely aware of recent price increases and their impact on low income households and those who are dependent on social welfare. For this reason, this Government did not await a further budget cycle to address these challenges but acted early. Overall, the tax and spending measures we have introduced to ease the burden and provide support to those most in need have amounted to €2.4 billion.
The Government continues to monitor the situation carefully in preparation for the Budget later this year. I will be meeting a range of NGOs at the Department's pre-budget forum next month and will listen carefully to the views expressed.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently receiving a social welfare payment or working on a low income.
The household income amounts published in relation to additional needs payments are not an eligibility threshold, but are intended as an information guide to assist persons who may find themselves in financial difficulty and require assistance with essential expenses.
Guidelines issued to staff administering the scheme assist them in the decision making process and ensure consistency of service. However, they do not affect the discretion available to officers in issuing an additional needs payment to assist an individual or household in any particular hardship situation which may arise.
An exceptional needs Payment (ENP) is a single payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time.
Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation, and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
The scheme is demand led. The Government has provided funding of €45.75 million for the provision of exceptional and urgent needs that are provided for as Additional Needs Payment in 2022. A further provision of €5.3 million has been provided for SWA Supplements in 2022 (excluding rent supplement).
The Department is developing more extensive statistics in relation to the number of applications made to the ENP/UNP schemes. The focus of the development has been on current data from January 2022 with details on the number of applications available from this date onward. Details of applications pre-January 2022 are not available at this time, however it is possible to provide details on the number of payments that were made.
Table 1 shows the number of ENPs/UNPs awarded for 2021 and to date in 2022 (end of June).
Table 2 shows the number of recipients of Other Supplements on 31 December 2021 and on 30 June 2022.
Table 3 shows the number of ENP/UNP and Other Supplement applications received/disallowed to date in 2022 (to end of June).
This represents a snapshot of claim activity taken at 7th July 2022 and is subject to change. It does not include claims that were cancelled or withdrawn.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular Statement
Table 1 - The number of ENPs/UNPs awarded for 2021 and to date in 2022 (to end of June)
|
Year |
Number of Payments |
|
2021 |
55,500 |
|
2022 (to end of June) |
36,987 |
Table 2 - The number of recipients of Other Supplements on 31 December 2021 and on 30 June 2022
|
Year |
Number of Recipients |
|
2021 |
3,698 |
|
2022 (to end of June) |
3,384 |
Table 3 - The number of ENP/UNP and Other Supplement applications received/disallowed to date in 2022 (to end of June)
|
Scheme |
Received |
Disallowed |
|
ENPs/UNPs |
40,718 |
2,676 |
|
Other Supplements |
670 |
78 |
