Written Answers Nos. 261-273
261. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider making available financial assistance to families to assist with extra food costs for those suffering food allergies (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49253/22]
View answerDiet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet because of a specified medical condition. There are currently approximately 1,320 people in receipt of diet supplement.
A review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute was commissioned by the Department during 2013. The research showed that the average costs across all the retail outlets of the diets supplemented under the scheme could be met from within one-third of the minimum personal rate of social welfare payment, i.e. the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) rate, which was then paid at €186 per week (and is currently paid at €206 per week). The diet supplement scheme was discontinued for new applicants from 1 February 2014 based on this evidence.
Recipients continue to receive the diet supplement at their existing rate of payment for as long as they continue to have an entitlement to the scheme or until their circumstances change. This ensured that nobody was immediately worse off by the closure of the scheme.
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs).
Under the SWA scheme, a supplement can be awarded to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. In addition, officers can make a single ANP to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. Decisions on ANPs and SWA supplements are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.
Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to financial support should contact their local Community Welfare Service for assistance. 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.
262. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has given any consideration to allowing members of the Prison Service recruited post-1995 to work a certain number of hours each week whilst retaining certain social welfare benefits, as other welfare recipients can do (details supplied). [49384/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform determines central public service pensions policy.
The Department of Social Protection has responsibility for the Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance schemes which provide income support for people who become fully or partly unemployed. These statutory schemes allow individuals to work up to 3 days a week and still retain access to a reduced Jobseeker payment. This provision applies to all recipients, regardless of the type of employment or profession.
I trust that this clarifies the position.
263. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm the contracts that her Department has with top security. [49262/22]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection has no contracts with Top Security.
264. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has any contracts with a company (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49173/22]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection has no contracts with Top Security.
265. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection the name, function and establishment date of all the organisations and agencies that are funded by her Department; the number of employees in each; the salary of the chief executive in each organisation and agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49193/22]
View answerThe statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal. The details, as requested by the Deputy, are set out below:
Citizens Information Board
The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the national agency responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice and advocacy on social services, and for the provision of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS). The CIB was established in 2000 under the Comhairle Act, 2000. The CIB currently has 84 employees. The salary of the Chief Executive Officer is €127,677.
Pensions Authority
The role of the Pensions Authority is to monitor and supervise the operation of the Pensions Act (as amended) and private pension developments generally. The Pensions Authority was established in 1990 under the Pensions Act, 1990. The Pensions Authority currently has 92 employees. The salary of the Pensions Regulator (equivalent to CEO) is €166,194.
Pensions Council
The Pensions Council advises the Minister for Social Protection on matters relating to policy on pensions. The Council represents and protects the consumer interest and helps to ensure that the pensions system has a stronger consumer focus. The Council was established in 2015 under the Pensions Act, 1990 (as amended). The Pensions Council does not have any direct employees but is supported in its functions by Department of Social Protection staff. The Council does not have a Chief Executive Officer.
Social Welfare Tribunal
The Social Welfare Tribunal is a statutory body set up to deal with cases where entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance is refused due to an involvement in a trade dispute. The Tribunal was established in 1982. The Social Welfare Tribunal does not have any direct employees; it is supported in its functions by Department of Social Protection staff. The Tribunal does not have a Chief Executive. The board has not been requested to administer an adjudication since 2014.
266. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for the fuel allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49202/22]
View answerFuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs.
The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons. The current threshold for the fuel allowance means test is €120.00 above the maximum weekly rate of state pension (contributory) and the maximum weekly rate if an Increase for Qualified Adult allowance (IQA) is payable. In this case the threshold, based on their household, is €600.30.
Following a means assessment, it was determined that the household means are €815.72. This exceeds the permissible weekly means for fuel allowance qualification purposes. Where applicants exceed the permissible income limit, marginally or otherwise, there is no scope for discretion. The application was disallowed, and the person concerned was notified in writing on 29 September 2022.
As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced an increase in the fuel means threshold for those aged over 70, €500 for a single person and €1000 for a couple from January 2023 without the need to be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. My officials are currently working to put in place the necessary arrangements to ensure that the payment of the fuel allowance to those newly eligible will be made early in the new year. It is open to the person concerned to submit an application at that time.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
267. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 313 of 27 September 2022, if she will clarify the approach taken as regards access to the free travel pass for persons who are vision-impaired; if she will clarify the approach taken as regards access to the free travel pass for persons who are blind; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49203/22]
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 1,043,000 customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2022 is €95 million.
In 1997, the free travel pass was extended to all registered blind people regardless of whether they qualify for the Department's blind person's pension or any other Social Protection payment. To receive the free travel pass, the person must meet the medical conditions for Blind Pension or alternatively, be registered as blind with the National Council of the Blind Ireland or the League of the Blind of Ireland.
A person who is visually impaired but does not meet the qualifying criteria for blind registration can only receive the pass if they are aged 66 or if they are in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer’s Allowance or Partial Capacity Benefit.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
268. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that persons who are in receipt of the illness benefit will not receive the double payment that was announced in Budget 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49210/22]
View answerThe autumn Cost of Living double payment is part of a range of measures put in place as part of Budget 2023 to mitigate the effects of the increased cost of living.
The autumn Cost of Living double payment will be paid to recipients of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disablement Benefit and Partial Capacity Benefit.
Qualifying payments for the autumn double payment are those payments that are considered long-term payments. People on long-term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to being at risk of poverty. It is for this reason that the Department allocates additional payments, supports and resources to help this cohort of claimants.
Illness Benefit is not a qualifying payment for the Autumn double payment. In the vast majority of cases, Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment. This means there is a constant daily churn in terms of Illness Benefit recipients as people take time off / return to work. In addition, in many cases Illness Benefit is paid directly to the employer where sick pay is paid.
Most recipients of Illness Benefit still have an attachment to the labour force and there is an expectation that they will return to work.
Long-term Illness Benefit recipients who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for Invalidity Pension (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria and social insurance contributions). Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means-tested Disability Allowance (subject to the relevant medical criteria). All recipients of both of these payments are eligible for additional benefits including free travel and the household benefits package.
This Department provides Additional Needs Payment under our Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. This includes exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
Illness Benefit recipients will benefit from the €12 increase in the maximum weekly rate of this payment from January 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
269. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will be eligible for the fuel allowance on the basis that they are currently on the jobseeker’s allowance for less than 312 days and have previously been in receipt of the working family payment; and if the working family payment can count towards the 312 days. [49212/22]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, which is supporting over 370,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million. 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. 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. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment a person must satisfy all the qualifying 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.
A person in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance must be in receipt of the payment for 312 days or more to satisfy the qualifying payment criteria. Periods spent on the Working Family Payment cannot count towards the 312 days as the person is in full-time employment during this period.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
270. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if there have been any changes in the fuel allowance for jobs initiative scheme participants to assist with fuel poverty. [49225/22]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, which is supporting over 370,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million. 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. Only one allowance is paid per household.
The Job Initiative Scheme provided full-time employment for people 35 years of age or over who had been unemployed for 5 years or more. Since November 2004, there has been no recruitment to the Scheme. Since January 2004, participants on the Job Initiative Scheme could no longer retain their entitlement to Fuel Allowance while participating on the scheme. This decision was taken as the minimum rate of payment to participants on the scheme was significantly higher than the rate of qualifying Social Welfare payments.
There has been no change to this decision and participants on the Job Initiative Scheme cannot retain their entitlement to Fuel Allowance while participating on the scheme.
The minimum rate of payment to a Job Initiative participant is still significantly higher than most Social Welfare primary payments, including payments such as Illness Benefit and Jobseeker's Benefit, which are also non-qualifying payments for Fuel Allowance. Participants on the Job Initiative Scheme are also considered to be in full time employment and not in receipt of a Social Welfare support payment.
While consideration is always given to suggested improvements to the Department's schemes, any decision to provide participants on the Job Initiative Scheme with access to the Fuel Allowance payment would change the targeted nature of the Fuel Allowance scheme, as it would be awarding the payment to people in full-time employment irrespective of means.
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.
271. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to recognise Covid-19 or long-Covid as an occupational illness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49228/22]
View answerCovid-19 does not constitute a prescribed disease or illness as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as it does not meet the criteria laid down in the Act. Section 87 (2) of the Act states that a disease or injury shall be prescribed for the purposes of this section in relation to any insured persons, where the Minister is satisfied that—
(a) it ought to be treated, having regard to its causes and any other relevant considerations, as a risk of their occupations and not as a risk common to all persons, and
(b) it is such that, in the absence of special circumstances, the attribution of particular cases to the nature of the employment can be established or presumed with reasonable certainty.
My Department reviews its supports and schemes to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives. The Department is monitoring the European Commission's work and recommendations in this area.
Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy, legislative and budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
272. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 318 of 27 September 2022, if a series of issues in relation to the pension payment will be clarified (details supplied). [49230/22]
View answerThe person concerned reached pension age on 30 July 2012 and applied for State Pension (contributory) on 28 March 2012.
According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 1697 paid and credited social insurance contributions, giving a yearly average of 34. This gives entitlement to a current weekly rate of €248.30 which is 98% of the maximum rate of State Pension (contributory).
Budgetary increases to pension rates apply to the maximum weekly rates with proportionate increases applying for people receiving a reduced rate.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
273. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection when the changes in the income threshold for the fuel allowance in Budget 2023 will come into effect. [49232/22]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, which is supporting over 370,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million. 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. Only one allowance is paid per household.
In Budget 2023, I was pleased to announce the largest ever expansion of the Fuel Allowance Scheme. As part of this, from January 2023 a new means test will be introduced for Over 70s. Under the new means test a single person over 70 will be able to have income of €500 per week and a couple will be able to have income of €1,000 per week and still qualify for Fuel Allowance. This was a priority for me as part of Budget 2023 and is in recognition of the fact that older people are more vulnerable to the cold.
Also, from January 2023, the standard means test for persons under 70 will be increased by €80 from €120 to €200 over the maximum State Pension Contributory. In addition, the half-rate Carer's Allowance payment and Disablement Benefit will be disregarded when assessing means for Fuel Allowance purposes.
It is estimated these measures combined will bring an additional 81,000 households into the Fuel Allowance Scheme from January. My Department is already working on developing the IT systems and operational requirements to give effect to these changes.
