Written Answers Nos. 724-742
724. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of exceptional needs’ payments processed in County Kildare in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the reason or category for the issuance of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55506/22]
View answerUnder 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 schemes are demand led and 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.
Table 1 shows the number of additional needs payments (excluding reoccurring supplements) for County Kildare, by category, for the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022.
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 – Additional needs payments (excluding reoccurring supplements) for County Kildare, by category, for the years 2018 to 2021 and to end of October 2022.
|
Category |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022(Oct) |
|
Bills |
96 |
27 |
43 |
38 |
38 |
|
Child Related |
163 |
136 |
96 |
76 |
71 |
|
Clothing |
689 |
621 |
358 |
243 |
889 |
|
Funeral |
108 |
117 |
109 |
98 |
88 |
|
General |
893 |
898 |
501 |
401 |
324 |
|
Housing |
1,349 |
1,514 |
1,774 |
1,471 |
795 |
|
Illness |
87 |
83 |
45 |
37 |
46 |
|
Urgent Needs Payment |
322 |
51 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
|
Grand Total |
3,707 |
3,447 |
2,931 |
2,365 |
2,256 |
725. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will consider routinely contacting those who turn 70 years of age to inform them of their eligibility for the household benefits package, in order that it is not missed or overlooked by possible claimants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55507/22]
View answerThe Household Benefits Package comprises an electricity or gas allowance and a television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment, or who satisfy a means test. The package is available to some people under age 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.
The majority of those who qualify for Household Benefits do so as a result of being awarded a primary qualifying payment. Primary qualifying payment award letters inform customers of their possible entitlement to the Household Benefit Package.
For those who may be eligible without being in receipt of a qualifying payment, information about the package is widely available to inform customers about their possible entitlements across the Department's own network of offices countrywide, as well as the Citizens Information Service offices, in addition to the range of information available online through gov.ie and citizens Information websites in particular relating to social welfare entitlements.
Additionally, an information campaign was run to raise awareness of the Household Benefit package and the easy-to-use online application service over a two-week period in August. The campaign included advertisements on radio, in print and on social media.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
726. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 509 of 18 October 2022, the total number of staff currently working in the INTREO Centre, Parnell Street, Dublin 1 to include the staff who relocated from the Navan Road INTREO centre. [55528/22]
View answer727. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question 510 of 18 October 2022, the total number of current customer claim load and catchment areas to include people living in the Dublin 7 area following the closure of the Navan Road INTREO centre. [55529/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 726 and 727 together.
At the end of October 2022 there were a total of 98.38 (full-time equivalent) staff working in the Parnell Street Intreo Centre, including staff who have relocated from the Navan Road Intreo Centre.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
728. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of persons aged 70 years and over receiving the household benefits package; and the number of that cohort who are also in receipt of fuel allowance.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55544/22]
View answerThe Household Benefits Package comprises an electricity or gas allowance and a television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment, or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under age 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. Only one Household Benefits package is payable per household.
Fuel Allowance is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is made over the winter season, at €33 weekly, or if preferred by way of two lump sum payments one at the start of the season and one in early January. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household.
I was pleased, as part of Budget 2023, to secure changes to expand the qualifying criteria for the Fuel Allowance scheme by introducing new conditionality for applicants over age 70, extending the scheme to applicants over 70 years who are not in receipt of a qualifying payment, increasing the means disregard from €120 to €200 per week, and additional disregards relating to certain social welfare payments. It is estimated that up to 81,000 additional customers may qualify under the new measures announced.
At the end of 2021, the Household Benefits package was in payment to almost 336,600 recipients aged 70 or over. According to my Department's records, almost 64,800 of these individual claimants were in receipt of Fuel Allowance. However, it is important to note that Fuel Allowance may be in payment to a different qualified claimant within the household of the over 70 Household Benefits recipient. It should also be noted that while only one of either scheme payment is payable per qualified household, the individual claimant may differ and some households may not be eligible for both payments.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
730. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the payment of illness benefit to a person (details supplied); and if she will consider same for double payments. [55552/22]
View answerThe person concerned is currently in receipt of the full personal rate of Illness Benefit, €208 per week. This will increase by €12 to €220 per week in January 2023 as part of Budget 2023. Illness Benefit is not one of the social welfare benefits that qualifies for the double payments announced as part of Budget 2023.
Illness Benefit is intended for people with short duration illnesses who will return to work relatively quickly. The average duration on the scheme is approximately six days and it is payable for a maximum of two years subject to eligibility conditions being met. For individuals with longer term needs they may apply for an Invalidity Pension or Disability Allowance.
If the person concerned is experiencing difficulties in meeting his basic financial commitments it is also open to him to contact the Community Welfare Service at his local Intreo Centre to see if he might qualify for assistance under the terms of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
I trust this clarifies the position.
731. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to create an online application process for persons applying for domiciliary care allowance; when this is expected to be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55599/22]
View answerThe Department is committed to the design, build and delivery of client-focused online services and is engaged in a programme of work to increase the Department’s digital and online service offerings, in line with targets set out in the Government’s Harnessing Digital strategy.
To date, significant progress has been made in delivering online application services for working-age customers including jobseekers and those claiming Maternity, Paternity, Parents Benefit and Working Family Payment. My officials are currently working to extend online application services to older people, to Carers and to people with disabilities. However, it is not possible at this time to provide a definitive timeline as to when an online facility will be provided for Domiciliary Care Allowance customers.
The application form for Domiciliary Care Allowance (Dom Care 1) is currently available to download at gov.ie - Domiciliary Care Allowance Application Form (Dom Care 1) (www.gov.ie). The completed application form should be forwarded by post to the Domiciliary Care Allowance Section where it will be processed promptly.
732. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to create an online application process for people applying for carer's allowance; when this is expected to be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55600/22]
View answerThe Department is committed to the design, build and delivery of client-focused online services and is engaged in a programme of work to increase the Department’s digital and online service offerings, in line with targets set out in the Government’s Harnessing Digital strategy.
To date, significant progress has been made in delivering online application services for working-age customers including jobseekers and those claiming Maternity, Paternity, Parents Benefit and Working Family Payment. My officials are currently working to extend online application services to older people, to Carers and to people with disabilities. However, it is not possible at this time to provide a definitive timeline as to when an online facility will be provided for Carer’s Allowance customers.
The application form for Carer's Allowance (CR1) is currently available to download at gov.ie - Carer's Allowance Application Form (CR1) (www.gov.ie). The completed application form should be forwarded by post to the Carer’s Allowance Section where it will be processed promptly.
733. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to create an online application process for people applying for additional needs payment; when this is expected to be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55601/22]
View answerUnder the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments (ANP) to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income 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.
As customer demand for online services continues to grow, the Department is committed to the design, build and delivery of customer-focused online services. The design and development of an online application process for ANPs are ongoing to meet the needs of customers. A go-live date for the online application process has yet to be confirmed.
In the meantime, the application form, SWA1, is available to download online at www.gov.ie or customers can also request a form by emailing CWSforms@welfare.ie. The completed application form can then be posted or dropped into the local Intreo Centre where it will be processed promptly.
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.
734. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in approving an application by a person (details supplied) for a State pension (contributory). [55603/22]
View answerThe person concerned reached pension age on 04 June 2022.
The State Pension (contributory) was awarded at the weekly rate of €101.20 from 4/6/2022. On 3 November 2022 a decision letter issued to them along with a copy of their insurance record. Payment of their weekly pension and arrears will be paid into their bank account on Friday 11th November.
My Department are reviewing their record to determine eligibility to home-caring credits. Once eligibility, if any, is determined their entitlement will be reviewed.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
735. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection if any further consideration has been given to extend eligibility of the disability support grant to include those in receipt of partial capacity benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55644/22]
View answerAs part of Budget 2023, the Social Protection budget has been designed to assist people with cost-of- living increases through a mix of lump sum payments, increases to weekly payment rates and an expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme.
The measures introduced include the provision of a one-off €500 Cost-of-Living payment, which will be paid in November 2022 to recipients of the Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and the Carer's Support Grant. Recipients who are in receipt of one (or more) of these payments qualify for the €500 payment.
The Partial Capacity Benefit scheme has been designed to allow persons in receipt of this payment to continue to receive a percentage of their previous payment (i.e., 50%, 75% or 100%) while in employment. The scheme has also been designed so there are no restrictions on the number of hours a person in receipt of the payment can work, and there are no restrictions on earnings/earnings limits. Persons who have moved on to Partial Capacity Benefit from an Invalidity Pension payment retain their Partial Capacity payment, while in employment for three years.
As persons in receipt of Partial Capacity Benefit are in employment without any restriction on earnings they will not be eligible for the €500 Cost-of-Living payment.
However, Partial Capacity recipients have received a double payment under the Cost-of-Living support measure, announced in the recent Budget, which was paid the week commencing 17th October 2022. They will also get the Christmas bonus double payment which will be paid from the week commencing 5th December 2022.
From January 2023, the maximum rate of Partial Capacity Benefit will increase by €12. There will be proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate and for qualified adults.
The weekly full rate for a qualified child will increase to:
- €42 for children under 12 years of age
- €50 for children aged 12 years and over
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
736. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that individuals in receipt of disability allowance who take up a place in the community employment scheme will be eligible for the one-off cost-of-disability payment of €500. [55655/22]
View answerIn response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, the Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €1.2 billion during the coming months to help individuals and families through this difficult period.
The €500 lump sum payment to those on Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension will be paid to those receiving these payments in the relevant week in November.
Participants of the Community Employment scheme were eligible for the Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment last month, and the Christmas Bonus in December. Those participants with children also received the Double Payment of Child Benefit in November.
As part of Budget 2023, I was pleased to announce a €12 increase in weekly payments from next January. This will apply to all weekly schemes including Disability Allowance recipients and Community Employment, Rural Social Scheme and Tús participants. I am also increasing the Qualified Child rate by €2 per week.
In addition, the top-up rate on these employment schemes is increasing by €5 per week. This means that, combined with the rate increase, participants on these schemes will see a rise of €17 per week next year, and more for participants with adult or child dependants.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
737. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on amending the Social Welfare Bill 2022, in order to increase the QCI for children aged over 12 years by €10, and for children aged under 12 years by €5. [55656/22]
View answerMost weekly social welfare payments include provision for an additional payment – an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) – in respect of each qualified child up to the age of 18, which is extended to encompass older children to age 22 under certain circumstances. This measure provides targeted support to low-income families.
In Budget 2023, the IQC rates will increase by €2 – to €42 per child for under 12s and to €50 per week for those aged 12 and over. Over the last three Budgets, these rates have increased by €6 and €10 per week respectively.
These increases were provided in the context of an overall package which included a €12 rate increase for weekly schemes in 2023, in addition to €1.1 billion in special measures in 2022 to help ease the cost-of-living pressures for low-income households.
For example, a lone parent with two children will see a €16 increase in their weekly rate from January. The improvements to the Working Family Payment thresholds also targets low-income families with children, resulting in a weekly increase of up to €24.
Low-income families will also be assisted before January. They will have received a cost-of-living double payment last month and will do so again in December via the Christmas bonus. An additional Child Benefit payment was also paid on the 1st of November. Households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance will receive a €400 lump sum, and people in receipt of the Working Family Payment will receive a lump sum of €500. All households will also benefit from €600 of Energy Credits in the coming months.
The ESRI post-Budget analysis shows that Budget 2023 general increases from January, when combined with one-off measures delivered in 2022 to support households with the cost of living, will be effective in protecting most households from rising prices this winter.
Any further changes to the increase for a qualified child would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
740. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to develop a new National Child Poverty Plan with a dedicated unit to ensure an integrated and cross-governmental approach to address high levels of poverty in households headed by one parent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55142/22]
View answer742. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to develop a new National Child Poverty Plan to address high levels of poverty in households headed by one parent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55755/22]
View answer773. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will develop a new national child poverty plan, with a dedicated unit that encompasses an integrated and cross-governmental approach to address high levels of poverty in households headed by one parent. [55040/22]
View answer790. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans to develop a national child poverty plan as required under the EU child guarantee to tackle child poverty. [55443/22]
View answer798. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will immediately establish a new national child poverty plan with a dedicated unit that encompasses an integrated and cross-governmental approach to address high levels of poverty in households headed by one parent. [55651/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 740, 742, 773, 790 and 798 together.
With regard to any general proposal for a national child poverty plan, responsibility for addressing poverty is primarily a matter for the Department of Social Protection. Accordingly it would not be for this Department to lead on a cross-governmental approach. However this Department does have a range of actions under different policy lines and units which address childhood poverty. These include
1. Co-ordinating Actions across Government in relation to implementation of the European Child Guarantee. In 2019, the European Commission announced the creation of a European Child Guarantee with a view to ensuring that every child in Europe at risk of poverty or social exclusion has access to the most basic of rights like healthcare and education. The Child Guarantee, adopted by the Council of the European Union in June 2021, aims to prevent and combat social exclusion by guaranteeing the access of children in need to a set of key services, namely early childhood education and care, education, healthcare, nutrition, and housing.
An obligation for all member states, under the Child Guarantee, was the development and publication of a National Action Plan addressing the named aspects of the Guarantee. Ireland published its National Action Plan in June 2022. The publication of the National Action Plan was an important first step in the implementation of the EU Child Guarantee. My Department is coordinating actions across Government in addition to holding responsibility for the delivery of actions contained in this Plan relating to Early Childhood Education and Care.
It is important to emphasise that the National Action Plan is designed to meet the specific requirements of member states under the Child Guarantee. The National Action Plan details efforts, in accordance with the aims of the Guarantee, to address child poverty and social exclusion in Ireland and, in so doing, highlights key strategies currently in play. The key areas of the Plan refer to actions, objectives, targets and timelines - addressing some of the key barriers identified – in each of the named sectors of Education, Early Years, Health, Nutrition and Housing.
Identifying the most appropriate and effective structures to pursue the reforms necessary to improve outcomes for our most disadvantaged children and young people is a particular focus of work. In this regard, the new National Framework for Children and Young People, currently under development, and its cross-government and cross-sectoral engagement will inform the implementation of the Child Guarantee National Action Plan.
2. First Five is the national strategy for babies and young children. A key commitment of First Five is the development of “mechanisms to provide additional supports to Early Learning and Care (ELC) settings where there are high proportions of children who are at risk of poverty to mitigate the impacts of early disadvantage. Specifically, informed by the DEIS model, to develop a programme for the delivery of ELC in the context of concentrated disadvantage.
Work is underway to develop a “Tackling Disadvantage” response, which will seek to mitigate certain issues which go beyond the subsidisation of fees supported by NCS and previously by the CCS, CCSP and TEC schemes. Informed by recommendations in Partnership for the Public Good, services will be provided with a proportionate mix of universal and targeted supports to support children and families’ accessing their services who are experiencing disadvantage.
3. Early Childhood Care My Department is currently developing a strategic response to address issues of socio-economic disadvantage in Early Childhood Care and Education settings. Informed by recommendations in “Partnership for the Public Good”, services will be provided with a proportionate mix of universal and targeted supports to support children and families accessing their services who are experiencing disadvantage.
4. Policy Framework for Children and Young People My Department are currently developing a new Policy Framework for Children and Young People (0-24), covering the period 2023-2028. This framework will adopt a rights-based approach, ensuring children and young people’s rights are realised in Ireland, and that children and young people are a central consideration in all decisions affecting their lives.
The new policy framework will focus on the areas of most significant difficulty for children and young people, especially those who are vulnerable. The new framework will identify areas which require action across Government, such as child poverty, and focus on these pressing challenges in a focused, time-bound way as ‘Spotlights.’ It will bring visibility to an issue and foster a cross-government approach to removing barriers and addressing challenges to children and young people’s rights.
5. Child-specific poverty research programme Since 2019 the department has a child-specific poverty research programme. Under which the DCEDIY has undertaken three specific initiatives aimed at enhancing understanding of the impact of poverty on the lives of children and their families:
I. www.gov.ie/en/publication/a1580-income-poverty-and-deprivation-among-children-a-statistical-baseline-analysis-july-2020/
II. www.esri.ie/publications/the-dynamics-of-child-poverty-in-ireland-evidence-from-the-growing-up-in-ireland
The third piece is on the methodological and ethical issues in hearing the voices of children with lived experience of poverty. This advice should be received by the Department in 2022. The Department hopes to commission research in 2023 to hear those voices.
741. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of tourism accommodation bedrooms that have been taken up, both nationally and per county, with Government contracts for Ukrainian refugees and other asylum seekers; the percentage of overall availability which this represents nationally and per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55320/22]
View answerSince the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the Temporary Protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of displaced persons like the one that we have seen over the past months.
My Department’s role is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here. To date, more than 45,000 of those arriving in Ireland have been referred to us seeking accommodation from the State. My Department has contracted in excess of 34,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 550 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.
Regarding the matter raised, I can advise the Deputy that my Department’s analysis as of 18th October suggests that currently contracted accommodation, including both our contracts for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) and International Protection Applicants (IPs) equates to approximately 22% of all tourist accommodation across all counties When Dublin is excluded, the average is approximately 26%.
