Written Answers Nos. 121-138
121. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the cost-of-living supports that she has provided for in Budget 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59109/22]
View answerIn response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, I announced on Budget Day that my Department will spend approximately €1.2 billion on social welfare measures to help individuals and families through this difficult period.
These measures include an Autumn Double Payment, which was paid in mid-October to over 1.4 million people, including pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents, and jobseekers. The Department of Social Protection paid a total of €316 million in additional payments during this week.
This was followed by a double payment of Child Benefit on 1st November, which was paid in respect of 1.2 million children across the State. 638,000 families benefited from this double payment, at a cost of €170 million. Child Benefit is an extremely important support that reaches hundreds of thousands of hardworking families.
On the same date, the first of three €200 Electricity Credits was applied to household’s electricity accounts. Two further Electricity Credit payments of €200 each will be paid to all households next year, at a total cost of €1.3 billion. This will help protect households from the risk of energy poverty through the winter months and during ongoing uncertainty due to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
During the week commencing 14th November, the Department paid a range of cost of living supports, which included:
- A €400 lump sum payment to over 370,000 households in receipt of Fuel Allowance;
- A €500 lump sum payment to 44,000 families receiving the Working Family Payment;
- A €500 Disability Support Grant to 216,000 recipients of Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension; and
- A €200 lump sum payment to the 234,000 recipients of the Living Alone Allowance.
In total, the Department paid an additional €325 million during this week in cost of living supports to over 865,000 people.
Last week, commencing 21st November, the Department paid a lump sum of €500 to over 114,000 carers, at a cost of €57.3 million.
In December, the Christmas Bonus double payment will be paid to pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, one-parent families, and other social protection recipients at a cost of €294 million.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
122. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to introduce unemployment benefit based upon the previous employment income of a person. [59078/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government and the Economic Recovery Plan include commitments to consider a pay-related jobseeker’s benefit scheme. Pathways to Work commits to using the experience from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to inform the design of such a scheme that may be developed. The introduction of a pay-related benefit for jobseekers would bring Ireland in line with the majority of EU Member States.
The core rationale for the introduction of a pay-related benefit is twofold. First, to provide a tangible return to people who make social insurance contributions as a means of better reflecting the contributory principle and strengthening the solidarity principle, both of which are at the heart of the social insurance system. Second, to better cushion people against the ‘income shock’ that arises on loss of employment.
My Department is developing proposals for a new pay-related jobseeker's benefit which would align income support with a person's prior recent employment income. I intend issuing a Strawman proposal for public consultation, which will set out the broad parameters of a possible new approach to a pay-related jobseeker benefit. The objective of the Strawman is to elicit feedback through a national public consultation process to develop a preferred policy design.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
123. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons who are on long-term illness benefit for 12 months or longer will receive the Christmas bonus payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58936/22]
View answerIllness Benefit is not, and has never been, a qualifying payment for the Christmas Bonus.
Illness Benefit is a short-term social welfare scheme which, by its nature, has a high degree of churn with people coming onto the scheme and moving off every week. The duration of claims is often very short. For example, between July and September 2022, almost 115,000 Illness Benefit claims were awarded and, of these, only 21,000 remain in payment. This indicates a churn of 82% over just a three-month period. The average duration of a claim for Illness Benefit is only 6 days.
In addition, many Illness Benefit payments are paid directly to the employer. Therefore, bonus payments, like the Christmas Bonus, might become more of an employer subsidy as opposed to an additional support to the customer. This is not the intent behind the Christmas bonus, nor would it be a targeted use of resources.
However, I do appreciate that individual circumstances can vary from case to case. For this reason, I have asked my officials to examine this issue in respect of people who are in receipt of Illness Benefit for longer periods of time.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
124. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is intended to bring the pay levels of CE supervisors in line with other public sector employees with similar responsibilities and with equivalent educational criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53969/22]
View answerI value the role CE supervisors and assistant supervisors play on over 800 CE schemes in providing work experience and development opportunities to long term unemployed and essential services to local communities. As the Deputy is aware, CE supervisors and assistant supervisors are not employees of the Department and are not public servants. They are employees of individual schemes.
There is no link to grades or rates of pay between CE supervisors and public servants.
The Department, as the funder of CE schemes, received correspondence earlier this year from Fórsa and SIPTU seeking a pay increase for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. The department has been advised in recent days that Fórsa and SIPTU have referred a pay claim to the conciliation service of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The WRC has issued an invite to the Department to take part in a conciliation process.
Any increase in pay rates that would potentially increase the overall cost to the state of funding schemes, or state funded activities in the wider community and voluntary sector, must take into consideration the potential cost to the exchequer. Given these budgetary implications, and the referral of other similar claims to the WRC, the Department is following-up with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, prior to responding to the invite from the WRC.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
125. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if the ex-gratia scheme for community employment supervisors where such supervisors were made redundant would apply. [59447/22]
View answer129. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in respect of ex-gratia payments for persons who served as community employment supervisors. [59444/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 129 together.
CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors sought for several years through their union representatives, SIPTU and Forsa, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsoring organisations.
A final settlement was agreed with unions representing CE supervisors and assistant supervisors at the end of 2021. This settlement resolves this long-standing issue through the payment of a once off ex-gratia payment to eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. Some 2,500 people employed by CE schemes going back to 2008 will benefit; at an estimated total cost of over €24 million.
Generally, under the terms of this settlement, on reaching retirement age, eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors will receive a once off ex-gratia payment in respect of time employed by CE schemes since 2008. People who retired since 2008 and who have reached retirement age can now apply for this payment. It will not apply to persons, who received redundancy payments in respect of periods of time employed by CE schemes.
Over the past number of months, an administrative and ICT system to accept applications and process payments was put in place within the Department of Social Protection. The first group of ex-gratia applications have been received - these relate to persons who retired since 2008. In total, 624 completed applications have been received, with 480 of these processed. The balance are being worked on at present with a view to having them ready for payment as soon as possible.
Following Government approval earlier this month, legislative provisions to provide for these payments have been included in the Social Welfare Budget Bill, which will also facilitate the payment of processed applications. It is my intention that these payments will issue before the Christmas break. Recipients will receive notification when their payments are issuing.
I trust this clarifies the matters.
126. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will be bringing forward a new customer charter and customer action plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59216/22]
View answerMy Department is committed to delivering excellent Customer Service. The Department aims to provide the best possible service, ensuring all customers are served in a professional, fair, courteous and timely manner, and are provided with full and clear information regarding entitlements while having their privacy respected.
My officials are currently in the process of reviewing and updating the current Customer Service Charter 2020 – 2022 and action plan. When the new Customer Service Charter 2023 – 2025 is finalised, it will be published on my Department's website on www.gov.ie.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
127. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate the trends in the number seeking jobseeker payments; the number who are being facilitated into pathways of training and work experience; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58934/22]
View answerAs of the week ending the 20th of November, the Live Register, which consists of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Jobseeker’s Benefit and Credits, stood at some 181,500 claimants.
There has been some variation in the Live Register in the recent period. Notably, the Live Register rose to some 180,700 jobseekers following the closure of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) end-March 2022 and the associated movement of around 20,000 of the final PUP recipients to standard jobseeker terms. There were declines in the Live Register from this point, in line with the general labour market recovery, apart from normal seasonal variation.
However, unlike in previous years, the Live Register is now inclusive of around 19,000 people who arrived under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive from Ukraine, which must be considered when comparing the current position of 181,500 Live Register claimants to the pre-pandemic level of around 177,600. The low numbers currently seen are reflective of the tight labour market, as is the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.4 percent in the recently released Q3, 2022 Labour Force Survey.
In respect of supports for jobseekers, the main training and work experience programme the Department operates is the Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP). The WPEP provides jobseekers with the opportunity to gain a quality work placement experience, increase their employability, and develop new skills. However, owing to the tight labour market, fewer jobseekers have availed of this support than had been expected. As of the end of October, 451 individuals have participated on the programme since it commenced in July 2021. The Department additionally provides support through the Back to Education Allowance for over 3,200 people in October 2022.
The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science provides supports to individuals to retrain and upskill. Since the launch of Pathways to Work in July 2021 until the end of September 2022, there have been nearly 21,000 people who were long-term unemployed commencing in Further and Higher Education programmes.
My Department will continue to provide assistance to all those who may need help to return to employment, education or training.
130. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the various supports for people with disabilities in Budget 2023; the way that this aligns with ongoing work on the Cost of Disability report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59229/22]
View answerThe 2021 Indecon Cost of Disability report identified that additional costs of disability run across a number of areas of expenditure, including housing, equipment, aids and appliances, care and assistance services, mobility, transport, communications, medicines, and additional living expenses.
The findings of the research have implications for many areas of public policy. Based on this, one of Indecon's conclusions is that a multifaceted, whole of government approach is required to address the cost of disability. It is for this reason the Government decided that the report, and actions on foot of the report should be considered and monitored by the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group. This group is chaired by my colleague the Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte TD, and is comprised of relevant departments, agencies, and the Disability Stakeholder Group. The stakeholder group is comprised of persons who have expertise and lived experience of disability, who are appointed by the Minister of State for Disability - who serve three-year periods as members of the group.
A number of the measures I introduced, as part of Budget 2023, in support of people with disabilities reflect the findings of the report, these included a:
Paid in October:
- Cost-of-Living Double Payment, paid to Social Protection recipients including all Pensioners, Carers and people on Disability Payments.
Paid in November
- €500 Cost of Living Disability Support Grant, paid to all people receiving a long-term Disability payment.
- €500 Cost of Living Payment for people receiving the Carer’s Support Grant.
- €400 Lump Sum Fuel Allowance Payment, to all households receiving the Fuel Allowance.
- €200 Lump Sum Payment, for pensioners and people with a disability receiving the Living Alone Allowance.
- Double Payment of Child Benefit to support all families with children.
To be paid in December
- Christmas Bonus Double Payment will be paid to 1.3 million Social Protection recipients including: Pensioners, Carers and People with Disabilities.
In addition, from January 2023, the following measures will be implemented:
- a €12 increase in weekly payments with proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people who receive a reduced rate, to include for example the Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, and invalidity Pension.
- The Means assessment threshold for Fuel Allowance will increase from €120 to €200.
- Disablement Benefit will be disregarded in the means assessment for the Fuel Allowance.
- Domiciliary Care Allowance will increase by €20.50 to €330 per month.
- Domiciliary Care Allowance will be available in respect of children with severe illness or disability who remain in hospital for up to six months after birth.
- Half-rate Carer’s Allowance will be disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance.
The Indecon report particularly identified the importance of supporting the employment of disabled people. To assist with this, Budget 2023 included other important measures:
- The earnings disregard for both the Disability Allowance and Blind Pension will be increased by €25 per week, from €140 to €165 from January.
- €1m funding for enhancements to the Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants has been put in place. These grants support the employment of disabled people in the private sector. Following a public consultation, conducted earlier this year, the Department will bring forward reform proposals for this fund before the end of the year.
- Changes to the JobsPlus incentive scheme, to encourage private sector employers to employ disabled people. Employers who employ people in receipt of the Disability Allowance or Blind Pension can avail of two grants under this scheme, the vaule of the grants are €7,500 and €10,000.
131. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the eligibility criteria for fuel allowance to ensure that it is available to all recipients of social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59283/22]
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, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. 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 including a means test and the household composition criteria. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment is targeted at 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 extend the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance in the manner outlined by the Deputy would change the targeted nature of the payment and would have to be considered in the context of overall scheme policy and budgetary considerations.
In Budget 2023, I secured funding for the largest ever expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme. It is estimated that this expansion could bring up to 81,000 additional households into the scheme. The changes announced take effect from the first week in January.
For applicants aged 70 and over, there is a new means test limit of €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple. Under the formula used to assess means for the Fuel Allowance for over 70s, the threshold for capital that is disregarded in the assessment will increase from €20,000 to €50,000. Also, from next January, an over-70 applicant no longer needs to be in receipt of a qualifying payment. Existing household composition rules continue to apply.
For applicants under age 70, the weekly means threshold is being increased by €80, from €120 to €200 above the appropriate weekly rate of State Pension Contributory.
From January 2023, Disablement Benefit and Half-Rate Carer's Allowance payments will be disregarded when assessing means for Fuel Allowance purposes.
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.
132. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will increase the rural social scheme top-up of €5 announced in Budget 2023 to €20 to keep pace with current inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53774/22]
View answerIn response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, my Department will spend €1.3 billion this year on cost-of-living supports to help individuals and families through this difficult period.
Participants on the Rural Social Scheme are eligible for the Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment paid last month, and the Christmas Bonus in December. Those participants with children were also eligible for the Double Payment of Child Benefit earlier this month.
As part of Budget 2023, I was pleased to announce a €12 increase in weekly payments from next January. This will apply to Rural Social Scheme participants. I am also increasing the Qualified Child rate by €2 per week.
In addition, I am increasing the top-up rate on employment schemes 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 dependents.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
134. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the current waiting times at the appeals office and if additional resources will be allocated to it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59128/22]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all claims are awarded by the Department and just 1% are appealed. Nevertheless, the Department endeavours to ensure that these cases are dealt with as quickly as possible.The time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with Appeals Officers being required to decide all appeals on a ‘de-novo’ basis. In addition, appeals decisions are themselves subject to review by the High Court and decisions have to be formally written up to quasi-judicial standards.
The desire to process appeals quickly has to be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and of high quality and made in accordance with the legislative provisions and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice.
Currently there are 41 Appeals Officers serving in the Social Welfare Appeals Office. This staffing cadre is kept under review.
Further improvements in appeals processing times is a priority for the Chief Appeals Officer.
The table below provides the average processing times for all appeals for the period 1 January to 31 October 2022.
Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 1 January 2022– 31 October 2022
|
Average processing times (weeks)Summary Decisions |
Average processing times (weeks)Oral Hearings |
|
|
Blind Person’s Pension |
14.6 |
- |
|
Back To Work Family Dividend |
12.5 |
- |
|
Carer’s Allowance |
12.1 |
18.4 |
|
Carer’s Benefit |
10.7 |
17.8 |
|
Carer’s Support Grant |
10.5 |
23.1 |
|
Child Benefit |
26.5 |
28.2 |
|
Death Benefit |
4.9 |
- |
|
Deserted Wife’s Benefit |
14.9 |
64.2 |
|
Disability Allowance |
11.7 |
20.5 |
|
Disablement Pension |
19.5 |
29.4 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
20.6 |
32.0 |
|
Farm Assist |
16.8 |
38.9 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) |
14.1 |
12.5 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory) |
12.8 |
- |
|
Illness Benefit |
14.7 |
18.9 |
|
Insurability of Employment |
143.6 |
76.0 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
13.6 |
30.9 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) |
15.0 |
30.5 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Payments) |
12.0 |
35.9 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
13.1 |
23.7 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit O65 |
13.5 |
23.4 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit Self Employed |
15.9 |
- |
|
Jobseeker's Transitional |
11.9 |
25.0 |
|
Liable Relatives |
8.9 |
- |
|
Maternity Benefit |
11.8 |
20.9 |
|
Occupational Injury Benefit |
23.0 |
- |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
16.3 |
23.8 |
|
Pandemic Unemployment Payment |
22.1 |
- |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
11.9 |
24.1 |
|
Parent's Benefit |
13.3 |
- |
|
Paternity Benefit |
12.5 |
- |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
19.3 |
61.4 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
22.8 |
53.0 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
15.8 |
31.9 |
|
Treatment Benefit |
13.0 |
- |
|
Widow/Widower's Pension (Contributory) |
17.2 |
58.7 |
|
Widow/Widower's Pension (Non-Contributory) |
11.7 |
- |
|
Widowed Parent Grant |
16.7 |
- |
|
Working Family Payment |
18.0 |
65.4 |
|
All Appeals |
15.0 |
25.8 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
135. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will urgently review cases whereby victims of domestic and coercive abuse who are accessing refuge services but who do not meet the criteria for IPAS/IPO status and who have not yet applied or received a stamp 4 status within Ireland, can access a weekly income instead of having to apply for exceptional needs’ payments which, while helpful, is not guaranteed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58820/22]
View answerPrimary 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.
The accommodation needs of victims of domestic violence are met through a joined-up service delivery model provided by Tusla with the close involvement of housing authorities nationwide and the support of the Department of Social Protection through the provision of rent supplement.
The supplementary welfare allowance 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.
The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other state schemes. This assistance is subject to the person having the right to reside and satisfying the Habitual Residence Condition.
Persons granted refugee status are entitled to the same social welfare benefits as an Irish citizen including access to a basic supplementary allowance weekly payment. Any person who is residing in the state without any official status should contact their local immigration registration office or the International Protection Office, if appropriate, in order to regularise their position.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may 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 customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.
This is a demand-led scheme and there is no budget cap. 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. Exceptional and urgent needs payments are not subject to the Habitual Residence Condition so can be provided, where needed, to assist those who do not have a right to reside in Ireland.
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.
136. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the back-to-work enterprise allowance in 2021 and to date in 2022; the number of these applications that were granted; if consideration has been given to extending the back-to-work enterprise allowance which is currently a two-year plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53107/22]
View answerThe Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting the development of new enterprises.
The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme supports people in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment to develop a business while allowing them to retain a reducing proportion of their payment over two years with no restriction on the number of hours worked. A person retains 100% of their payment in year 1 and 75% in year 2.
The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance scheme provides support to recipients of Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Benefit Self-Employed who wish to start up a new business. The allowance is payable for the duration of the participant's Jobseekers Benefit/Jobseekers Benefit Self-Employed claim.
Statistics are maintained on the number of applications awarded under the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme over the period. They are not maintained on the total number of applications received.
Payment of this social welfare allowance for up to 2 years during the initial business start-up period is a valuable support and assists to alleviate the risks involved with starting a business. The scheme provides an element of financial security along with business mentoring and supports. There are no plans to provide an extension to the duration of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme.
The following tabular statement provides the number of persons in receipt of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance and Short-Term Enterprise Allowance at end December 2021 and end October 2022.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular Statement
|
Year |
No. of BTWEA participants |
No. of STEA participants |
Total Participants |
|
2021 |
2,307 |
298 |
2,605 |
|
2022 (end Oct) |
2,356 |
294 |
2,650 |
137. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of times that the fuel allowance has increased since she took office. [58969/22]
View answerOn 27 June 2020, I had the privilege of being appointed as Minister for Social Protection. At that time, the rate of Fuel Allowance was €24.50 per week, payable over a 28 week period.
From 4 January 2021, I increased the weekly rate by €3.50, raising the rate of payment to €28.00 per week.
I secured a further increase of €5 to the weekly rate of Fuel Allowance with effect from 11 October 2021, from €28 to €33.00, which is the current rate.
In addition, during my time as Minister for Social Protection, and in recognition of the increasing energy costs for households, I secured a number of one-off payments for those in receipt of Fuel Allowance. In March 2022, an extra €125 was paid to all Fuel Allowance recipients. A further extra payment of €100 was made to all Fuel Allowance recipients in mid-May 2022.
More recently, a payment of €400 was made to all those in receipt of Fuel Allowance during the week commencing 14 November 2022.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
138. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider removing the means test for carer’s allowance in the case of a parent who gives up full-time employment to care for their child who is medically diagnosed as incapacitated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59272/22]
View answerThe two principal conditions for receipt of Carer’s Allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided, and that the means test which applies is satisfied. Carer’s Allowance is primarily aimed at carers on low incomes who look after certain people who need full-time care and attention.
While the age and the level of care required by those being cared for may be different, this does not affect the rates of the allowance, which is intended to provide an income support for the carer and does not depend on individual care requirements.
The conditions attached to payment of Carer’s Allowance are consistent with the overall conditions that apply to social assistance payments generally.
This system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need with the means test playing the critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency - be that illness, disability, unemployment or caring.
The application of a means-test not only ensures that the recipient has an income need but also that scarce resources are targeted to those with the greatest need.
As part of Budget 2022, I announced significant improvements to the means test for Carer’s Allowance. In recognition of the vital role that carers play in society, I increased the weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance from €332.50 to €350 a week for single carers and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
These are the most generous income disregards in the social welfare system and the increase in the earnings limit enables more carers with modest incomes to become eligible for the scheme.
I also announced an increase to the capital disregard from €20,000 to €50,000 for Carer’s Allowance. This allows carers who have accumulated relatively modest savings, often to provide care for a loved one, to retain an entitlement to Carer's Allowance.
These changes, which came into effect from Thursday 2 June this year, were the first changes that had been made to the Carer’s Allowance means test in 14 years.
In addition to Carer's Allowance, my department also provides a non-means tested payment to carers in the form of Carer’s Benefit. Furthermore, the Carer's Support Grant - which I increased to its highest-ever rate of €1,850 - is available to carers who are not on a social welfare payment. For those providing ongoing care and attention for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, Domiciliary Care Allowance is available and is not means-tested.
Any changes to payment schemes, such as the one outlined by the Deputy, would have implications for expenditure and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
