Written Answers Nos. 141-168
141. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 23 May 2023, the status of the promised straw-man proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments; the timeline for the public consultation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32825/23]
View answerMy Department has committed under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on a Strawman proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments. The Strawman also intends to simplify the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the Make Work Pay report, the Pathways to Work report and the findings of the Cost of Disability Report. Work on the Strawman is at an advanced stage and I expect to bring it forward for publication shortly. I intend to carry out a wider consultation process with all stakeholders and advocacy groups following publication. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
142. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans, if any, to review the community employment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32981/23]
View answerThe aim of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long-term unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their local communities on a temporary fixed term basis. In addition to providing valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment for people who are unemployed, schemes such as CE also provide important and, in many cases essential, services to their local communities. Given the strong labour market performance the number of unemployed people dependent on social welfare payments continues to fall. While this is very welcome. it also means that the number of candidates available for CE is reduced thereby creating an challenging recruitment environment. However, working together with CE sponsors scheme changes have been made to increase participation which will help schemes continue to support their local communities.Minister Heather Humphreys and I have announced a number of reforms and enhancements to CE since December 2021, including a provision to allow CE participants who reach 60 years of age to remain until they reach state pension age and introducing flexibilities to the CE candidate referral process to allow direct recruitment to fill 30% of places subject to certain conditions. More recently we announced the extension of the criteria of those who can participate on CE to the adult dependents of those in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance and to support the integration of Ukrainian nationals living here, a reduction in the live register qualifying period from 12 to 9 months. There are no plans at present to review the community employment scheme but I can assure the Deputy that the eligibility criteria, the duration timelines for participation and the referral process for CE continues to be kept under active review by my Department. Both Minister Humphreys and I are very conscious of the need to support CE and we continue to meet regularly with representatives of the programme. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
143. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she aware of the CSO’s “estimated inflation by household characteristics March 2023” (details supplied) which noted that high energy costs were one of the key drivers of average inflation for households and that households with the lowest income experienced higher inflation; her plans to address; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32924/23]
View answerThe Government is very aware of the affect of energy costs on low-income households and is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of supports, energy efficiency awareness initiatives and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock.
As the Deputy is aware, the Government has provided a range of supports to assist people with rising energy costs to date, through a series of targeted lump sum payments and increases in core payment rates for those in receipt of social welfare payments, and through the energy credit scheme which was available to all households.
As part of the Government's cost of living measures in Budget 2023, an Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment was paid to Social Protection recipients in October 2022.
In November 2022, a €200 Lump Sum Payment was paid to pensioners and people with a disability receiving the Living Alone Allowance, a €500 Cost of Living Payment was paid to people receiving Carer’s Support Grant and a €500 Cost of Living lump sum was paid to people in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and Blind Pension. A €400 additional Lump Sum payment was also paid to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance Payment. A double month of Child Benefit was paid and a €500 lump sum payment was made to people in receipt of Working Family Payment.
In December, a Christmas Bonus Double Payment was paid to 1.3 million Social Protection recipients including pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.
From January 2023, the maximum rate of core Social Welfare rates was increased. There were proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people getting a reduced rate.
Also, from January 2023, a new Fuel Allowance means threshold was introduced for people aged 70 years and over. The new means threshold is €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 was increased from €20,000 to €50,000. The weekly means threshold for those aged under 70 was increased by €80 to €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension (Contributory). Similarly, the allowable means for HHB purposes for those aged between 66-69 not in receipt of a qualifying payment was also increased by €80 to €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension (Contributory).
The enhanced electricity credit of €600 is another important Government measure announced in the Budget. This benefitted all households.
A further range of measures to support people through this difficult period was announced in February this year. This package included a €200 lump sum payment which was paid to over 1.3 million recipients in receipt of long-term social welfare payments.
The Government will continue to monitor the cost-of-living situation closely and how it can support people on low incomes and those on social welfare payments who are at risk of fuel poverty. All options will be kept under review, together with trends in prices, to inform preparations for the budget later this year. We will, however, have to take account, as always, of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.
Finally, my Department 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 trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
144. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which the rent supplement scheme can be used to assist Ukrainian nationals who are living in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive to avail of private rental accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33192/23]
View answerThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for meeting the immediate and short-term accommodation needs of persons availing of protection in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive.
Rent supplement is a short-term income support which is means-tested and plays a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation. The scheme was providing support to 8,861 recipients at the end of May 2023.
Rent Supplement is available on a flexible basis to support those availing of temporary protection in Ireland. The standard rules for rent supplement under the Directive have been relaxed, where applicants do not have to satisfy the following criteria for entitlement to a rent supplement payment:
• have previously been in receipt of a rent supplement payment within 12 months of the date of application;
• have been renting for a period of six months (183 days) within the past 12 months of the date of application;
• register with the local housing authority to have their housing needs addressed.
There are 165 Ukrainian nationals currently being supported with Rent Supplement under the Directive. In total, 246 Ukrainian nationals have availed of the support since the measure came into operation in February 2022.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
146. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to increase supports available to homeless families and children given the rise in homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33169/23]
View answerThe Government Strategy “Housing for All” includes a number of commitments to tackle homelessness and it is led by my colleague the Minister for Housing Local Government and Heritage.
Budget 2023 provided a social welfare package worth almost €2.2 billion which included a range of measures to support families with children. In addition to the lump sum payments and double payments paid last year, personal rates of payment on working age schemes increased by €12 per week to €220 from January. In addition, the weekly rate of payment for a Qualified Child has been increased to €42 per week for a child under 12 and €50 per week for a child over 12.
Building on these Budget measures, in February, the Government announced details of a cost-of-living measures package worth €1.2 billion, which included a €410 million Social Welfare package. These measures included a once-off lump sum payment of €200 in April, paid to people on the Working Family Payment, lone parents, low-income families, carers, those on disability payments, and pensioners among others. In June, recipients of Child Benefit received a €100 lump sum for every child for whom Child Benefit is paid. The payment was made to 638,000 recipients in respect of 1,203,000 children. The estimated cost of this measure is €122 million in 2023.
Furthermore, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment has been increased by €100 for the 2023 scheme year, to assist families with the increased cost of returning to school. The rates of payment for the 2023 scheme year are €260 for children aged between 4 and 11 years and €385 for children aged 12 and over. This payment will provide additional support to approximately 153,000 families, including those availing of the Temporary Protection Directive. The estimated cost of this measure is €27.3 million.
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides, where necessary, Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. Government has provided €66 million for the Additional Needs Payment schemes and €3.27 million for reoccurring supplements in 2023. This is a demand-led scheme with no budget cap.
In addition, since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have introduced significant expansion to the school meals scheme, including hot school meals, which also support parents and children with a daily school meal.
147. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider expanding the criteria of the household benefits package so that all cancer patients become eligible upon diagnosis, until their treatment is finished; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33039/23]
View answerThe Household Benefits Package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €285 million this year on HHB for over 511,000 customers.
People over the age of 70 receive the HHB package, with one package provided per household. The package is also available to people living in the State aged 66-69 years who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments or who satisfy a means test. The package is available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.
It is important to note that, in general, access to the HHB Package for those aged under 66 is a secondary benefit linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer’s Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit. As many illnesses or physical conditions have an impact ranging from mild to severe, entitlement to these social welfare schemes is not provided on the basis of a diagnosis but on the basis of the impact of that diagnosis on the individual concerned and in the case of Disability and Carer's allowance to an assessment of their means. In this way, resources can be targeted to people in most need.
Extending the eligibility of the HHB package to the cohort of people the Deputy has suggested would change the nature of the scheme and would require additional funding and administrative staff and would have to be considered in the overall budgetary context.
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 and include help towards costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
148. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the work to progress legislation with regard to pension auto-enrolment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32911/23]
View answerThe introduction of a pensions auto-enrolment system is a Programme for Government commitment, and a key priority for me as Minister for Social Protection.
Last year, I published 'The Design Principles for Ireland’s Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System', which set out the new system in detail. It envisages that the enrolment of the first AE participants will commence in 2024.
A dedicated project team in the Department of Social Protection is focused on implementing the agreed design, which includes drafting the necessary legislation that will underpin it. Steady progress is being made by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, together with my officials, in the drafting of the Bill.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection recently published its report on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Heads of Bill to establish the AE system, setting out 21 observations and recommendations. I am considering these recommendations in the drafting of the Bill, but would note that several of them are already incorporated in the design agreed by Government for implementation in a later phase once the system is bedded in. Other recommendations cannot be accommodated as they would require considerable change to the design already agreed by Government. The completion of the Committee’s scrutiny of the Heads of Bill nevertheless represents an important step in the legislative process.
As a result of the progress outlined above, I expect to be in a position to publish the AE Bill in the Autumn and to commence its passage through the Oireachtas immediately thereafter.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
150. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the differentiated rates of jobseeker’s allowance for under 25s and consider bringing these in line with the standard rate of €220 a week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32731/23]
View answerAge-related rates for Jobseeker's Allowance recipients were introduced on a phased basis from 2009 to tackle high youth unemployment and to avoid long-term welfare dependency. Where a jobseeker aged 18-24 participates in approved full-time education or training they will receive the standard maximum rate of payment.
Age-related Jobseeker’s Allowance rates also do not apply to those with qualifying child dependents, or those who were in care of the HSE, Child and Family Agency (Tusla) during the 12 months immediately before they turned 18.
A jobseeker aged between 18 and 24 is also entitled to an exemption from the reduced rates if they are living independently of the family home and are in receipt of state housing supports. They must be in receipt of either rent supplement, housing assistance payment (HAP), rental accommodation scheme (RAS), local authority housing or living permanently in accommodation provided by a certain approved housing body to qualify for an exemption from the reduced rates.
All core social welfare payments were increased by €12 per week in Budget 2023, including the age-related Jobseeker's Allowance rate which has also increased by €12 to €129.70 per week for jobseekers aged between 18 and 24 years.
Supporting and improving the capacity of people to take up employment, education and training opportunities can enhance their employment prospects over time, as well as their ability to earn an adequate income to support themselves and their families into the future. If they participate on the Work Placement Experience Programme, their weekly rate increases to €323.
The Pathways to Work strategy contains provision for 50,000 additional further education and training places and the allocation of at least 1,000 out of the 3,000 new Community Employment and Tús places for young people. Work is ongoing to promote Community Employment to young people and to ensure places are filled by them. Additional places have also been provided on the JobsPlus recruitment incentive scheme, with the subsidy being available on an earlier basis than normal to employers when they recruit young people.
The aim of Pathways to Work 2021-2025 was to use these measures to reduce the youth unemployment rate back to or below the 2019 average of 12.5% by 2023. According to the latest CSO data, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate for May 2023 is already well below this target at 6.9%. Further work in this area is continuing to support these young people.
Therefore, I do not propose to remove age-related rates at this time.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
151. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will increase social welfare payments in the next Budget to ensure that everyone in the State has at least a minimum essential standard of living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33171/23]
View answerThe Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types.
One of the benefits of the work of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre is that it provides an analysis of the different levels of income needed for a wide range of household types, including the different costs that arise for households in rural and urban locations.
For instance, the latest MESL Annual Update shows the differences in the cost of meeting households needs in urban and rural areas. Differentiating social welfare payment rates based on location would be problematic.
The work of the MESL also highlights issues that may be better solved with greater access to services, rather than increases in income. In this regard, having access to secondary benefits such as medical cards and supports in the areas of housing and childcare can result in significant reductions in the minimum income standards needed by households, which presents another difficulty in using the MESL as a benchmark for the level of social welfare payments alone.
For these reasons, while not used as a benchmark in and of itself, the work of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is and will continue to be – a valuable input into our policy-making process.
Throughout 2022, and into this year Government has provided a range of unprecedented supports to protect people and families as the cost of living has increased. This includes a €2.2 Billion Social Protection Budget 2023 Package - the largest in the history of the state – which included eight lump sum payments in the last quarter of 2022, and a further package announced in February, providing over €410 million in additional Social Protection supports to households and families.
I will continue to prioritise evidence-based measures aimed at supporting the most vulnerable in our society.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
153. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection to publish any research undertaken or commissioned by her Department on a cost of disability payment, including costings to the Exchequer. [32067/23]
View answerThe Indecon Cost of Disability report was prepared following an extensive consultation with disabled people and disability stakeholders. The 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. Furthermore, Indecon found that there is not a single typical cost of disability; rather, there is a spectrum from low to high additional costs of disability, depending on individual circumstances.
My Department has committed under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on a Strawman proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments. The Strawman also intends to simplify the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the Make Work Pay report, the Pathways to Work report and the findings of the Cost of Disability Report.
I can confirm that work on the Strawman is at an advanced stage. I intend to carry out a wider consultation process with all stakeholders and advocacy groups following publication.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
154. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection when the legislation to provide for the flexible pension age and a pension for carer’s will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33092/23]
View answerIn September 2022, I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system. The measures are in response to the Pensions Commission’s recommendations and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system.
One of the measures announced is the introduction of flexibility to the State Pension (Contributory) from January 2024, allowing a person to defer access to their State Pension (Contributory) up to the age of 70 and receive an actuarially based increase in their weekly payment rate.
A person with less than 40 years contributions can use the period between 66 and 70 years of age to build up additional entitlements and, if a person has less than 10 years PRSI reckonable paid contributions, they can use this period to establish entitlement.
As the State Pension age remains at 66 years, a person can still draw their State Pension (Contributory) at State Pension age.
One of the most important reforms agreed by Government is enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years. It will do this by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to long-term carers of incapacitated dependents to cover gaps in their contribution record and by establishing a register of family carers for this purpose. These 20+ years of attributed contributions can be used to access the State Pension (contributory) even for those without 10 years paid contributions, as currently required.
Department officials are currently working on these reforms, including the drafting of legislation and development of administrative and IT systems for implementation by January 2024.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
156. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection what studies have been done by her Department of the international experience of individual social welfare payments; whether she intends introducing further individualised social welfare payments here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32073/23]
View answerThere have been a series of reports that have contained recommendations in relation to how our social welfare system could be individualised.
The Commission on Taxation and Welfare recommended that further social welfare individualisation is necessary, specifically in relation to qualified adults whose partners are in receipt of means-tested social assistance benefits. In preparing this recommendation, the Commission had regard to the recent work by NESC and the report of the Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality.
The Commission recommendation builds on the commitment in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to examine the feasibility of individualising welfare payments, through the provision of a direct payment to the second ‘dependent’ adult in a household, with a view to reducing co-dependency and improving employment and earnings outcomes.
The department is currently examining the possible introduction of pay-related jobseeker's benefit on an invidualised basis and is also working on working age payment reform. Further research will be carried out on this issue examination of payment systems in other countries will form part of this assessment.
160. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection her proposals to amend the means limits for carers allowance applicants. [33003/23]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.The key role of my department is to provide income supports where an income need may arise due to unemployment, illness/disability or caring responsibilities. The payments provided are an income support to people who cannot earn, or can only earn a limited income, and who have no other means or resources to rely upon.The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending in 2023 is expected to amount to almost €1.6 billion on these payments. The two principal conditions for receipt of Carer’s Allowance are that full time care and attention is required and provided, and that a means test is satisfied. The application of the 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 introduced significant improvements to the means test for Carer's Allowance. These were the first changes to the means test in 14 years:
• For carers who work, the weekly income disregard was increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person, and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
• The capital and savings disregard for the Carer’s Allowance means assessment was increased from €20,000 to €50,000, aligning it with the capital means test for Disability Allowance.
The Carer's Allowance disregards are the highest income disregards in the social welfare system.More recently, as part of Budget 2023, I announced a range of measures directly benefitting family carers, particularly in light of the current cost of living crisis. These include:
• A cost of living double payment to carers paid in October 2022.
• A €500 cost of living payment for people receiving Carer’s Support Grant paid in November 2022.
• Carers received the Christmas Bonus Double Payment in December 2022.
• A €200 lump sum payment for those in receipt of long-term payments, including carers, in April 2023.
• A €12 increase in the maximum rate of Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit took effect from January 2023 with proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate.
• A €2 increase for each Qualified Child bringing rates to €50 for Over 12s and €42 for Under 12s from January 2023.
• The Half-rate Carer’s Allowance is now disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance since January 2023.
• Domiciliary Care Allowance increased by €20.50 to €330 per month with effect from January 2023.
• Domiciliary Care Allowance is now available in respect of children with severe illness or disability who remain in hospital for up to six months after birth.
In addition to Carer's Allowance, my department also provides a non-means tested payment to those carers who have to leave the workforce or reduce their hours in the form of Carer’s Benefit. For those providing ongoing care and attention for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, Domiciliary Care Allowance is available and is also not means-tested. Furthermore, the Carer's Support Grant - which I increased to its highest-ever rate of €1,850 - is also available to carers who are not on a social welfare payment. On Thursday 1 June, some 141,000 Carer's Support Grants were paid to approximately 126,000 family carers.
Notwithstanding the increased level of support already in place for carers, I have asked my department to keep these measures under review as part of the annual budgetary process. Finally, I have committed to a carrying out a broad review of means testing this year which will include the Carer's Allowance means test provisions. Changes to any of the schemes on foot of this review will only be done in the context of ensuring the most effective and targeted use of public funds that are required to provide income support on a broad societal level.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
161. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the proposed legislation to bring forward changes to the child maintenance system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32093/23]
View answerThe Report of the Child Maintenance Review Group was published last November. The Government accepted the Group's recommendations in relation to the social welfare system. I am pleased to say that, pending the introduction of the necessary legislation, my Department has already implemented some of the recommended changes on an administrative basis.As a result, my Department is no longer applying the "efforts to seek maintenance" requirement to One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker's Transitional Payment. This requirement often involved lone parents having to go to Court to seek a maintenance order, so this change will remove a potential additional stress for them, as well as helping to reduce the burden on our courts system.
In addition, the liable relative provisions are not being applied to new claims for One-Parent Family Payment. This means that my Department will no longer seek to recoup a portion of claim costs from the non-resident parent in these cases. I want to be very clear that removing these provisions does not replace or supersede the primary responsibility of parents to maintain their children.
Furthermore, child maintenance payments will be disregarded in the means test for social welfare payments. This measure will mean that many lone parents currently on reduced rates of payment will see their payment increase and some additional lone parents will qualify for a payment. It is estimated that this measure will be of direct benefit to approximately 16,000 lone parents at a cost of approximately €10 million per year.
These are very significant reforms of the social welfare system which will be of great benefit to lone parents. These changes require amendments to both primary and secondary legislation as well as changes to some of my Department’s systems, application forms and processes. Work on the legislation is at an advanced stage. In the meantime, as I have outlined, a number of the recommendations are being implemented on an administrative basis.
162. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of the Christmas Bonus who do not receive a Spring cost-of-living payment, in tabular form, by county; and if that will be rectified before the Autumn cost-of-living payment. [32065/23]
View answerAs part of measures to support customers through increases in the cost of living my Department was responsible for a package totaling over €2 billion, which included several lump sum payments, including the Christmas bonus and the Spring Cost of Living payment
The Christmas Bonus is a double payment, whereby a person receives double their total weekly payment inclusive of any increases for Qualified Adults or Qualified Children. The Spring Cost of Living Package did not include a double payment, rather it was a once off €200 Lump Sum payment for eligible recipients.
The two payments are not directly comparable. They have different methods of calculation, entitlement amounts and recipient groups. The calculations and provision of the payments also took place at different points in time. During that time, normal customer changes would have occurred, including, for example, change of entitlement, claim closure, entry to employment, or a customer's death. Any of these would have had the potential to affect a customer's entitlement.
There are, therefore, legitimate reasons why a person could have been eligible for one of the payments at a point in time but not eligible for the other. Any customers that feel that they should have received either the Christmas Bonus or the Spring Cost of Living payment, but did not, should contact my Department to pursue their claim.
164. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection when the Government is planning to implement the commitment to benchmark pensions in ‘A Roadmap for Pension’s Reform 2018-2023’ or pension benchmarking commitments 22, 23 and 24 in the ‘Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025’. [32978/23]
View answerAs part of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, Government committed to finalising an approach for the benchmarking and indexation of pension payments.
Last September, I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system. The measures are in response to the recommendations from the Commission on Pensions and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system.
As part of this, in line with the recommendations of the Pensions Commission, a smoothed earnings method (based on average earnings excluding overtime and irregular payments) to calculating a benchmarked/indexed rate of State Pension payments will be introduced as an input to the annual budget process and will be submitted to Government for their consideration in September each year, commencing this year.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
165. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm whether her Department is investigating the possibility of linking the rate of maternity benefit to a woman’s pay or PRSI contributions; if so, the current status of these plans; when they are likely to be implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32824/23]
View answerMaternity Benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to self-employed women, employed women who are eligible for Maternity Leave and who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. As announced in Budget 2023 the standard rate of Maternity Benefit has increased to €262 per week from January 2023. In 2023, it is estimated that my Department will spend approximately €273 million on the scheme.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to consider increasing all classes of PRSI over time to replenish the Social Insurance Fund to help pay for measures and changes to be agreed including, inter alia, improvements to parental leave benefits.
Last December I published a public consultation document or "Strawman" on Pay-Related Benefit for Jobseekers. While the Strawman primarily focuses on jobseekers supports, feedback received as part of the public consultation will also help to inform the consideration of potential changes to other short-term income supports, such as Maternity Benefit.
Any changes to the Maternity Benefit scheme would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
166. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the process under which her Department notifies people of their entitlement to a specific payment to avoid disruptions in payment. [33090/23]
View answerWhen a customer makes a claim for a scheme administered by my Department, they are notified in writing of the formal decision on their claim application.
Where a claim is awarded, the decision letter to the customer will include details of the payment amount, when the first payment will be made and, if the customer is being paid by EIT in a Post Office, where the payment can be collected.
Where a claim is disallowed, the decision letter will include information on the customer's right to appeal this decision and how they can make an appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
167. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the tender for EmployAbility which was due to be published in April 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33195/23]
View answerMy Department currently provides employment services for people with disabilities through 23 EmployAbility contracted service providers across the State. My officials are undertaking a procurement process to update current EmployAbility services in order to comply with legal advice from the Attorney General and Chief State Solicitor’s Office and to meet the Department’s objective of shifting emphasis from financial monitoring of service providers to focusing on service quality for clients.It is not the intention of this procurement to significantly change the services currently provided to clients. The proposed new EmployAbility contract model aims to enhance the autonomy of the service providers, giving them more control over financial and staffing decisions to enable them to provide a high-quality employment service for people with disabilities.
Stakeholder engagement is a key aspect of this procurement and my officials have met with each EmployAbility service provider individually in recent months to discuss the planned procurement process. This engagement will continue until the publication of the request for tender. In addition, on 25th May I met with the Chairs of all EmployAbility companies in order to hear their views on the forthcoming process.
My Department is currently at an advanced stage in drafting a request for tender (RFT) to update the EmployAbility service, the draft RFT is being updated to reflect the feedback I received at the online engagement with EmployAbility chairs and from other stakeholders.
It is in everyone’s interests that my Department continues to provide a quality employment service for people with disabilities and my officials will continue to work with all stakeholders on the best way to achieve this while ensuring contracts are legally compliant.
