Paul McAuliffe
Question:150. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the number of successful applicants for fuel allowance in 2023, and how this compares to the previous five years. [54217/23]
View answerDepartmental Data
Questions (150)
Written answers
The 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 a contribution towards heating costs; it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made over the winter season - from September to April - at the weekly rate of €33 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum instalments - one in September and one in January. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household. Those who qualify for the payment do not need to reapply annually.
In Budget 2023, I introduced a more generous means test for those aged over 70, with a higher means threshold of €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple. From 5th January 2024, the means thresholds for over those aged over 70 will increase to €512 per week for a single person over 70 and €1,024 per week for a couple. Applicants aged over 70 no longer need to be receiving a qualifying social protection payment and the threshold for the capital disregard increased from €20,000 to €50,000. For those aged under 70, the means threshold was increased by €80 and is now €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory for the household.
As part of Budget 2024, a €300 cost of living lump sum payment was paid to all recipients of the Fuel Allowance during the week commencing 20th November.
The Department generally collates data on an annual basis. Over the past 5 years, at the end of December each year, the records of the Department indicate that the Fuel Allowance scheme supported the following number of households:
In 2018, 380,463 households.
In 2019: 369,255 households.
In 2020: 375,269 households.
In 2021: 374,861 households.
In 2022: 393,767 households.
At the end of October 2023, there were 409,440 households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance. This is the highest number of households receiving the Fuel Allowance when compared to the previous five years reflecting the positive changes we have made to the means test.
It should be noted that the number of qualified households continuously fluctuates, as recipients join and exit the scheme as their circumstances change.
Fuel Allowance is a demand led scheme and it has never been easier for people, especially those over 70, to apply for and qualify for Fuel Allowance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Bereavement Leave
Questions (151)
Willie O'Dea
Question:151. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has looked into providing a statutory bereavement leave and the costs associated with this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53905/23]
View answerWritten answers
My Department does not have responsibility for the introduction of statutory leave.
An employee's entitlement to take time off in such circumstances depends on whether any provision exists in the employee’s contract of employment providing for such leave. For the vast majority of workers, conditions of employment, including bereavement leave provisions, are matters for negotiation between employers and employees. In the absence of any such provisions in an employment contract, bereavement leave is normally granted at the discretion of the employer.
The introduction of any statutory leave requires careful consideration of the subsequent impact on employment structures, costs and any potential equality issues which may arise. Accordingly, the policy aspects of leave types reside with my colleagues, the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment in terms of employment rights and with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in terms of equality issues.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Departmental Data
Questions (152)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:152. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the disability allowance in each of the past ten years, 2023 inclusive. [53695/23]
View answerWritten answers
Disability Allowance is a means-tested, weekly allowance paid to people with a disability. To qualify for Disability Allowance, one must have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year, and be substantially restricted from working.
At the end of October 2023 there were 161,621 persons in receipt of Disability Allowance.
The data requested by the Deputy for the end of each calendar year 2013 to 2022, and end October 2023, are shown in the attached tabular statement.
|
Year |
Number of persons in receipt of Disability Allowance |
|
2013 |
106,279 |
|
2014 |
112,097 |
|
2015 |
119,042 |
|
2016 |
126,203 |
|
2017 |
133,929 |
|
2018 |
140,835 |
|
2019 |
146,755 |
|
2020 |
152,580 |
|
2021 |
155,181 |
|
2022 |
157,807 |
|
October 2023 |
161,621 |
Social Welfare Code
Questions (153)
Denis Naughten
Question:153. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has given consideration to a submission from Family Carers Ireland on the introduction of a non-means-tested participation income for family carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53878/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Government acknowledges the valuable 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 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 Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which my department provides income support to carers in the community. Some 95,598 people are supported by this payment.
The conditions attached to payment of Carer’s Allowance are consistent with the overall conditions that apply to social assistance payments generally. The means test ensures that support is provided to those most in need and plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of caring.
Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of improvements in the social welfare system to enhance the supports available for our carers.
• In June 2022 the income disregards were increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person, and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
• As part of Budget 2024, the weekly income disregard will be further increased from €350 to €450 for a single person, and from €750 to €900 for carers with a spouse/partner.
This amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €117.50 for a single carer and €235.00 for a carer who is part of couple, during my time as Minister for Social Protection. These are the highest income disregards in the social welfare system. It is also worth noting that the capital and savings disregard for the Carer’s Allowance means assessment was also increased last year from €20,000 to €50,000.
I am familiar with submission referred to by the Deputy calling for the introduction of a form of non-means tested payment or basic income for caring work.
Carer's Allowance does not purport to be a payment for care, and I do not intend to deviate from the underpinning principle of Carer’s Allowance being an income support payment.
To examine and further explore this issue, I am establishing an Interdepartmental Working Group with the Department of Health to examine and review the entire system of means test for carers payments.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
Legislative Measures
Questions (154)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:154. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the proposed legislation on child maintenance system changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54241/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Report of the Child Maintenance Review Group was published last November and the Government has accepted the Group's recommendations regarding the social welfare system. These changes will decouple child maintenance and social welfare and are significant reforms, which will be of great benefit to lone parents.
As a consequence, 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 changes require amendments to both primary and secondary legislation as well as changes to some of the Department’s systems, application forms and processes. In terms of the changes to primary legislation, the draft Heads of Bill have undergone pre-legislative scrutiny at the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, and work on drafting the Bill has been ongoing. It is my intention to publish the legislation before Christmas.
I trust this clarifies the position.
Social Welfare Payments
Questions (155)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:155. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the Guardians payment, specifically where a relative is approved for child benefit, that this would then lead to the automatic signposting to the Guardians payment for the relative. [54240/23]
View answerWritten answers
A Guardians payment is made to a person caring for a child who satisfies the definition of an “orphan” under social welfare legislation. A child is considered an orphan if they are under 18 (or 22 if in full time education) and both parents are deceased; or one parent is either dead or unknown or has abandoned and failed to provide for the child and the other parent is unknown or has abandoned and failed to provide for the child.
Child Benefit is a monthly payment payable to a person caring for a child where the child normally lives and is supported by them. The child does not need to satisfy the definition of an orphan under social welfare legislation for this payment.
It is important to note that the two schemes - the Guardians payment and Child Benefit are fundamentally different. It would not be appropriate to provide automatic access from one to the other.
My Department will continue to keep the range of supports available under review. The Deputy will be aware that any proposed change would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Departmental Consultations
Questions (156)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:156. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the consultation of the ‘working age payment’ model mentioned in the Green Paper on Disability Reform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54243/23]
View answerWritten answers
My department offers different in-work supports to people availing of means tested or social insurance disability payments.
People in receipt of Disability Allowance and Blind Pension can avail of an earnings disregard. This allows recipients to keep their full payment up to an earnings limit of €165 per week, and to keep a partial payment and all secondary benefits up to earnings of €495.10.
People in receipt of Invalidity Pension are not allowed to work under the rules of the scheme. They can transfer to Partial Capacity Benefit to enter or return to employment and continue to receive a proportion of their previous payment for a period of time. Recipients are assigned to one of three levels of payment and there is no limit to how much they can earn from employment in addition to their payment.
The main proposal of the Green Paper is to introduce a single, three-tiered Personal Support Payment. This is to ensure all people with disabilities on long-term disability payments are treated the same, whether on a contributory and non-contributory payment.
Under the tiered model, it is proposed to move to a Working Age Payment type model, similar to the Working Family Payment. This would provide a minimum income guarantee and allow people with disabilities who take up work to continue to receive a partial or reduced welfare payment. The value of this in-work support will be related to the level of their income from work. This means recipients who work will keep a percentage, for example 60%, of the difference between their employment income and a set level or threshold. The threshold has not been decided to date.
The Green Paper is a consultation document. It is not a final reform design. The Paper’s purpose is to invite discussion, debate, and suggestions through the public consultation.
This public consultation is ongoing. I encourage individuals and groups with an interest to make a submission in writing or by video by 15 March 2024.
I cannot comment on any submissions at this time. Following the close of the public consultation, the feedback from these submissions and the public consultation events will be reviewed, analysed and considered in the final proposal to Government. I engaged in similar consultation on pay-related benefit and pensions auto-enrolment which led to the revision of some key features. The same will apply here.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Rates
Questions (157)
Paul Murphy
Question:157. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that the cost of disability is taken into account in setting the level of social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54227/23]
View answerWritten answers
My department provides a number of income supports for those who are unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means tested social assistance schemes.
The Indecon Cost of Disability Report identified that additional costs of disability run across many areas of expenditure, including housing, transport, health, and education. These need to be addressed across Government.
The report found that the cost of disability is significantly broader than income supports and 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.
The report concluded that disability payments should be targeted at those most in need and who face the greatest additional cost of disability rather than spreading resources thinly.
I am committed to addressing the cost of disability and improving outcomes for people with a disability. I announced a suite of measures to support disabled people in Budget 2024, including a €400 lump-sum payment in November, a Christmas Bonus double payment in December, a Cost-of-Living Bonus payment in January and a €12 increase in the maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments.
However, despite the measures in the recent budget, there is still a need to reform our system of disability payments to better account for the cost of disability in income supports. In September, I published the Green Paper on Disability Reform to begin the conversation about improving these supports and further addressing the cost of disability.
The aim of the Green Paper is two-fold. Firstly, it aims to support a higher level of employment for people with disabilities, which will improve their outcomes; and secondly, to better insulate disabled people who cannot work from poverty and deprivation.
The Paper’s key proposal is to introduce a new long-term disability payment that has three tiers of payment with associated employment supports.
This takes into consideration the recommendations of the Cost of Disability report, which found that income supports should be differentiated by need and that government policy should facilitate employment among those who can work.
The Green Paper is not a cost cutting measure. Based on a conservative estimate, the Green Paper proposals, if introduced, would increase spending by more than €130 million per year.
Nobody will lose their payment or have their payment reduced. The objective is to increase people’s payments and provide more employment supports for those who can and want to work.
I would like to emphasise that the Green Paper is not a final design. It is only a starting point for a structured discussion on what the future of long-term disability payments could look like. It offers one possible approach on how to target limited resources - its proposals are intended to invite discussion, debate and suggestions.
I encourage all those with an interest to express their views in our public consultation by making a submission in writing or by video. It is essential that we hear from as many disabled people and representatives as possible. We would like to hear what people like and don't like about the proposals and suggestions on how they could be improved or replaced with alternatives. I have extended the consultation period until 15 March 2024 to ensure everyone has adequate time to make a submission.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Rates
Questions (158)
Paul Murphy
Question:158. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection her reasons for not supporting proposal a union (details supplied) for pay-related jobseeker’s benefit to be paid at a maximum of 70 per cent of salary or €550 for nine months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54224/23]
View answerWritten answers
I secured approval of Government on 21st November 2023 to proceed with design proposals for a new Pay-Related Benefit for Jobseekers which would link the rate of benefit to a person's previous earnings. Budget 2024 included provision for such a scheme to be introduced in late 2024.
The aim of a pay-related benefit scheme is to soften the income shock that a worker may face if they suddenly lose their job and will bring Ireland in line with its European neighbours.
I launched a public consultation process on proposals for the Pay-Related Benefit for Jobseekers with the publication of a Strawman document in December 2022. My Department undertook an extensive consultation process and engagement with interested stakeholder groups including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Feedback received during the consultation process informed the final proposals I brought to Government on 21st November, including the proposal to keep a nine-month payment duration in line with the existing Jobseeker's Benefit.
The Pay-Related Benefit will be available to newly unemployed persons who have a strong and recent attachment to the labour market, and who are available for and genuinely seeking employment.
The weekly rate of payment for people who have at least 5 years paid PRSI contributions will be set at 60% of previous earnings subject to a maximum of €450 for the first 3 months. After that, the rate will reduce to 55% of earnings subject to a maximum of €375 for the following 3 months. A further 3 months will be paid at the rate of 50% up to a maximum €300 payment.
For persons who have between 2 and 5 years paid contributions, the rate will be set at 50% of previous earnings subject to a maximum of €300 per week and 6 months duration. The duration of payment is the same as which a person would get under jobseeker's benefit.
A minimum weekly payment of €125 will apply to the scheme.
In line with the current arrangements, a person will be able to opt for the means-tested jobseeker's allowance if they would be financially better off on that scheme.
I am satisfied that the model for the Pay-Related Benefit approved by Government addresses concerns raised about the payment duration while ensuring that the scheme will not act as a disincentive to employment.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.