Written Answers Nos. 50-62
51. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of the recent Government decision to grant payments of child benefit, she will work with her counterpart, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and consider fast tracking the proposed payment to foster carers. [8074/24]
View answerMatters related to foster caring are the responsibility of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and for Tusla. This includes any supports, including financial support required by either the foster parents or the foster children that specifically relate to fostering.Tusla provides a Foster Care Allowance to foster parents in respect of each foster child in their care. This is currently paid at €350 per week for each child under 12 and €377 per week for each child over 12. In November 2024, the payment for children under 12 will increase to €400 per week, and for children aged 12 and over it will increase to €425 per week. The payment is made regardless of income or means.
Where a child is placed into care, the qualified parent, usually the child’s mother, retains the Child Benefit payment from my department for 6 months thereafter. After 6 months in continuous care, the Child Benefit may be paid to the foster carer instead.
In Budget 2024, the Government decided to extend the payment of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds who are in full-time education or have a disability. This was one of my key priorities in the Budget. We had originally provided that the change would take effect from September this year. However, I am very pleased that we are now able to bring this important change in from an earlier date and I have secured Government approval to do that. This change will benefit some 60,000 children annually.
Any foster carer receiving Child Benefit on the basis I have outlined will also benefit from this payment being brought forward where the child is 18 and is in full-time education or has a disability.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
54. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection her current policy regarding the carer’s allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8086/24]
View answerThe 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 on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.7 billion this year.
Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of improvements to the means test for Carer's Allowance.
• 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.
• Increase in the capital and savings disregard for the Carer’s Allowance from €20,000 to €50,000.
However, 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. It is important to note that the removal of the Means Test would give rise to additional costs of at least €600m per year. At this level the removal of the means test would have a significant impact on the funding available for other schemes and services.
That said, as part of Budget 2024, I announced my intention to establish an Interdepartmental Working Group with the Department of Health to examine and review the system of means test for carers payments. My officials are engaging with their counterparts in the Department of Health to progress this issue and I expect the group to report back to me later this year.
The work of the group will be informed by a broader review of means testing currently underway in my Department, which is targeted for completion by Quarter 1 2024, with a report to be published afterwards. The work of the Interdepartmental Group will also be considered within the context of review of the National Carer's Strategy, led by the Department of Health.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
62. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on her Department's work on combating energy poverty. [7892/24]
View answerThe overall strategy to combat Fuel Poverty and Energy Poverty is under the remit of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The Energy Poverty Action Plan was published in December 2022 and is led and monitored by a cross-departmental Steering Group under the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, my department officials participate in that group.
Separately, my Department provides a range of supports to assist with energy costs.
The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks, which equates to a total payment of €924 each year. Fuel Allowance is paid from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.
The Household Benefits package comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €294 million this year on Household Benefits for over 521,000 customers.
As part of Budget 2024, an additional payment of €300 for Fuel Allowance recipients was paid in November 2023.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may also make Additional Needs Payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. Over 5,800 additional needs payments were made in 2023 to assist with household bills and heating costs in 2023, at a total cost of almost €3 million.
A heating supplement can be paid where a person has need for additional heating due to ill health or infirmity. There were over 930 recipients of this supplement at the end of January 2024.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
