Written Answers Nos. 114-121
114. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will be granted payment for carer's allowance; the amount of arrears due and the payment date; if the respite grant will be back-dated; and if the household package will be approved and back-dated. [50000/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that Carer’s allowance was stopped from 24th October 2012 in respect of the person in question as, following a review, it was decided that the medical criteria were no longer satisfied. In order for a child under 16 years to be deemed eligible for carer's allowance, domiciliary care allowance must be in payment for that child. In those circumstances, the child is deemed to be automatically medically eligible for carer’s allowance. Once the child reaches 16 years and is no longer entitled to domiciliary care allowance, a review of the continuing entitlement to carer’s allowance is carried out.
The person concerned sought a review of this decision and submitted additional medical evidence on the 2nd November 2012 and on the 5th February 2013. Following each review it was found that the person being cared for was not so invalided or disabled as to require full time care and attention. Her file and papers were forwarded to the Social Welfare Appeals Office for determination, and an Appeal Officer decided to allow the appeal on the 11th November 2013.
Her claim is currently with a Deciding Officer who has approved the claim for payment to commence on the 28th November 2013 and is awaiting notification of the amounts paid in relation to previous Social Welfare Payments before a calculation of arrears can be done. Backdating of the Respite Care Grant will be payable as part of these arrears. The Household Package will also be backdated and arrears will be issued by that Office.
116. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the number of appointments to State boards under her Department's remit made since March 2011 to date in 2013; the number of vacancies in State boards under her Department's remit since March 2011 to date in 2013; the number of vacancies in State boards under her Department's remit publically advertised since March 2011 to date in 2013; and the number of appointments to State boards under her remit drawn directly from the public advertisement process. [50019/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Details of appointments to the Boards and vacancies advertised since March 2011 are set out in the following table:
|
Agency/Board |
Number of Appointments |
Number of Vacancies |
Number of Vacancies publically advertised |
Number of Appointments made from the public advertisement process |
|
Citizens Information Board |
3 |
5 |
3* |
1** |
|
Pensions Board*** |
Nil |
2 |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Social Welfare Tribunal **** |
6 |
6 |
Nil |
Nil |
*The other two appointments did not require public advertisement. One was appointed as the Department’s representative to the Board on 1 November 2011 and the other was appointed as the Board’s staff representative on 5 November 2012.
**There are currently two vacancies on the Citizens Information Board. Appointments will be made in accordance with the legislation on completion of the selection process.
***The Public Service Reform Programme provided for a critical review of the integration of the regulatory functions of the Pensions Board with the Financial Regulator and the merging of the Pensions Ombudsman with the Financial Services Ombudsman. The recommendations arising out of the Critical Review on the Pensions Board were approved by Government in April 2013 and were provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2013.
It was recommended that the governance structure of the Pensions Board be restructured with two distinct arms as follows:
- Oversight of the Pensions Board will be undertaken by a three person body called the Pensions Authority. This will consist of a Chairperson and two officials from the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Finance.
- A separate unpaid Pensions Council, with a majority of members representing consumer interests, will be established to advise me on pensions policy.
I expect to appoint the Chairperson of the Pensions Authority shortly. I intend to call for expressions of interest for the appointment to the Pensions Council through the Public Appointments Service. In relation to the Pensions Ombudsman, the Report recommended that this office be merged with the Financial Service Ombudsman and arrangements in relation to the implementation of this recommendation are under active consideration.
****The revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies does not apply to the Social Welfare Tribunal due to its structure and purpose.
117. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the provision she has made in the social protection budget in 2014 to allow for higher payments of one-parent family payments that will result from the removal of the one-parent family tax credit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50042/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy colleague, the Minister for Finance, announced in Budget 2014 the replacement, from 1 January next, of the one-parent family tax credit by new single person child carer tax credit. The Finance Bill (No. 2), 2013, currently before the Dáil, provides for the new credit which will have the same value as the current tax credit and will be available to the primary carer of a child. The Minister for Finance also informed the Dáil during the second stage debate on the current Finance Bill that he will be bringing forward an amendment at the committee stage of that Bill, which will allow the credit to be used by a non-primary carer in situations where the primary carer has no tax liability.
The current arrangements in relation to the assessment of maintenance payments made to a recipient of one parent family payment are designed to encourage the payment of maintenance. Where a recipient of one parent family payment is in receipt of maintenance payments, half of the value of these payments is assessed as means and the rate of payment is adjusted accordingly. In addition, where a recipient has rent or mortgage payments up to a maximum of €95.23 per week, these costs can be fully offset against any maintenance paid and no reduction occurs in the rate of one-parent family payment where the maintenance received does not exceed housing costs (subject to a maximum of such costs of €95.23 per week).
Accordingly, the impact of the current welfare arrangements means that, in many cases, any reduction or increase in the level of maintenance paid can have no effect or relatively minimal effect on the rate of one parent family payment payable.
It is not possible, at this stage, to quantify the number of one parent family payment recipients currently benefiting from maintenance payments whose welfare payment rates may be indirectly affected by any potential behavioural changes consequent on the proposed tax measure and, accordingly, no adjustment has been made to the estimate for that payment in 2014. I will ask my officials to monitor any potential impacts during 2014.
118. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carer's allowance claims that were awarded following an appeal to the appeal's office in the years 2008 to 2012, inclusive, and to date in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50047/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy in respect of carers allowance appeals from 2008 to 2012 and to date in 2013 is contained in the following table. A total of 2024 carers allowance appeals were processed during 2012. 1,238 (61%) of these appeals had a successful outcome for the appellant. 452 (36.5%) of the successful appeals were in fact revised decisions made by statutorily appointed deciding officers of my Department who reviewed the claim following the initial disallowance.
These revised decisions arose as a result, in many cases, of new facts or fresh evidence produced by the claimant after the original decision on his /her claim. In such cases an Appeals Officer decision was not necessary. A total of 3162 Carer’s Allowance appeals have been processed to date in 2013 (to 31st October 2013). Almost 60% of these (1,893) had a successful outcome for the appellant. 975 (51.5%) of the successful appeals were in fact revised decisions made by statutorily appointed deciding officers of my Department who reviewed the claim following the initial disallowance.
Outcome of Carers Allowance Appeals 2008-2013
|
- |
- |
Decided by Appeals Officers |
Decided by Appeals Officers |
Decided by Appeals Officers |
|
- |
Revised Deciding Officers' Decisions |
Appeals Allowed |
Appeals Partly Allowed |
Appeals Disallowed |
|
2008 |
263 |
137 |
21 |
329 |
|
2009 |
360 |
231 |
46 |
548 |
|
2010 |
695 |
464 |
56 |
939 |
|
2011 |
618 |
726 |
117 |
1,645 |
|
2012 |
452 |
651 |
135 |
786 |
|
2013 (to 31/10/2013 |
975 |
810 |
108 |
1,269 |
119. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons living here who received a contributory State pension or non-contributory State pension top-up from the Government, in addition to their UK pension payment in 2012. [50064/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is not available within the timeframe allowed. The Department will contact the Deputy on this matter shortly.
120. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the entitlement, if any, to old age pension based on relevant contributions in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50065/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe claim to State pension (transition) of the person concerned was disallowed on 23 October 2013 and he was notified of this decision on the basis that he has a total of 92 full-rate paid social insurance contributions. To be eligible for State pension (transition), he would require a minimum of 520 paid contributions.
I have asked that the application be reviewed and the applicant will be notified of the outcome of this review without delay.
121. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which a person (details supplied) in County Dublin will be facilitated by way of JobBridge or similar mechanism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50066/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe objective of JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, is to assist individuals bridge the gap between unemployment and the world of work. It provides those seeking employment with an opportunity to undertake a 6 or 9 month internship in a host organisation. Participation on the scheme will assist in breaking that cycle whereby unemployed people are unable to get a job without experience. On completing their internship, participants will have improved their prospects of securing employment. The scheme is targeted at individuals who are in receipt of one of the following payments (Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability Allowance) or are signing on for credits for at least 3 of the last 6 months (78 Days). Individuals must have a live qualifying claim at the point of commencing their internship.
The person is currently on a Back to Education programme which commenced in September 2013 and is due to finish in May 2014. If the person completes this programme then time spent on this programme will count towards his eligibility to participate on JobBridge.
