Written Answers Nos. 185-202
185. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a disability allowance appeal will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10622/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 27th February 2014 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been determined.
The 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.
187. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if officials in her Department have considered the lessons learned from the former fish assist scheme and the way this might inform a new scheme to help those adversely affected along the coast of Ireland by the storms of late, particularly to help low-paid fishermen who rely on inshore fleets and whitefish and are vulnerable to weather conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10639/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSelf-employed workers, including self-employed fishermen, whose businesses fail or suffer from reduced demand or who do not have constant or continuous employment, may access social welfare support by establishing entitlement to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in levels of work.
The term ‘fish assist’ was previously used to describe a feature of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme and referred to the aspects of the means assessment, that were discontinued under measures in Budget 2012 and Budget 2013, which applied to certain categories of self-employed fishermen within the scheme.
Under the current jobseeker’s allowance means assessment the means of a self-employed person will take account of the level of earnings in the last twelve months in determining their expected income for the following year and, in the current climate, account is taken of the downward trend in the economy. Typically over 80% of jobseeker’s allowance claims from self-employed persons have been awarded over recent years.
In addition, employees in the fishing industry who suffer a loss of employment may claim jobseeker’s benefit or allowance subject to normal scheme criteria which includes being available for and genuinely seeking full-time work.
It may also be noted that if a person has no income they may be entitled to the basic supplementary welfare allowance. If weekly income is below the supplementary welfare allowance rate for their family size, a payment may be made to bring their income up to the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate. Also exceptional needs payments may help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.
Any changes to these provisions would be a matter for Government to consider in a Budgetary context.
188. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection the criteria she will use to select private contractors to implement the JobPath plans; the amount of money proposed to be spent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10653/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraJobPath is the Government’s new labour market activation service aimed specifically at the long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed.
JobPath will augment and complement the Department’s own employment service capacity as well as that of Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs providers, who operate under contract to the Department, thereby increasing capacity to provide supports to assist jobseekers in obtaining employment.
On 12 December 2013, the Department published a Request For Tenders (RFT) inviting tenders for the provision of JobPath services. The closing date for receipt of JobPath tenders was the 28th of February 2014.
The full RFT documentation has been published on www.etenders.gov.ie
All Tenders received in response to this procurement competition will be evaluated on the basis of the detailed criteria set out in the RFT documentation.
The cost of the JobPath service will be dependent upon the pricing structure agreed following the tendering process. In addition it should be noted that as JobPath is a payment by results model the actual cost of JobPath is dependent upon the number of jobseekers that JobPath providers can successfully place into sustained employment.
189. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection when she expects an appeal of a domiciliary care allowance application to be adjudicated upon in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10655/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on 27th August 2013. The application was disallowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 1st October 2013 advising of the decision.
The person concerned has requested a review of this decision and supplied additional information on this child’s condition/care needs. She will be notified of the outcome of this review as soon as it is completed.
An appeal against the decision has also been submitted to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. If necessary, on completion of the review the application file will be passed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office for the consideration of an Appeals Officer.
190. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the length of time it is currently taking for a domiciliary care allowance appeal to be decided by the Social Welfare Appeals Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10656/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the current average time taken to decide domiciliary care allowance appeals decided by summary decision is 24.0 weeks and 28.4 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing.
Appeal processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. They include all activities during this period including time spent awaiting any clarification from the appellant, time in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the appellant, and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department’s Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is deemed necessary. A considerable period of time is added to the process when an oral hearing is required because of the logistics involved in this process. While this process carries an inherent delay in terms of finalising an appeal, it also crystalises the flexibility and accessibility of the appeals system. By its nature and because it is a quasi-judicial function, the processing of appeals takes time and reflects the fact that, by definition, the appeal process cannot be a quick one.
The 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.
191. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is the case that new welfare claimants are being requested to supply bank details; the implications of such a policy change for the An Post contract with her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10660/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe potential risk to An Post business into the future has been the subject of in-depth discussion over the past week. I think this is only right, given the importance of the network to the social fabric of our society.
In this regard, I am very happy to provide my own support for the post office network and the valuable work being delivered by postmasters throughout the country. On the 20th December last year, I was very pleased to be able to sign a new contract with An Post for over-the-counter cash services for welfare clients following an EU-wide procurement competition. The contract, which is for a minimum period of 2 years with the option to extend to a maximum of 6 years, is very substantial in terms of its reach, value and impact. Therefore I am happy to be able to confirm that these services will continue for large numbers of welfare clients into the future, as provided for under the terms of the contract.
The continuation of over-the-counter cash payment services supports some nine hundred thousand (900,000) customers currently. These services are provided through a network of over 1,300 post offices and agencies around the country, the larger number of which are run as vibrant commercial retail outlets and operations by individual postmasters and their staff.
Last year approximately €9.5 billion was paid in cash to our clients at post offices. This accounted for 43.7 million transactions and cost the Department just under €75 million (including internal processing costs). By comparison, some 37 million payments were issued directly into accounts in financial institutions by electronic funds transfer (EFT) and this costs the Department under €9 million. In short, cash payments are an inherently more expensive means of paying clients. The differential reflects to a large part the additional costs incurred for securely packing, processing, transporting, delivering and issuing cash to clients. The Department must address such a significant variation in costs in the interests of the economy, taxpayers and welfare clients.
Mindful of the scope, scale and impact of these payments, the Department undertook a root and branch examination of its payment processes, methods and approaches. This resulted in the preparation of a payment strategy which was approved by the Government last year. The strategy has the goal of reducing significantly the level at which welfare payments are made in cash and thereby minimising the associated expensive fees. Furthermore, cash limits the options for customers to make onward transactions. It limits the scope for customers to avail of cheaper prices online and curtails financial inclusion of customers. It is also at odds with trends in consumer behaviour generally as they migrate towards electronic payment channels.
As to whether new welfare customers are now being requested to provide bank account details, the only change in operational arrangements recently stem from the new options being provided to older job-seeking clients who are transitioning from employment.
Up until Budget 2014, older jobseekers were required, as part of their entitlement to a Jobseeker’s payment, to be available for full-time employment and genuinely seeking work. In addition, they like other jobseekers were required to comply, when requested to so do, with the Department’s activation measures. Legislation provided that non-compliance with such activation measures, without good cause, would give rise to the imposition of penalties in the form of payment reductions. Revised conditions were announced as part of Budget 2014 to apply to older persons who seek the support of jobseekers schemes in advance of reaching pension age. The measures provide for these clients to continue to avail of Departmental supports on a voluntary basis should they wish to return to work, training or education. In addition, provision is made for these clients to receive their payments directly into an account in a financial institution if they so wish. Letters have been sent to existing clients in this cohort advising them of these budgetary changes. Those letters also reference the option of being paid electronically. New job-seeking clients in this cohort are being offered the option to be paid into an account in a financial institution for their own convenience. If and when An Post can provide a mechanism for direct payments into a post office account as available in bank and a large number of credit unions around the country, the Department will happily facilitate clients’ instructions to pay funds directly into such an account.
Clearly the trend is towards electronic payments as a matter of choice. This choice is supported by wider Government policies and objectives on better public services and more effective electronic payments as set out in the public service reform plan and the eGovernment strategy 2012-2015. These goals are shared by the national payments plan and the roll-out of the standard bank account. These initiatives have made the case quite strongly for a move to electronic payments which will contribute to improved national competitiveness. The Department’s clients are displaying a clear disposition towards electronic payments as a matter of choice without intervention by the Department. The recent letters to clients alerting them to an easing of conditions during their transitional period from employment reflect these realities and offer wider options to these clients.
192. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Social Protection if an appeal of invalidity pension will be expedited in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [10693/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on the 29th July 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 11th February 2014 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The 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.
196. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will make a general inquiry regarding the fact that her Department are now directing recipients to the banks with no mention of the post offices; and if this is in compliance with competition laws. [10807/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy has not referred to any particular scheme in her question but I assume that she is referring to recent communication from Departmental officials to job-seeking clients aged 62 years and older. Up until Budget 2014, older jobseekers were required, as part of their entitlement to a Jobseeker’s payment, to comply with the Department’s activation measures when requested to so do, as is the case with other jobseekers. Legislation provides that non-compliance with such activation measures, without good cause, would give rise to the imposition of penalties in the form of payment reductions.
Revised arrangements were announced as part of Budget 2014 to apply to older persons who seek the support of jobseekers schemes in advance of reaching pension age. The measures provide for these clients to continue to avail of Departmental supports on a voluntary basis should they wish to return to work, training or education. In addition, provision is made for these clients to receive their payments directly into an account in a financial institution if they so wish. Some communication has been received by some older clients from local/Intreo offices of the Department advising them of these changes.
It is important to note, however, that the letter neither prevents nor discourages these clients from receiving their payments in the post office but rather it simply informs them of the option to change their payment method.
In the main, the majority of jobseeker payments are paid through the post-offices. If and when An Post can provide an electronic payment channel, the Department will happily facilitate clients’ instructions to pay funds directly into such an account.
197. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a domiciliary care allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [10826/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 27th August 2013. The application was disallowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 23rd September 2013 advising of the decision.
The person concerned subsequently requested a review of the decision. The case was reviewed by another Medical Assessor on the 29th January 2014, who having examined all the information supplied, confirmed the earlier opinion that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 10th February 2014 advising of the position.
The person concerned has been advised of her right to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office within 21 days.
199. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the serious threat to community based drug rehabilitation projects, special community employment schemes, because of her Department's moratorium on hiring CE supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10859/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the Deputy’s question, I can confirm that there is no Departmental moratorium in place for sponsoring organisations in relation to the recruitment of Community Employment (CE) Supervisors. Where the sponsoring organisation wishes to proceed, and the numbers of participants employed on a project warrant the hiring of additional supervision, an application setting out the justification for the additional resource should be submitted to the Department for approval under the CE Supervisory Grant.
The CE Operating Procedures outlines the required ratios of supervision to number of participants - 1 to 25 participants on mainstream CE projects. Where the number of participants exceeds 25, an assistant supervisory post can be approved.
CE schemes involved in the drug rehabilitation strand have a lower participant to supervisor ratio due to the different nature of the clients participating on those schemes. The standard ratio is 7 drugs rehabilitation referred participants and 2 mainstream participants to 1 supervisory post for dedicated drugs rehabilitation schemes. This adjusted ratio was agreed, in consultation with statutory, community and voluntary sector representatives, under the nine special conditions to support the delivery of drug rehabilitation places on CE.
201. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Social Protection when a determination will be made on an appeal for invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10898/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 6th February 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.
The 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.
202. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the implications for agencies funded by her Department that fail to comply with consolidated public sector pay scales by continuing to make top-up payments to staff; when she expects this issue to be definitively resolved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10921/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are three agencies that come under the aegis of my Department; the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman, the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board. All the staff of these agencies are paid in accordance with pay scales approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. There are no top-up payments made to any of these staff.
