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Thursday, 16 Oct 2014

Written Answers Nos. 43-51

Domiciliary Care Allowance Eligibility

Ceisteanna (43, 44)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

43. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on whether a refusal rate of 60% on applications made for the domiciliary care allowance is too high; the reason the refusal rate is so high; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39521/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

44. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in view of the fact that most persons receiving it have a lifelong illness or disability, the reason the awarding of the domiciliary care allowance payment is subject to regular and rigorous review; her views on whether this process places significant additional pressure on families already under strain; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39522/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 44 together.

Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is paid in respect of children who have a severe disability requiring constant care and attention substantially in excess of that needed by a child of the same age without the disability. The need for the additional care and attention must be likely to last for at least 12 months. Eligibility for DCA is not based on the type of disability, but on the resulting care needs. Each application for DCA is assessed on its individual merits and on the basis of the medical evidence and detail on the child’s care needs, as provided with the application.

To date in 2014, some 57% (2,710) of applications have been allowed at the initial stage, with a further 365 of those who sought a review of the initial decision also being allowed by the deciding officer (DO) following the provision of additional information on the care needs of their child. Accordingly, 65% of applications processed to date in 2014 have been awarded at decision stage. In addition, approx. 50% of those who appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office are successful with 573 DCA appeals allowed to date in 2014.

In early 2014 a revised DCA application form was introduced, together with a designated additional medical information form for children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) to be completed by the specialist treating the child. This is particularly useful in cases were the child’s condition may need more detailed assessment. It is hoped that the introduction of this revised application form, together with the provision of complete information by parents/guardians at the earliest opportunity will result in an increase in the number of applications being awarded at initial assessment stage, with a corresponding reduction in the number cases going to appeal.

When a DO considers that the qualifying conditions for DCA have been met, they award the allowance and also consider setting a review date based on the recommendation of the Medical Assessor. Recommended review dates can vary from a “do not review again” status, where the child’s condition is unlikely to improve before they are 16 years to between 1-10 years where there is potential for the child’s condition to improve to the extent that they may no longer need the level of care and attention required to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the scheme. Some 16% of the 28,574 children currently in receipt of DCA have a “do not review” status.

An entitlement review of DCA was one of the issues considered by the DCA review group in their 2012 report. The review group accepted that all schemes operated by DSP should have a review policy and that this is a requirement in order to satisfy the C&AG that appropriate controls are in place and to meet the Secretary General’s obligations as accounting officer.

The group acknowledged that there is a need to review cases in an appropriate timeframe. i.e. children with treatable conditions may only require the allowance for one or two years, while in the majority of cases it may be appropriate to review cases every 3-5 years. New procedures have been devised that will provide parents with significant advance notice of an upcoming review, allowing them time to obtain any supporting documentation they may wish to provide to allow their continued entitlement to be quickly and easily confirmed.

In any event no scheduled reviews on medical entitlement have been conducted since May 2012, when they were suspended following the announcement of the review of the DCA scheme. The re-introduction of scheduled reviews has been further postponed pending the outcome of an appeal to the Supreme Court in relation to a Judicial Review decision.

Disability Support Services

Ceisteanna (45)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

45. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she shares the views of the Ombudsman for Children, that services and welfare entitlements for persons with disabilities should be ring-fenced and protected by future Government, regardless of the economic climate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39523/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

While services for people with disabilities are the responsibility of the Department of Health and the HSE, in relation to income supports for people with disabilities, in framing budgetary adjustments over the past number of years, the primary concern of the Department has been to protect primary social welfare rates including disability payments, pensions and carer’s allowance, and this policy approach has been maintained in this budget.

I should point out for information that expenditure on the Illness, Disability & Carers programme is estimated to be €3.33 billion in 2014 which represents 17.0% of total Departmental expenditure (Vote & SIF).

Carer's Allowance Eligibility

Ceisteanna (46)

Arthur Spring

Ceist:

46. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person in receipt of carer's allowance may apply to work on a community employment scheme with reduced hours, or if there is any similar type scheme which a person in receipt of carer's allowance would qualify for as permitted by the conditions attached to the carer's allowance payment. [39566/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

To qualify for the carer’s allowance payment, a person must meet certain conditions. For example, they cannot be engaged in employment, self-employment, training or education courses outside the home for more than 15 hours a week as this would impact on their caring responsibilities. Community Employment (CE) involves working a 19½ hour week, so by taking up a CE position, a person would be in breach of this rule which would cause the payment to cease.

However, when a person’s caring responsibilities cease, they can transfer to a CE-qualifying social welfare payment (e.g. jobseeker’s allowance) for at least 1 week and have their cumulative time spent in receipt of carer’s allowance and their current payment counted towards the 12 month CE-qualifying period (e.g. 51 weeks on carer’s allowance plus 1 week on jobseekers allowance will qualify the person for one year on CE).

There are no plans currently to introduce further measures in this regard in relation to participation on CE.

Question No. 47 withdrawn.

Rent Supplement Scheme Payments

Ceisteanna (48, 49, 50, 51)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

48. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the provisions that are in place to address the issue of top-up payments currently being made by recipients of rent supplement to landlords (details supplied); her views on whether this practice is on the increase and many vulnerable persons already on a limited income are being forced into debt; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39577/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

49. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to revisit the 2013 review of rent supplement (details supplied); her plans to revisit the limits set, in particular for counties Louth and Meath; if she will provide a commitment that no further reductions will be made, nor any increases to personal contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39578/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

50. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the current guidelines and discretionary remit available to community welfare officers and social welfare or Intreo personnel when dealing with persons seeking an increase in rent supplement in order to remain within their home, or those who are forced to seek alternative accommodations which are above the current ceilings (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39579/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

51. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to extend the current homelessness prevention protocol for families to other categories of persons; her plans to extend this to areas outside County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39580/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 to 51, inclusive, together.

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 73,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.

I can confirm that I have no plans to increase a person’s minimum contribution under the rent supplement scheme, that is, the amount that a person is required to pay towards their accommodation from their own resources.

Considering the unprecedented pressures on supply in the private rented market, particularly in areas of high demand, increasing rent limits at this time will only serve to place higher pressure on rental prices nationally, exacerbating what already is a very difficult situation for all persons renting. I am concerned that raising rent limits may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers and their families and students. I plan to keep the matter under close review.

Analysis shows that the impact of increasing limits will yield only a very marginal increase in available supply for rent supplement recipients with the only certainty that raising limits will increase costs disproportionately for the Exchequer with little or no new housing available to new recipients.

Increasing both public and private housing supply and the reactivation of the construction activity is a critical issue for Government at this time and the resolution of the housing supply situation is a key element in restoring stability to the rental market. The Government has recently launched its Construction Strategy 2020. This provides for a strategic approach to returning the construction sector, in a sustainable fashion, towards the provision of housing based on real and measured demand and addresses the full range of relevant issues including the planning process, financing, access to mortgage finance and the construction workforce.

Government is determined to meet the scale of social housing need and has announced, as part of Budget 2015, significant capital investment of over €2.2 billion for social housing for the next three years. In 2015, over €800 million will be invested in a range of housing programmes which represents the first major investment in housing since 2009.

My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly TD, is also due to shortly publish a Social Housing Strategy which will propose a range of approaches and reforms that are innovative and challenging and that will provide a basis for an improved and sustainable approach to the provision of social housing supports in Ireland.

I am fully aware of the difficulties people are experiencing in maintaining affordable rented accommodation, including those in receipt of rent supplement, in the current market particularly in areas of high demand. I want to assure the Deputy that officers administering rent supplement throughout the country have considerable experience in dealing with customers and will continue to make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met. Discretionary powers are available to staff to award a supplement for rental purposes in exceptional cases where it appears that the circumstances of the case so warrant. A notice reminding staff of their statutory discretionary power to award a supplement for rental purposes in exceptional cases, for example, when dealing with applicants who are at risk of losing their tenancy was circulated earlier this year.

In view of the particular supply difficulties in Dublin, the Department has agreed a tenancy sustainment protocol with the Dublin local authorities and voluntary organisations so that families on rent supplement who are at risk of losing their accommodation can have more timely and appropriate interventions made on their behalf. Since the launch of this initiative in mid-June 2014, almost 140 families have had their rent supplement claims revised by the Department. I have no plans to extend this protocol at this time but will continue to review the situation towards the end of the year and into 2015.

Finally, in order to qualify for rent supplement, the tenant, landlord or landlord’s agent must complete the rent supplement application form declaring that the information, including the amount of rent, provided is accurate. The form clearly states that making a false statement or withholding information may lead to prosecution. It is very difficult for the Department to identify top up payments when both the tenant and landlord are in collusion and if the top up payment is being made in cash. In such cases the Department’s representative will discuss the circumstances of the case with the tenant before making any decision in relation to ongoing entitlement. The primary concern in dealing with such cases is to protect the tenant.

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