Written Answers Nos. 52- 61
52. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will increase rent allowance in line with increasing rental prices throughout the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15003/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe rent supplement scheme provides support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are currently approximately 70,000 rent supplement recipients, for which Government has provided over €298 million for 2015.
The Department recently published a review of the maximum rent limits, "Maximum Rent Limit Analysis and Findings" and it is available on www.welfare.ie. The review finds that increasing rent limits at this time could potentially add to further rental inflation in an already distressed market, affecting not alone rent supplement recipients, but lower-income workers and students. Between the rent supplement scheme and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) administered by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the State accounts for a third of the private rented market. The State is therefore a very significant player in the sector which has a responsibility not alone to rent supplement recipients but also to the market as a whole, including all those in private accommodation.
In light of the review’s findings, the Department will instead continue to allow for flexibility in assessing customers’ accommodation needs through the National Tenancy Sustainment Framework. Under this approach, each tenant’s circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis and rents can be increased above prescribed limits if deemed appropriate. In excess of 1,000 rent supplement recipients have received support through increased rent limits to date in order to retain their rented accommodation.
In addition, the Department in conjunction with Threshold operates a Tenancy Sustainment Protocol in the Dublin and Cork areas where supply is most acute. The primary objective of the Protocol is to ensure a speedy intervention to ensure that families at immediate risk of losing their tenancy get rapid assistance.
The review clearly points out that the main cause of difficulty for persons renting or seeking to rent at this time is the much reduced availability of affordable private rented accommodation. The issue of supply is being addressed by Government through the Construction 2020 Strategy and the Social Housing Strategy.
I am keeping this matter under close review to ensure that the appropriate supports continue to be provided for rent supplement recipients.
53. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the eligibility criteria for the State pension (contributory) that applied pre-2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15018/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Pension (Contributory) is a very valuable benefit. Therefore, with increased numbers of people living longer, it is important to ensure that those qualifying for State Pension (Contributory) have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives.
To qualify for the State Pension (Contributory) prior to the reform measures of 2012 a person must have been aged 66 years or over, have started paying social insurance (at full or modified rate) before reaching age 56, and have a total of 260 full rate employment contributions paid where attaining pension age on or after 6 April 2002. With effect from April 2012, the number of paid contributions required to qualify for a State Pension (contributory) increased from 260 paid contributions to 520 paid contributions. This provision was provided for a number of years earlier in the Social Welfare Act, 1997.
The rate at which a State Pension (Contributory) is paid at is determined by the average number of contributions paid or credited per year, with tiered rates applying in respect of bands of contributions. For example, to qualify for the maximum personal rate, a person requires a yearly average of 48 or more contributions per year. From September 2012, new rate bands for State Pension (Contributory) were introduced. This resulted in one of bands (in respect of those with a yearly average of 20-47 contributions), being replaced with three bands (in respect of yearly averages of 40-47, 30-39, and 20-29 respectively). These additional bands more accurately reflect the social insurance history of a person and ensure that those who contribute more during a working life benefit more in retirement than those with lesser contributions.
Those with lower earnings and those with lesser contribution histories continue to obtain the best value for money from the Social Insurance Fund. Even for those with an average of only 20 contributions per year (i.e. 38% of the maximum), the reduced rate State Pension (Contributory) of €196 now paid is 85% of the maximum rate, and is higher than the full rate that applied in 2007.
For those with insufficient contributions to meet the requirements for a full rate State Pension (Contributory), they may qualify for a means tested State Pension (Non-Contributory) which has a maximum personal rate of €219, or just over 95% of the maximum rate of the State Pension (Contributory). Alternatively, if a person’s spouse or civil partner is in receipt of a State Pension (Contributory) they may instead qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult of up to €206.30, which is just less than 90% of the maximum personal rate of the State Pension (Contributory).
55. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15021/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 10 March 2015, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the 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.
57. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when payment under the back to work family dividend scheme will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15023/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs announced in Budget 2015, the back to work family dividend (BTWFD) scheme aims to help families to move from social welfare into employment. It will give financial support to people with children who were getting jobseeker and one-parent family payments and who take up employment, increase their hours of employment or become self-employed.
The BTWFD provides support for up to two years after a person moves from social welfare into employment. If a person qualifies for the dividend they will get a weekly payment equivalent of any increases for qualified children that were being paid on their jobseeker or one-parent family payment, up to a maximum of four children, for the first year in employment. Half that amount will be paid weekly for their second year in employment. Where payable the dividend will be additional to any entitlement the family may have under the family income supplement (FIS) scheme.
The BTWFD scheme will commence when the necessary legislation, to be advanced under the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015, is in place. However applications are currently being accepted. These will be processed following the progression of the legislation and all eligible claims will be backdated to their date of application. This means that eligible applicants from the 5th of January, 2015 to the date of commencement of the scheme will receive arrears of BTWFD and their 2 year period of entitlement, subject to scheme criteria, will run from their date of application.
While it was originally envisaged that the Bill would be enacted during April, 2015, it is now due to be enacted in early May, 2015. Eligible applicants, who will be in employment or self-employment, will still get their full entitlement under the scheme.
58. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason the one-parent family payment is not a qualifying payment under the JobsPlus programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15054/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraJobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees primarily from the Live Register. Employers may also be eligible for the incentive if they recruit former recipients of the one parent family payment whose youngest child is 14 years of age or over who are currently in receipt of a jobseekers' payment and those transitioning into employment. The incentive provides employers with two levels of payment - €7,500 or €10,000 over two years - paid in monthly instalments provided the employment is maintained.
In line with the policy objectives set out in Pathways to Work and the Action Plan for Jobs, the objective of JobsPlus is to encourage employers to focus their recruitment on those that are longer term unemployed. A person in receipt of a one parent family payment is not considered eligible. There are no proposals to extend the criteria further.
