Written Answers Nos. 234-253
234. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the approximate cost of restoring the range of treatments and qualifying criteria which applied for the dental treatment services scheme prior to 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22000/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe costs associated with restoring the full range of benefits available under the treatment benefit scheme, to those which applied prior to the changes introduced in budget 2010, would depend on the rates agreed with contractors for the services they provide and on the number of claims received from qualified customers.
The total cost of the treatment benefit scheme in 2009 was €100.14 million.
235. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will reverse the cut to the one-parent family payment (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22002/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraExpenditure on the one parent family payment scheme is estimated to be €607million in 2015 with almost 70,000 recipients.
However, despite considerable investment, the scheme has not succeeded in preventing lone parents from being significantly more at risk of consistent poverty than the population as a whole.
In 2004, at the height of the economic boom, lone parents were more than four and a half times at risk of consistent poverty than the population as a whole. Before the reforms to the scheme, lone parents could have been on the scheme until their youngest child turned 18, or 22 if they were in full-time education.
This is why I believe that the reforms I have introduced are much needed as they are moving us away from providing passive income support over a long period towards an active, engagement approach.
The reforms seek to address the long-term social welfare dependency and poverty experienced by many lone parents by providing them with improved access to the Department's range of education, training, and employment supports. Access to these services and supports is imperative for lone parents, in order to ensure that their prospects of securing employment and financial independence are improved.
Any reversal of these reforms would delay this critical interaction between lone parents and the Department's Intreo services and would potentially increase the barriers they face to entering employment in the future.
I therefore have no plans to reverse the forthcoming changes to the one parent family payment.
236. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding assistance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22005/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraPersons who work on a casual basis and claim a jobseeker's payment for the days that they are not employed are required to submit dockets from their employer on a weekly basis; persons working for 4 or more days in any week are not entitled to receive any jobseeker's payment for that particular week.
The person concerned applied for jobseeker's allowance from 5th March 2015 on the basis that her hours of work had been reduced by her employer. The initial information that she provided from her employer indicated that her hours of employment had been reduced to 2 days per week. However, when her weekly dockets were submitted it transpired that she had actually worked for 4 days or more for 7 weeks during March, April, and May 2015 and so was not entitled to receive a jobseeker's payment for those weeks.
She worked for 3 days in each of the other weeks in this period and has been paid the amount of jobseeker's allowance due to her having regard to the means assessment from her earnings. On this basis all payments due to her up until 12th May 2015 have been issued. Further entitlement to a jobseeker's payment that she may be due since that date cannot be assessed until she has submitted the requested weekly dockets from her employer confirming the hours she has worked.
237. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 10, who is a claimant under the jobseeker's allowance scheme, can be granted a place on a Momentum course in Ballyfermot Information and Communications Centre in Dublin 10. [22012/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned attended the Intreo Centre Ballyfermot on 1/5/2015 to enquire about participating on a Momentum Course. The qualifying criteria for participation on a Momentum course requires the claimant to have 312 paid days on their relevant jobseekers claim in the previous 18 months, however the person concerned has just 249 paid days currently. It is open to the claimant to reapply for another similar Momentum course when the qualifying criteria are satisfied.
238. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a payment under the carer's allowance scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22013/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe appeal of the person concerned against a refusal of carer's allowance (CA) has been allowed and the application was awarded on the 5th June 2015. The first payment of CA is due to issue to the post office on the 11th June 2015. The arrears of allowance due from the 30th October 2014 to 10th June 2015 were issued by cheque on the 5th of June 2015. The person in question was notified of these details on the 5th of June 2015.
239. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if any person who was previously self-employed and who was refused a jobseeker's allowance by virtue of the means test is included in her Department's official figures as an unemployed person; if her Department keeps a record of the number of persons in this category; her plans to make changes in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22044/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time workers (those who work up to 3 days a week), seasonal and casual workers entitled to jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance. Unemployment is measured officially by the Central Statistics Office's Quarterly National Household Survey. A person is unemployed if, in the week before the survey, they were without work and available for work within the next 2 weeks.
Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay Class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of their employees, resulting in the payment of a combined 14.75% rate per employee under full-rate PRSI Class A.
Any person of working age who does not qualify for jobseeker's benefit may claim means tested jobseeker's allowance. Subject to means and other qualifying conditions, self-employed persons may claim jobseeker's allowance if their business ceases or there is reduced demand for their services.
In assessing means from self-employment, income from the previous twelve months is used as an indicator of likely future earnings. Given the variety of self-employment situations, the means assessment procedures are applied in a flexible manner to ensure that any circumstances that would be likely to lead to a significant variation, either upward or downward, in the level of a person's income from one year to the next are taken into consideration.
In September 2013, I published the report of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare on Extending Social Insurance Coverage for the self-employed. The Group was asked to examine and report on issues involved in extending social insurance coverage for self-employed people in order to establish whether or not such cover is technically feasible and financially sustainable, with the requirement that any proposals for change must be cost neutral.
The Group found that the current system of means tested jobseeker's allowance payments adequately provides cover to self-employed people for the risks associated with unemployment. In this context, the Group noted that almost 9 out of every 10 self-employed people who claimed the means tested jobseeker's allowance during the three-year period from 2009 to 2011 received payment. Consequently, the Group was not convinced that there was a need for the extension of social insurance for the self-employed to provide cover for jobseeker's benefit.
My Department does not keep a record of self-employed persons who are disallowed a jobseeker payment specifically on the basis of failing a means test and there are currently no plans to collate this data.
240. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to introduce a scheme to address cases (details attached); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22051/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe existence of the State pension (transition) is historical and relates to the qualifying age for State pension (contributory) which, up until the early 1970s, was 70 years of age. State pension transition (known then as the Retirement Pension) was introduced at that time to bridge the gap for employees who had to retire at 65. The qualifying age for State pension (contributory) was subsequently reduced over time to 66 years, which left State pension (transition) effective for just one year.
The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available at 65, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. State pension age will increase further to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028.
The purpose of these changes is to make the pension system sustainable in the context of increasing life expectancy. With increases in life expectancy, more people are living to pension age and living longer in retirement, with the result that average pensions will be paid for longer periods than they are at present. The number of pensions is increasing by approximately 17,000 annually as a result of demographic change. This has obvious and significant implications in relation to the future costs of State pension provision. In 2013, despite reforms introduced in 2012, the Department had to make provision for an additional €190 million, and further increases are required year-on-year to keep pace with this demographic change.
Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical to protect older people from poverty. Following on from its analysis of its award figures for State pension (transition) in 2011 and 2012 in order to establish the impact of the abolition of State pension (transition), the Department noted that only approximately 12.5 % came from employment, with over 50% coming from another social welfare payment, and the remainder coming from a combination of people already retired, paying credits or self-employed. This indicates that a significant number of people have left employment well in advance of pension age. It also reflects the fact that there is no statutory retirement age in Ireland. Responsibility for setting retirement age is a matter for the employer/employee relationship and the contract of employment. As a result, people can retire before or after State pension age. It is hoped that, where appropriate, workers will choose and be able to work to pension age (and beyond if that is there choice) and in such cases they will have a higher income than they would have from their pension. However, it is recognised that for some this is not viable and there are measures to support them in such circumstances.
Specifically, in relation to jobseekers benefit and jobseekers allowance, there are a number of transitioning provisions applying in the case of people who are aged between 65 and 66, including -
(a) Jobseekers whose benefit expires in their 65th year will continue to be paid benefit up until the age of 66;
(b) Where a jobseeker's benefit claim spans two benefit years, a new Governing Contribution Year requirement is not applied to the second benefit year of a claimant aged 65 (effectively this means that they may receive payment in both years based upon eligibility in the first year); and
(c) A further provision states that 3 waiting days do not have to be served for jobseeker's allowance purposes in the case of certain people aged between 65 and 66 years who have been in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit within the past year.
Beyond the above measures, there are no plans to introduce a new payment as the demographic reasons for the change remain. Social welfare supports will continue to be available to those who need it most and where a person fails to meet the qualifying conditions of an insurance based scheme, a means tested assistance payment may be available provided they satisfy the qualifying conditions.
241. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when the child care supports will be put in place to ensure that those receiving payment under the one-parent family payment can avail of returning to employment or education, as promised by her on 18 April 2012; if she will honour her commitment to those persons who feel that their family status is discriminated against, in particular those lone parents who are employed part-time or in low-paid employment, who are self-employed, or who are in education; how persons in these categories, who receive family income supplement, can increase their income by increasing their hours to 19, as outlined by her, taking into consideration that lone parents who already work 19 hours will be cut, and given that many lone parents are restricted by low-hour contracts, where employers refuse to sign family income supplement forms guaranteeing hours; and where there are increased child care costs if hours are increased, and there is a loss to those in receipt of rent supplement and housing assistance payments of up to 75% of any increase, which does not cover the additional cost of working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22056/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regards to child care, the delivery and expansion of child care services is the responsibility of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. My Department in conjunction with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs introduced a range of child care measures in Budget 2013 and Budget 2014 to assist lone parents to enter, or to re-join the workforce, namely the after-school child care scheme and the community employment childcare programme. These initiatives build on the existing supports that are provided for, and implemented by, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in the child care sector, through which child care is provided to some 25,000 children of low-income parents at reduced rates.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has established an interdepartmental group to carry out an economic and cost-benefit analysis of policies and future options for increasing the supply, accessibility, and affordability of quality child care. It is intended that the group will finalise its work in the summer of 2015.
I am conscious that some lone parents are currently working under 19 hours a week and will suffer a loss when their one-parent family payment ends. My Department is informing customers that their best option is to increase their hours to 19 hours per week or 38 hours per fortnight and claim the family income supplement and the back to work family dividend.
On that basis, it is vitally important that employers nationwide can assist transitioning one-parent family payment customers to increase their hours of work to 19 hours a week in order to enable them to qualify for the family income supplement payment and, therefore ensuring that they are eligible for the back to work family dividend. This will result an increase in overall income for these customers when their entitlement to one-parent family payment ends.
The Labour Market Council has established a sub-Group that is specifically examining the issue of how employers nationwide can assist affected lone parents increase their hours of work in order to enable them to qualify for the family income supplement payment and, subsequently, for the back to work family dividend.
With regard to lone parents in education, procedures have been agreed to ensure that all one-parent family payment recipients who are participating in training or education when their entitlement to the one-parent family payment ends will be able to complete their course with income support, subject to normal scheme conditions.
For one-parent family payment recipients who are currently in education and, who were scheduled to exit one-parent family payment up to and including 2 July 2015, they can remain on one-parent family payment until their course finishes and then transition to either jobseeker's allowance or jobseeker's transitional payment as appropriate. In some cases progression to a new course will be considered as part of this arrangement and so customers should discuss their options with their local Intreo Centre/Social Welfare Office.
One-parent family payment recipients who are undertaking courses that are eligible for a SUSI maintenance grant from the Department of Education and Skills can retain this grant until they complete their current course, subject to the normal Department of Education and Skills conditions for the grant. The maintenance grant will continue to be disregarded for means on one-parent family payment.
After 2 July 2015 the age for receipt of one-parent family payment will be 7 years and so the majority of customers will transition to the jobseeker's transitional payment when their one-parent family payment ends. This allows lone parents who are mid-course from 2 July 2015 onwards up to 7 years to complete their course of education. The jobseeker's transitional payment has always allowed customers to study full-time and receive a SUSI grant. The maintenance grant will be disregarded when calculating means for these recipients.
Rent supplement is calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of rent, has an income equal to the basic supplementary welfare allowance rate, less a specified weekly minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. The weekly minimum contribution is €30 for a single adult household and €40 for coupled households. Many recipients pay more than this amount because recipients are also required, subject to income disregards, to contribute any additional assessable means that they have over and above the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate towards their accommodation costs.
The rent supplement assessment provides for a gradual withdrawal of payment as hours of employment or earnings increase. Where a person has additional income in excess of the standard weekly rate of supplementary welfare allowance, the first €75 of such additional income together with 25% of any additional income above €75 is disregarded for means assessment purposes.
The Department's strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of being a short term income support by transferring responsibility for persons with long term housing needs to the local authorities under the new Housing Assistance Payment. Payments under the Housing Assistance Payment scheme will be based on the local authority differential rent means test under which the full-time employment restriction does not apply and therefore will remove a key barrier to persons on social welfare in getting back to work. Housing Assistance Payment is currently in operation in eight local authority areas in which there are approximately over 2,000 Housing Assistance Payment tenancies already in place. There is a target to achieve 8,400 Housing Assistance Payment cases in 2015 as set out in the 'Social Housing Strategy 2020: Support, Supply and Reform'.
Officials in my Department continue to work closely with those in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and housing authorities to ensure the success of the Housing Assistance Payment scheme.
242. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the various changes in eligibility criteria for persons applying for the State pension (contributory) introduced since budget 2012 to date in 2015; the reason these changes were introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22112/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraState pensions account for the single largest block of social welfare expenditure. This year, the Department of Social Protection will spend an estimated €6.675 billion on pensions – 34.4% of all welfare expenditure. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting older people from poverty.
With increases in life expectancy, more people are thankfully living to pension age and living longer in retirement, with the result that average pensions will be paid for longer periods than they are at present. In addition, the number of pensions is increasing by approximately 17,000 annually as a result of demographic change. This combination has obvious and significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision with substantial year-on-year increases being required. Accordingly, to make the State pension system sustainable in the context of these considerable demographic changes and to facilitate a longer working life, a number of reforms to State pensions have been introduced as follows –
- The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available at 65, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. State pension age will increase further to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028.
- With effect from April 2012, and as provided for in legislation in 1997, the number of paid contributions required to qualify for a State pension increased from 260 paid contributions to 520 paid contributions.
- As provided for in Budget 2012, new rate bands for State pension were introduced from September 2012. These additional payment rate 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.
- As provided for in Budget 2012, the period for which a claim for State pension can be backdated is six months. This change came into effect in April 2012.
- From December 2013, the number of paid contributions required for Widow's/Widower's/Surviving Civil Partner's pension increased from 156 contributions to 260 contributions.
In line with the abolition of State pension (transition) all short term social welfare schemes are payable to age 66. In this context, the main social welfare payment available to those who leave employment before pension age is jobseeker's benefit. Each application for any social welfare scheme is assessed on its own merit in terms of qualifying criteria and contribution history. Persons who qualify for a jobseeker's benefit who are aged between 65 and 66 years are generally entitled to receive payment up to the date on which they reach pensionable age (66 years). In the case of a jobseeker's benefit recipient aged under 65 whose claim spans from one benefit year into another, a new relevant tax year requirement is not applied in the case of the jobseeker's entitlement relating to the second benefit year. A further provision states that 3 waiting days do not have to be served for jobseekers assistance in the case of certain people aged between 65 and 66 years who have been in receipt of jobseekers benefit within the past year.
243. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in determining an appeal for maternity benefit in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22127/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 1st April 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.
245. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the case of a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon in relation to that person's application for a carer's allowance; the benefits that the person may be entitled to; her views on the financial difficulty of that person's situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22142/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's allowance (CA) is a payment made to persons who are providing full time care and attention to certain elderly people or to people with disabilities and whose income falls below certain limits. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided, and the means test which applies is satisfied.
The person in question is in receipt of CA at a reduced rate of payment as means have been assessed based on her spouse's employment. The calculation of the means has been carried out in accordance with the statutory conditions of the CA scheme.
The person in question is also in receipt of domiciliary care allowance in respect of one child, annual respite care grant and household benefits package.
The household appears to be in receipt of the full range of DSP entitlements in accordance with their circumstances as far as the department knows them. However, it is open to the family concerned to contact their nearest Intreo Office or Citizens Information Centre whereupon any other possible social welfare entitlements appropriate to their circumstances may be outlined to them.
246. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if a positive outcome will be expedited. [22161/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person in question has been awarded a disability allowance payment with effect from 30 April 2014. First payment was on 29 April 2015 and any arrears due have also issued.
250. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the requirement and procedure whereby a householder who has registered with Irish Water may obtain the water conservation grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22178/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2015 grant of €100 will be paid beginning in September 2015 to households registered with Irish Water by 30th June 2015 in respect of their principal private residence. During August and September, this Department will be writing to customers who have registered to advise them of the application process. A public information website is available at www.watergrant.ie and there will be further information for customers through various media in the coming weeks.
251. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if there is assistance available for a person needing replacement glasses; if there is a maximum contribution paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22179/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe treatment benefit scheme provides for a free biennial eye examination to persons qualified under this PRSI based scheme. There is no assistance available for the purchase of spectacles under the treatment benefit scheme.
252. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an appeal for farm assist in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22180/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 11th May 2015. 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 papers 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.
253. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will reinstate the electricity allowance for pensioners in view of the significant reduction in this allowance over the past number of years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22224/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department pays an electricity or gas allowance as part of the household benefits package to 415,000 customers, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2015. The electricity and gas allowance is currently €35 per month. There have been no reductions to this allowance in recent budgets. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full.
In 2013, I aligned the electricity and gas allowance with the cheapest available market rate for 1,800 units of electricity. Previously the rate had been based on the price of one supplier. This provided a saving to the Department but also allowed customers to obtain savings by switching to cheaper companies without the loss of any credit that may have built up, which was not possible under the old system.
The overall concern of the Government in Budget 2015 and previous Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates and maintain core weekly payments. Expenditure on pensions is the largest block of expenditure in the Department, representing about a third of overall expenditure. Because of demographic changes the Department's spending on older people is increasing year on year. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty.
I have no plans at this time to increase the household benefits package. Any decision to increase the package would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of budget negotiations.
