Written Answers Nos. 49-58
49. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision regarding a carer's allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Waterford will be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39810/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 25 August 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
50. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will facilitate an increase in rent allowance to persons (details supplied) in County Kildare whose rent has increased from €700 per month to €900 per month, who are currently in receipt of rent allowance but who cannot afford the increase in their rent and who have one dependent child, with particular reference to documentation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39831/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe client concerned has been requested to provide the Department with relevant outstanding documentation. On receipt of same, the claim will be re-assessed with regard to entitlement.
51. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the minimum insurance in place under the rural social scheme to cover public liability claims; if participants and supervisors on these schemes enjoy the normal protection from personal claims against them for work-related incidents, as enjoyed by other employed workers in the public and private sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39858/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the rural social scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and those engaged in fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments due to the low level of income from their primary occupation. The scheme is delivered by 35 local development companies and by Údarás na Gaelachta, known collectively as implementing bodies. Participants are employed for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. The funds allocated for 2015 amount to €45 million.
It is a requirement of the operation of the RSS that each of the implementing bodies have proper and adequate insurance arrangements in place, including public liability, employer and other insurances related to the operation of the Scheme. Insurance cover is arranged by implementing bodies independently of the Department and we have no role in the procurement or the nature of the insurance cover required, other than to reimburse the implementing bodies for the costs of such arrangements. The boards and management of each implementing body is solely responsible for having insurance arrangements in place and of ensuring that these arrangements are adequate.
52. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if an application for domiciliary care allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick will be reviewed. [39859/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 19th June 2015. This application was not allowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 6th October 2015 outlining the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance.
A review of this decision will be undertaken and will consider the additional information supplied on this child’s condition/care needs. The application along with the new information supplied has been forwarded to a medical assessor for their professional opinion. Once this opinion is received the application will be re-examined by a deciding officer and a revised decision will be made if warranted. The person concerned will be notified of the outcome of this review as soon as it is completed. Such reviews can take up to 12 weeks to complete at present.
53. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the measures introduced in budget 2016 that will benefit senior citizens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39878/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn Budget Day, I announced a social welfare Budget package for 2016 with four key aims:
- To increase supports for pensioners aged 66 and over;
- To strengthen supports for families with children;
- To increase the momentum to date in helping jobseekers back to work; and
- To provide targeted assistance for vulnerable groups.
More than 676,500 pensioners and their dependents will benefit from the above-inflation €3 increase in the weekly rate of payments to all social welfare recipients aged 66 and over. This is the first weekly rate increase for pensioners since 2009 and builds on the increase in the Living Alone Allowance last year. This is the first general rate increase for pensioners since 2009.
I was also pleased to reintroduce a Christmas Bonus payable at 25% of the weekly rate last year. This year I am in a position to provide a 75% Christmas Bonus payment for all welfare recipients, including pensioners. For example, in the case of a pensioner couple, both in receipt of the non-contributory State Pension, it will mean a bonus payment of €327.50.
In addition, pensioners eligible for the Fuel Allowance will gain from the increase in January of €2.50 per week, from €20 to €22.50 per week over the fuel season.
Funding for the Free Travel scheme, which benefits a large number of pensioners, is being increased by €3m, from €77m to €80m, to meet increased numbers eligible for the scheme and therefore fully protect entitlements under the scheme.
Finally, pensioners who have income over and above their social welfare pension may also benefit from the USC changes introduced by my colleague, the Minister for Finance.
54. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in relation to the SAFE programme, the number of persons in the years 2012 to 2015 to date who have had their child benefit suspended as a consequence of not attending a SAFE registration appointment and obtaining a public services card. [39881/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSome 50 persons have had their child benefit payments suspended during 2014 or 2015 for repeated failures to keep appointments to register for the public service card under the SAFE registration programme. Out of the total that were suspended, ten claims remain suspended from 2014 and four from dates in 2015.
No claims were suspended during 2012 or 2013 for this purpose.
55. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will examine an application for a hearing aid grant by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39888/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe hearing aid grant, provided as part of the Treatment Benefit scheme, is based on a person’s PRSI contribution record.
To be currently qualified for treatment benefit, a customer must have at least 39 contributions paid at class A/E/H or P in 2013. According to available records, the person concerned paid class S PRSI in 2013 – this is a reduced rate contribution, which is not reckonable for Treatment Benefit.
The person concerned is therefore not currently qualified for Treatment Benefit. However if he is the holder of a Medical Card, he should contact his local HSE office who will be able to advise him of entitlements under their hearing aid scheme.
56. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for payment of a carer's allowance will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39906/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to partially allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
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 Derek Keating asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount that is represented as fraudulent claims for social protection benefits for the years 2012 to 2015 to date. [39907/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraExcess payments by the Department through fraudulent claiming is measured by way of the number and amount of fraud overpayments raised. Overpayments generally arise as a result of revised decisions on entitlement made by deciding officers. These officers decide the effective date of a revised decision having regard to the new facts or new evidence and the circumstances of the case. An overpayment is assessed for the period that a person was not entitled to a payment. Overpayments recorded in 2015 form part of the statutory accounts of the Department and are not available until they have been audited by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Information on overpayments categorised as fraud for the years 2011-2014 is as follows:
|
Year |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Number of fraud overpayments |
20,585 |
20,720 |
27,489 |
27,437 |
|
Total value of fraud overpayments |
€34.9m |
€40.9m |
€61.9m |
€52.5m |
In 2014, the total value of overpayments raised amounted to €124.4m which represents 0.6% of total Departmental expenditure. Overpayments arising from activity suspected of being fraudulent represent 0.3% of total Departmental expenditure in 2014.
58. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 176 of 20 October 2015 and 52 of 4 November 2015, if she will revise rule 1(4) of Part 4 of Schedule 3 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 in order that parents who take career breaks for childcare purposes are not deemed to have voluntarily left employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39908/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraRule 1(4) of Part 4 of Schedule 3 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 provides that the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) means test includes the value of all income and the value of all property, of which the person has directly or indirectly deprived himself or herself, in order to qualify for the receipt of SWA.
In the case referred to in the earlier Parliamentary Question, the application for rent supplement was refused following the decision of an officer that the applicant had voluntarily deprived themselves of income. The applicant has been advised of their right to appeal this decision.
No amendments to this legislative provision are being considered at this time and any change would need to be considered in a budgetary context.
