Written Answers Nos. 418-37
418. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12583/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 1 June 2016. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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.
419. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12584/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 16 February 2016. Subject to all other conditions being satisfied, CA may be paid in respect of a care recipient who is under 16 years of age only where domiciliary care allowance is awarded in respect of that child.
The person concerned was refused CA on the grounds that the child being cared for is under 16 and domiciliary care allowance is not awarded in respect of that child. The person concerned was notified on 11 April 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
If domiciliary care allowance is granted in respect of this child in the future, the position in relation to entitlement to CA may be reviewed.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
420. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12586/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 25 May 2016, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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.
421. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12587/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 14 June 2016. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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.
422. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12588/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 7 March 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new applications. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.
Frequently, delays are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
This application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
In the meantime, if the means of the person concerned are insufficient to meet her needs she should apply for a means-tested supplementary welfare allowance from her local community welfare service.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
423. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12589/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 25 May 2016, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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.
424. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12592/16]
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 disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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.
425. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12593/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 22 February 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new applications. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.
Frequently, delays are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
This application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. In the meantime, the person concerned is in receipt of a weekly social welfare support.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
426. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection to extend the tenancy protection scheme to County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12594/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra431. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the projected timeframe for an increase in rent caps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12612/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra443. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individual persons, couples and families in receipt of rent allowance per annum on an annual basis since 2010, in tabular form. [12780/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 426, 431 and 443 together.
Supports in relation to housing and the provision of financial supports, such as the rent supplement scheme currently supporting some 55,500 recipients at a cost of €267 million in 2016, are a key priority for Government and are being considered by the Cabinet Committee on Housing in the context of the Programme for Government housing commitments. My Department is currently examining the rent limits in the context of the Government commitment and it is intended that revised rent limits, taking account of geographic variations in market rents, will be introduced as early as possible subject to agreement by Government.
At this time of constrained supply, the Department continues to implement a targeted, flexible, case-by-case approach where rents exceed limits. This ensures that people at risk of homelessness or loss of their tenancy are supported under the rent supplement scheme where increased rental payments are required. Currently, over 8,300 households are supported through this approach.
The Department, in conjunction with Threshold, operates a protocol in the Dublin and Cork areas where supply issues are particularly acute. Following engagement with the relevant agencies this protocol was recently extended to the commuter counties of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow on 25 April, 2016, with plans to extend the service to Galway City over the coming week. The Programme for a Partnership Government has identified expanding this Protocol nationwide, and the Department will continue to work with colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, local authorities and Threshold to support this extension.
A breakdown of rent supplement recipient numbers since 2010 is provided in the attached tabular statement. Statistics on the rent supplement recipients by household composition are not available.
Any person experiencing increased rents or facing the threat of the loss of their tenancy are encouraged to contact the Department of Social Protection’s Community Welfare Service responsible for their rent supplement clam without delay.
Rent Supplement: Recipient Numbers from 2010 to Present
|
Year |
Recipients as of 31 Dec |
|
2010 |
97,260 |
|
2011 |
96,803 |
|
2012 |
87,684 |
|
2013 |
79,788 |
|
2014 |
71,533 |
|
2015 |
61,247 |
|
2016 |
55,531 |
At end of May 2016.
427. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12595/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that the department is currently processing an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned. Additional information in relation to the person’s application has been requested by a deciding officer. Once the information is received the application will be processed and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
428. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12605/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's Allowance (CA) is a social assistance payment made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person with a disability requiring that level of care and whose income falls below certain limits. The department regularly reviews persons in receipt of CA to ensure their continued eligibility for the payment. The evidence submitted in support of the person’s continued eligibility and all other relevant evidence was examined and the deciding officer decided that the requirement for full-time care was no longer satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 18 August 2015 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal.
The person concerned appealed this decision and the case was submitted to the Social Welfare appeals office for determination. An appeals officer (AO), having fully considered all of the available evidence, disallowed the appeal.
The person concerned was notified on 20 May 2016 of the AO’s decision and was provided at that time with an explanation of the basis for this decision to disallow the appeal.
Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an AO is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed in the light of additional evidence or new facts.
My department informs me that there is no current application for CA from the person concerned. However I have arranged for an application form (CR1) to issue, which the person concerned should complete and return as soon as possible if she believes there has been a change in circumstances and she may be eligible. Upon receipt of a fully completed application form and any necessary supporting documentation the person concerned will be notified of the position regarding their eligibility.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
429. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme, including when he will issue a decision. [12607/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance on 17 February 2016.
The application, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person in question was notified in writing of this decision on 10 May 2016 and of her rights of review and appeal. No appeal has been received by my department to date.
430. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12608/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 25 May 2016, 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.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
432. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the action he will take to enable a person (details supplied) to access their lawful entitlement to a water conservation grant. [12631/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe eligibility criteria for the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Under regulation 5(1) a person who registers with Irish Water, as required under section 5(2)(a) of the Water Services Act 2014, on or before 30 June 2015 shall be eligible to receive the grant in 2015 if they were normally resident at the principal private residence on that date. To date Irish Water has transferred details of over 1.3 million registered households to this Department including the details of the person concerned. A letter issued to the person concerned inviting them to apply for the grant before the deadline of 8th October 2015 and advising them that they could make this application either online or with the assistance of the Water Grant Support Team by telephone. Statutory Instrument 434 of 2015 provided for the extension of the deadline for the submission of a completed application for the Water Conservation Grant to the Department of Social Protection from 8th October 2015 to 22nd October 2015. However, there is no record of the person having applied for the grant prior to the closing date.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
433. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme. [12689/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 12 January 2016. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention.
This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 9 May 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal. The person concerned has requested a review and submitted additional evidence in support of his application. The review is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
434. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for invalidity pension by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12703/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 17 March 2016. Payment will issue to her nominated Post Office on the 02 June 2016. Any arrears due from the 17 March 2016 to the 1 June 2016 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 26 May 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
435. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for invalidity pension by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12705/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 4 February 2016. Payment will issue to her nominated bank account on the 16 June 2016. Any arrears due from 04 February 2016 to the 15 June 2016 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 30 May 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
436. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for illness benefit by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12706/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra466. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for illness benefit by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12869/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 436 and 466 together.
Illness Benefit is a payment for persons who are incapable of work and who satisfy certain statutory pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
Following examination by one of my Department’s Medical Assessors the person concerned was found capable of work from 4 February last. The decision was appealed and, following a further medical examination, the person was found to be incapable of work. Illness Benefit has therefore been restored and arrears due have been issued.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
437. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12708/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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.
