Michael Ring
Ceist:141. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will reinstate a disability allowance for a person (details supplied). [21473/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraDisability Allowance Eligibility
Ceisteanna (141)
Freagraí scríofa
I confirm that the above named person was in receipt of disability allowance (DA) from my department. In April 2016, the person concerned was requested to supply details relating to their medical conditionality. In May 2016 a second request issued. As these details were not received by the department, the DA payment for the person concerned was suspended with effect from 8 June 2016.
An additional form has now issued to the person concerned, along with a stamped addressed envelope. On receipt of this completed form, a deciding officer will review the person’s entitlement to DA.
The person in question can apply to the Community Welfare Officer for the means tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) if he is in need of financial assistance.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Family Income Supplement Data
Ceisteanna (142)
Willie O'Dea
Ceist:142. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost in 2017, of extending family income supplement, to one parent households in receipt of the jobseeker transitional payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21481/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The information that the Deputy has requested is currently not available in my Department. Given the complex nature of the request, my Department will provide the information directly to the Deputy in due course.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Ceisteanna (143)
Willie O'Dea
Ceist:143. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined and costed, moving to a system based on hours worked rather than days worked, to qualify for jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21482/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2016 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €2.8 billion.
It is a fundamental qualifying condition of both schemes that a person must be fully unemployed for four days in any period of seven consecutive days. A person working four or more days a week will not qualify for a jobseeker’s payment, even if they work only a small number of hours on those days.
The Department does not collect data on the number of hours a jobseeker works as this information is not necessary to make a decision on an application for a jobseeker’s payment. In this context the cost associated with moving the jobseeker's benefit scheme to an hours-based system, as outlined by the Deputy, cannot be ascertained.
It is recognised that a changing labour market has resulted in a move away from more traditional work patterns, resulting in an increase in the number of persons employed for less than a full week. However, any changes to the current criteria, such as moving to an hours based system, could result in significant numbers of additional individuals becoming eligible for a jobseeker’s payment with substantial corresponding cost implications for the Exchequer.
Family Income Supplement
Ceisteanna (144)
Willie O'Dea
Ceist:144. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined and costed, the possibility of introducing a sliding scale for family income supplement, as opposed to the current system of 19 hours per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21483/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The family income supplement (FIS) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. There are over 56,000 families with more than 123,000 children in receipt of FIS, an increase of over 70 per cent since 2011. The estimated spend on FIS this year is approximately €410 million, an increase of around €60 million on last year.
To qualify for FIS, a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. A couple may combine their hours of employment to meet the qualification criteria. The applicant must also have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them or is supported by them. Furthermore, the average family income must be below a specified amount which varies according to the number of qualified children in the family.
The “hours worked” eligibility criterion has been reduced significantly since the introduction of the scheme in 1984, from 30 hours per week to 19 hours per week in 1996. It is not possible to estimate the costs associated with replacing the current thresholds for FIS qualification without specifying a) a new hours threshold and b) the ‘sliding scale’.
Reducing the “hours worked” requirement would have implications for existing working age schemes. Under jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance a person may, subject to scheme criteria, work for up to three days and continue to receive support under the schemes. Introducing a sliding scale would be significantly more complex than the present scheme and could require additional resources to administer.
Home-makers Scheme
Ceisteanna (145)
Aindrias Moynihan
Ceist:145. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost per year of extending the homemaker scheme to those who worked in the home prior to 1994. [21561/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The State pension (contributory) SPC is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid or credited over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement. Since 1961, when contributory pensions were introduced, the average contributions test has been used in calculating pension entitlement. Once over 16 years of age, the date a person enters into insurable employment is the date used for averaging purposes. In this context, even if someone has only 10 years (520 weeks) of paid reckonable contributions between their 16th and 66th birthdays, they may qualify for a State pension (contributory), although the rate payable would vary depending on their circumstances.
The home-makers scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension (contributory) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in and took effect from 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age (or caring for incapacitated people over that age) to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes, subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State pension contributory also being satisfied. This has the effect of increasing the yearly average of the pensioner, which is used to set the rate of their pension. The scheme does not involve the award of credits. The 2007 Green Paper on Pensions estimated an annual cost of backdating the Homemaker's scheme, at that time, as €150 million (if to 1973) or €160 million (if to 1953). However it described those estimates as “extremely tentative” and the passage of time means that the potential cost now would be significantly higher.
Where people who were unattached to the labour market during most of their adult lives may not qualify for a contributory pension in their own right as they have paid few or no contributions, or cannot qualify for a full rate as a result of an intermittent PRSI record, the social protection system provides alternative methods of supporting such pensioners in old age. If their spouse has a contributory pension, they may qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult amounting up to 90% of a full rate pension, which by default is paid directly to them. Alternatively, they may qualify for a means-tested State Pension (non-contributory), amounting up to 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Carer's Allowance Applications
Ceisteanna (146)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:146. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of application by a person (details supplied) under the carer’s allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21562/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 22 March 2016. Additional information in relation to the person’s application has been requested. Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Jobseeker's Allowance Applications
Ceisteanna (147)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:147. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection why he has declined an application by a person (details supplied) under the jobseeker's allowance scheme; to specify the documentation that remains outstanding in respect of the application and the mechanism by which he communicated a missed signing date to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21563/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The jobseeker’s allowance (JA) scheme provides income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. A person must be capable of, available for, and genuinely seeking work. A person must also satisfy a mean test, which looks at all household sources of income including spouse’s, civil partner’s or cohabitant's income.
The Letterkenny INTREO office has advised that the person attended his scheduled meeting with a deciding officer, at this meeting he was given a standard form to complete in relation to his efforts to seek employment and advised of his signing date.
The form in question was not returned to the INTREO office and the person concerned failed to sign on, consequently the claim was closed.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Offices
Ceisteanna (148)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:148. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the remit and area of activity assigned to personnel who are employed privately and work in local social protection offices; the level of training provided to them; if they are qualified and authorised to provide advice on social protection entitlements, payments, and the eligibility of individual claimants, in offices in which operations are provided by contracted private companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21564/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Following clarification from your office, the “services” to which this Parliamentary Question relates to are “services provided by local Social Welfare branch offices”.
Branch Managers are contracted to act as the agent of the Department of Social Protection in the geographic area served by the Branch Office and as determined by my Department.
The main remit and the general areas of activity of Branch Offices include;
- To receive claims in respect of all schemes operated by the Department of Social Protection.
- To register Branch Office customers claims and capture all relevant information in a timely manner.
- To accept and process evidence of unemployment, means and other scheme conditionality in the prescribed manner.
- To make decisions on selected categories of claims.
- To maintain claims by updating changes to customer details etc. and to accept, forward and/or assign, without delay, to the relevant Intreo Centre or scheme headquarters any changes which affect payment.
- To provide comprehensive information in relation to all Department of Social Protection Schemes, including information on employment and support services, job vacancies, training/educational and development opportunities operated through Solas and the Education Training Boards or any other provider.
- To schedule customers for information sessions, interviews, training/educational courses and opportunities.
- To operate the Department’s internal and external Fraud and Control Policies in accordance with instructions and advice.
- To liaise and co-operate with all business areas of the Department of Social Protection and other Government Agencies and to assist in the delivery of the services of these areas and agencies by providing customer referrals.
- To account for all moneys received and paid on behalf of the Department of Social Protection in such manner as may from time to time be laid down.
- To record, pursue and recover overpayments to customers.
- In selected Branch Offices, to provide SAFE registration services and Public Service Cards to an extended cohort of customers and catchment areas as required. The process may include issuing Personalised Public Service Numbers.
As stated, the provision of a comprehensive information service in relation to all of the Department of Social Protection Schemes is a key service delivery role for Branch Offices.
The provision of information services in Branch Offices is supported by the Information Services Unit in the Department and Branch Office staff are invited to attend the annual Information Seminar for information providers. Branch Offices are provided with regular information, including updates, posters, application forms etc. and they are well positioned to provide a quality information service to their customers.
Training for Branch Office staff is supported by the linked network of Intreo Centres. Branch Office staff receive appropriate levels of training relevant to the duties carried out by them and they are afforded access to the Department’s training information, materials and trainers.
If the Deputy has a particular issue with the provision of information or of the general standard of service delivery in any Branch Office then perhaps he could let me have details and I will undertake to have the matter investigated.
Social Welfare Offices
Ceisteanna (149)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:149. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the procedures and checks he carries out as part of the procurement process to assess the suitability of individual companies which tender to provide services in social protection offices; if he actively considers these companies' ability to comply with employment law prior to awarding the tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21565/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Following clarification from your office, the “services” to which this Parliamentary Question relates to are “services provided by local Social Welfare branch offices”.
The Department’s network of Intreo centres is complemented by 60 Branch Offices at various locations across the country. Each Branch Office is operated and managed by a Branch Manager under a contract for services to provide an agreed service for the Department.
When a vacancy for a Branch Manager position arises, the vacancy is filled through an open competitive selection process. The vacancy is advertised in the local and national newspapers and on JobsIreland.ie to attract interested and suitable candidates. The selection process involves an interview and takes into account the premises being proposed by each candidate for the operation of the contracted service.
Following the interview/premises approval process, and subject to final approval by me as Minister, the successful candidate is offered an appointment as Branch Manager on a contract for services basis. Currently, contracts are only awarded to individuals as a personal service is required to be rendered as part of the contract arrangements. Consequently, companies are precluded from holding the position of a Branch Manager.
Each individual Branch Manager is responsible for the employment of staff in their office to carry out the services as outlined in his/her contract with the Department. It is the responsibility of the Branch Manager, as an employer, to comply with employment legislation and discharge their relevant legal obligations.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.