Written Answers Nos. 368 to 385
368. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will reverse the new policy changes to the back to education allowance scheme which were introduced in April 2016, which will reduce any income for students working part time during the academic year and have not been publicised to the local social protection officers or students on the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26457/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra375. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review and reverse the changes made to the back to education allowance which assesses all part-time work undertaken by students in accordance with their primary payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26531/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 375 together.
The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for persons in receipt of certain qualifying social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education in order to improve their employment prospects. It is primarily designed to support second chance education.
Entitlement to BTEA is conditional on a person having an on-going entitlement to the qualifying scheme payment. The BTEA scheme has been amended in recent years to ensure that the conditions are in line with the qualifying payment. From 2016/17 academic year, BTEA participants with eligibility based on jobseekers, transitional jobseekers or one parent family payments who engage in part-time work will be assessed in accordance with their primary payment. This measure ensures that only participants who continue to satisfy the means test of their primary payment or another qualifying BTEA payment will continue to receive income support under BTEA. This will help to ensure that resources are directed at those most in need of assistance.
This amendment was introduced following a review carried out on employment supports schemes in 2012. Stakeholders were also afforded an opportunity to contribute to the proposed recommendations at that time.
The BTEA operational guidelines were revised and communicated throughout my Department and to external stakeholders in April 2016. It is important to note that the BTEA was never intended to be an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third-level education system. The student universal support Ireland (SUSI) grant payable by the Department of Education and Skills represents the primary support for persons pursuing education.
Overall, the priority for my Department is that the BTEA scheme will be focused, targeted and suitable for the needs of jobseekers and of the future skills needs of the economy.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
369. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person has not been facilitated (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26470/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer’s allowance was awarded to the person concerned on 18 July 2016 and the first payment issued to her nominated bank account on 21 July 2016.
Arrears of allowance due from 19 May 2016 to 20 July 2016 have also issued. The person concerned was notified of these details on 18 July 2016.
Carer’s allowance is not a qualifying payment for the Fuel Allowance. However, the Fuel Allowance is payable with the State Pension of the person concerned and should be paid when the Fuel Allowance season commences on 7 October 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
370. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a review in respect of a carer's allowance application (details supplied) has not been dealt with in view of the fact that the review was lodged on 24 May 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26497/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 19 November 2015.
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 6 May 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal. The person concerned has requested a review of this decision and submitted additional evidence in support of her 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.
371. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26506/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person. On 17 September 2016 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation in order to finalise the claim. On receipt of this information a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly in writing of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
372. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will reinstate immediately the full bereavement grant for persons who require it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26513/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn recent Budgets the Department has protected primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided a significant annual saving. This allowed the Department to protect other social welfare payments such as the State pension.
There are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than the grant. These include a weekly-paid widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner’s (contributory and non-contributory) pensions, which are based on contributions or a means test, and a once-off widowed or surviving civil partner grant of €6,000 where there is a dependent child. A number of social welfare payments, including State pension continue in payment for six weeks following a death. In Budget 2016, the Government increased the payment after death period to 12 weeks for carer’s allowance. Guardian payments are available where someone cares for an orphaned child. A special funeral grant of €850 is paid where a person dies because of an accident at work or occupational disease.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure including help with funeral and burial expenses which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. However, there is no automatic entitlement to such a payment. An ENP is a means tested payment payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances.
Any decision to restore the bereavement grant would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
373. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26524/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned is currently in receipt of disability allowance (DA). I can confirm that a review has been carried out and the person in question has been awarded full rate DA with effect from 29 June 2016. The first increased payment was issued to the person concerned by his selected payment method on 21 September 2016. Arrears of payment due were also issued, by the chosen payment method, on 21 September 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
374. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the efforts being made to reduce the waiting time for review of medical assessments for invalidity pension claims; when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26526/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. There are currently no backlogs of medical assessment on IP with only 81 claims awaiting assessment.
The Department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on the 13 July 2016. She has been awarded IP with effect from the 14 July 2016 and ppayment will issue to her nominated bank account on the 06 October 2016. Any arrears due from 14 July 2016 to 05 October 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 23 September 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
376. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when payment will commence in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26540/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned was first awarded Family Income Supplement (FIS) on the 2nd October 2014 and they have been in receipt of a weekly FIS payment since that date.
Each year customers must forward a completed renewal application form and in this case, the person concerned was issued a renewal form on the 20th July 2016 but to date, this form has not been returned.
When the completed application form is returned, the person’s claim will be processed.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
377. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26544/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 19 July 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
378. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection if an appeal has been received in the social protection appeals office against the decision of his Department not to pay a person (details supplied) illness benefit from February 2015 and only pay it from March 2016; if his Department has received all illness certificates submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26625/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 27th July 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.
379. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is being requested to pay back an amount of money to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26629/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraA person who is entitled to a Carer’s Allowance (CA) on the first Thursday in June, is also entitled to one Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) for each person they provide care to.
However, the person concerned was paid two CSGs in respect of the same care recipient for 2012. Accordingly, they incurred an overpayment amounting to €1,700.00.
The person concerned was notified of this overpayment decision on 28 January 2016 the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal. To date my department has no record of a review or appeal request in this case.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
380. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) is due a refund on their social protection payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26630/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda National Immigration Bureau card for the person concerned issued on 16/08/2016. As full Jobseeker’s Allowance has been in payment from 07/09/2016, arrears will issue to the person concerned covering the period 16/08/2016 to 06/09/2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
381. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for an invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26648/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 01 September 2016. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. She was notified on the 22 September 2016 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
382. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost in 2017 of lowering the requirement to qualify for family income supplement from 19 hours per week to 15 hours per week for one-parent households only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26650/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 55,000 families with almost 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 important that FIS does not inadvertently subsidise unsustainably low earnings or encourage employers to offer minimal hours of employment.
Parenting alone is not a qualifying condition of FIS so this information is not maintained for FIS recipients. Furthermore as FIS administrative data does not record information on recipients working below 19 hours per week, it is not possible to estimate the costs associated with this measure. However further reducing the “hours worked” threshold would obviously have increased expenditure implications.
383. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if the back to education allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) on the grounds that changing discipline to study law is progressing in education, despite not being an advancement on the NFQ scale. [26663/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAccording to the records of this Department the person concerned applied for a back to education allowance (BTE) and was refused as he was not in receipt of a Department of Social Protection payment.
As the BTE is an administrative scheme, it is not subject to the appeal process but may be reviewed by a more senior officer in the Department. Arising from this parliamentary question the application was reviewed and I can advise that there was no change in the original decision.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
384. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will reverse the cuts imposed in past budgets to increase the number of eligible low-income farmers; if he will reinstate the income and child disregards for farm assist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26699/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes. Farm assist recipients maintain the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2016 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €85 million on the farm assist scheme.
The Programme for Government contains the commitment to undertake a "Review of the Farm Assist Scheme, recognising the challenges facing farmers on low incomes". This review has now been completed and will inform any changes to the farm assist scheme. Any changes will be considered in the context of Budget 2017 subject to the overall budgetary context.
385. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a situation (details supplied) will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26742/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Community Services Programme (CSP) is one of a number of programmes and schemes operated by the Department. The CSP provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a social inclusion nature. The provision of local social, economic and environmental services is the core aim of the CSP.
Given the level of resources available and the number of companies currently supported, the Department has been unable to make an open call for new proposals to the programme for a number of years. However, from time to time and as resources allow, the Department does process new applications received from organisations that have expressed an interest in and are considered eligible under the programme.
The service detailed by the Deputy appears to be a social enterprise and could submit an expression of interest to the Department in relation to funding under the CSP. Any not-for-profit company wishing to be considered for the programme can send an expression of interest to the Department by email to cspinfo@welfare.ie.
If you want you may contact my Parliamentary Adviser for further assistance.
