Written Answers Nos. 327-332
327. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position regarding funding for house alarms and grants payable to persons in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29648/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant.
Following a review, a new version of the scheme came into effect on 1 November 2017. A number of changes were introduced under the new scheme including the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the revised scheme has been a resounding success with unprecedented levels of demand for the new package.
The issue of the introduction of funding for the installation of house alarms is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality under his remit of community crime prevention.
328. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if proposals will be brought forward for a pensioner travel allowance prior to budget 2019 which would provide an allowance to those in receipt of a State pension who live in a degree of rural isolation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29504/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAny decision to introduce a travel allowance along the lines suggested by the Deputy would significantly change the nature of the free travel scheme and would have considerable budgetary consequences. Various alternatives to the existing system, including the use of vouchers, have been examined previously by my Department. It concluded that a voucher type system, which would be open to a wide range of transport providers including taxis, would be extremely difficult to administer, open to misuse and unlikely to be sufficient to provide for an acceptable amount of travel.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme my Department may award a travel supplement in any case where the circumstances of the case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
I acknowledge that not all customers have easy access to transport providers participating in the free travel scheme particularly in parts of rural Ireland. A further provision of €10 million was made for the scheme in Budget 2018 to facilitate more private commercial operators joining the free travel scheme for the first time, existing participants adding more routes, and operators returning to the scheme where they had previously withdrawn.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
329. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to ensure that no delays are made in the processing of the payment of a domiciliary care allowance and all subsequent arrears to a person (details supplied) following a decision of the social welfare appeals office upholding the appeal made by the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29455/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis lady was notified by the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) on 26 June 2018 that her domiciliary care allowance was awarded on appeal.
Once the administrative procedures have been completed, a decision letter will issue by post notifying her of the date of award of DCA and when payment will issue. Payment of all arrears due will issue along with her first payment.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
330. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of administering the working family payment scheme; and the percentage of the annual spend on the scheme. [29471/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn estimate of €431.3m has been provided for in the 2018 Revised Estimates for the Working Family Payment. It is not possible to disaggregate the cost of administering the Working Family Payment scheme from the overall costs of Department’s administration because staff processing claims for any scheme are typically working on a range of schemes.
331. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the standard State pension will be returned to pre-recession levels as part of budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29512/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2006, the maximum rate of the State Pension (contributory) was €193.30. This was increased by €14 to €209.30 for 2007 and by €14 again for 2008 bringing the rate to €223.30. In January 2009, the contributory pension was increased by €7 to bring the rate to €230.30.
As the recession continued, the contributory pension rate did not see any reduction, and remained at €230.30 until an increase of €3 in 2016. The rate has since increased each year since and currently stands at €243.30, some €50 more than it was in 2006.
The following table (with data as at December 2017) shows that the rates of pension payments today are largely higher now, in real terms, than they were at the start of 2007. One exception to this is those with a Yearly Average of between 10-14 contributions. This means that such people had very few paid or credited contributions (generally 10-13 years) over the course of working life. Most people in that category will qualify for a higher rate payment under the State Pension Non-Contributory or under the Increase for a Qualified Adult on the Contributory Pension, unless they have substantial means, which means that they are significantly better off than most pensioners.
|
- |
Rate 1 Jan 2007 |
Adjusted for CPI 2007-2017 |
Rate Dec 2017 |
% change |
|
Average Earnings |
€675.80 |
€717.70 |
€714.41 |
-0.46% |
|
Average Earnings less USC |
€675.80 |
€717.70 |
€694.19 |
-3.28% |
|
SPC 48+, WCP |
€193.30 |
€205.28 |
€238.30 |
16.08% |
|
SPC 40-47 |
€189.50 |
€201.25 |
€233.60 |
16.08% |
|
SPC 30-39 |
€189.50 |
€201.25 |
€214.20 |
6.44% |
|
SPC 20-29 |
€189.50 |
€201.25 |
€202.80 |
0.77% |
|
SPC 15-19 |
€145.00 |
€153.99 |
€155.20 |
0.79% |
|
SPC 10-14 |
€96.70 |
€102.70 |
€95.20 |
-7.30% |
|
SPNC |
€182.00 |
€193.28 |
€227.00 |
17.44% |
Any changes to the rate of the State Pension (contributory) could have significant budget implications and would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
332. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if reinstating the death grant as a social welfare entitlement will be considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29514/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraDuring the economic downturn, my Department protected primary social welfare rates and in recent years, as the economy recovered, the Government has concentrated resources in improving the core rates of payments, particularly for pensioners. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided a significant annual saving and allowed my Department to protect other core social welfare payments such as the State pension.
The number of bereavement grant claims in 2013 was 23,716, and this represented an increase of approximately 4% on 2012. Based on a similar yearly increase each year since 2013, it is estimated that the number of bereavement grant claims that might arise in 2019, were the scheme to be re-introduced, would be in the region of 30,000, and the number would be expected to increase in future years. Accordingly, if there were 30,000 such grants made in 2019, at a rate of €850 each, the cost would be approx. €25.5 million.
Any decision to reinstate the Bereavement Grant would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
It is worth noting that there are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than the grant. These include 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 SWA scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income, which may include help with funeral and burial expenses.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
