Written Answers Nos. 887-902
887. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the progress to date in respect of an appeal for a disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); when the appeal will reach a conclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30819/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21st June 2018. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 27 June 2018 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer 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 Employment Affairs and 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.
888. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the progress to date in respect of the determination of an appeal in the case of a person (details supplied); when the appeal will be concluded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30820/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who will consider the appeal in light of all the evidence submitted. It is expected that a decision will issue to the person concerned within the next week.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and 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.
889. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30836/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application from the person concerned for an exceptional needs payment was refused on the 15/05/18 as their combined income is in excess of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) rate for their family size.
There has also been additional lodgements into their account over a two month period, separate to their usual incomes.
A formal written decision was sent to the person concerned, which included information regarding their right to appeal.
I trust that this clarified the matter for the Deputy.
890. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the progress to date in the determination of an appeal in the case of persons (details supplied); when the appeal will be concluded; if an oral hearing will be facilitated in this instance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30837/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 26th April 2018. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and 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.
891. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the social welfare payments in place specifically for lone parents; and the criteria in place to qualify for each. [30838/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe social welfare payments in place specifically for lone parents are the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) and Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST).
Under the current social welfare legislation in order to qualify for payment of OFP, an applicant must be a qualified parent of at least one relevant child who is ordinarily resident in the State, is not detained in a children detention school, and has not attained the relevant age, which is currently 7 years old.
There are special provisions for OFP recipients who have a child on Domiciliary Care Allowance, or are on the half-rate Carer’s Allowance, or are on the Blind Pension, that extends payment until their youngest child reaches 16 years old.
To qualify for OFP an applicant must be under 66 years old; be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian and main carer of a relevant child, and the child must live with the applicant.
The applicant must satisfy a means test and if they have earnings from employment these earnings must be less than €425 per week. The applicant must be habitually resident and must not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting.
Under the current social welfare legislation in order to qualify for payment of JST, an applicant must be a qualified parent of at least one relevant child who is ordinarily resident in the State, is not detained in a children detention school, and has not attained the relevant age which is currently 14 years old.
The applicant does not have to be available for, and genuinely seeking, full-time work. The applicant must satisfy a means test and does not have to be fully unemployed for 4 out of 7 days.
The applicant must be habitually resident and must not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting.
892. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the number of persons in receipt of the one-parent family payment and the working family payment. [30839/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Working Family Payment currently benefits approximately 56,700 families in respect of over 127,000 children.
One-Parent Family Payment currently supports 39,580 lone parents and 72,578 children. Of these, some 6,700 are also in receipt of WFP.
Figures provided are in respect of May 2018.
893. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline her views on the Indecon report showing the impact that changes to the one-parent family payment have had on lone parents with regard to levels of deprivation. [30840/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra896. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the steps being taken to tackle poverty in lone-parent families. [30844/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 893 and 896 together.
Research repeatedly shows that the best way to tackle poverty among lone parents is through employment and the Indecon report on lone parents, published in 2017, echoed this view. The report found that the changes made to the one-parent family payment scheme in 2012 increased employment and reduced welfare dependency. It also found that the changes increased the probability of employment and higher employment income for lone parents. The report also concluded that assisting lone parents to enhance skills needs to be seen as a key objective, as low paid employment will not, on its own, ensure a reduction in the risk of poverty.
The review additionally highlighted a number of areas of concern: many of those who lost OFP remain unemployed, or are in low paid or part-time employment. The balance of evidence indicates that there is an increased probability of being at risk of poverty as a result of the changes. Further supports, aimed at assisting lone parents to obtain full-time employment or increased hours of work, need to be put in place.
Continued economic recovery, together with Budget measures over recent years introduced as the economy began to work its way out of recession, are likely to have impacted positively on poverty rates since 2016 (the most recent available data) and since the period examined in the Indecon report. This improvement is expected to continue over the coming years. My Department’s social impact assessments of Budgets 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 are an indicator of this improvement. These show a cumulative increase of €36.75 in the average weekly household income of employed lone parents (and €33.60 for unemployed lone parents). This compares favourably with a weekly increase of €34.45 for the average household (given the impact of two-adult families on the average household figure).
Budget 2018 measures that took effect from 29th March this year (specifically the increases to the income disregard, the primary rate and the increase for a qualified child) will assist a lone parent in receipt of the one-parent family payment or jobseeker’s transitional payment, working 15 hours a week on the National Minimum Wage, to be better off by almost €1,000 per year.
We know that social transfers are very effective in reducing poverty and that Eurostat data shows that Ireland performs well in this regard. But we also know that reducing poverty for lone parents is not just about income support. The latest CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) for 2016 shows that being at work reduces the consistent poverty rate for lone parents by nearly two-thirds, highlighting that the best way to tackle poverty among lone parents is to assist them into employment.
Our focus therefore, through the activation service provided by my Department, is on supporting lone parents to make the transition into employment and, at a cross-governmental level on assisting these families through the provision of quality services in areas including education, training and employment supports, and childcare.
894. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the supports in place to assist lone parents returning to education and returning to work. [30841/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department, in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, offers a wide range of financial supports to lone parents that allow them to participate in a variety of educational and employment programmes.
For example, lone parents in receipt of One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) or Jobseekers Transitional payment (JST) who wish to participate in second or third-level education can opt to retain their current payment and also avail of the SUSI maintenance grant from the Department of Education and Skills. This grant is not assessed as means by my Department. Alternatively, they can opt to receive Back To Education Allowance (BTEA), which is paid at the same rate as their former payment. There are some differences between the options with regards to secondary benefits, so the individual can select the option that best suits their needs and circumstances.
Working Family Payment (WFP) is a tax-free weekly payment available to employees with children. It gives extra financial support to people on low pay. You must be an employee working 19 hours per week or more to qualify.
The Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) scheme aims to help families to move from social welfare into employment. It gives financial support to people with qualified children who are in, or take up, employment or self-employment and as a result stop claiming a jobseeker's payment or a one-parent family payment. Qualifying applicants receive a weekly payment for up to 2 years, equivalent to the increase for a qualified child that was being paid on their jobseeker or one-parent family payment (up to a maximum of 4 children) for the first year in employment. Half that amount is paid weekly for the second year.
My Department’s employment services also currently provide a case-managed approach to assist lone parents to make a personal plan to assist them to return to work or education. For lone parents on JST, the engagement is a pro-active tailored support that can be available for up to seven years while JST is in payment.
895. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the working family payment, formerly FIS, has been reviewed since its introduction. [30842/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Working Family Payment (formerly FIS) was introduced in 1984 and is an in-work support that provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings. WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment.
My Department regularly reviews its schemes to ensure that they continue to meet their policy objectives. There have been a number of changes to the WFP Scheme since its introduction in 1984, which are summarised in the following table: these have included changes to the hours-worked eligibility criteria, increases in the income thresholds and a reduction in the WFP multiplier.
Specific reviews are as follows:
- A policy and value for money Review of Child Income Support and associated spending programmes, including WFP, was published in 2010.
- The Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare was established in June 2011, harnessing expert opinion and experience to examine a number of specific issues relating to the tax and welfare systems. The Group produced a number of reports over the 2011-2013 period, and made proposals for improving employment incentives and achieving better poverty outcomes, particularly child poverty outcomes.
- In 2017 as part of the initial process of developing the Working Family Payment (WFP), the Department carried out an extensive analysis of the range of supports it provides, including the Working Family Payment, to assist individuals to take up and remain in employment. This analysis showed that existing in-work supports are very effective and work well in assisting individuals to make the transition from unemployment into employment.
- Finally, the Social Welfare Act 2017 provides for a review of the operation of the Working Family Payment, including the requirement to work at least 19 hours per week, or 38 hours per fortnight, to be submitted to the Social Protection Committee.
WFP Developments 1984 – to date
|
Year |
Development |
|
1984 |
Scheme introduced to provide income support for employees on low earnings with children. |
|
1986 |
Reduction in the minimum number of hours worked per week from 30 to 24. |
|
1989 |
An increase in the multiplier from 50% to 60% of the gap between actual income and ceiling. Reduction in the number of minimum hours worked per week from 24 to 20. |
|
1991 |
Extension of WFP to families with children ages 18-21 in full-time education. Scheme extended to co-habiting couples with children. |
|
1996 |
A reduction in the minimum hours required to work from 20 a week to 38 a fortnight. Qualifying employment period reduced from 6 to 3 months. |
|
1997 |
Method of calculating amount of WFP changed from gross income to net of PRSI contributions and health and employment levies. |
|
1998 |
Method of calculating amount of WFP changed to net income pay after tax, levies and superannuation. |
|
2006 |
Refocusing of income thresholds to include additional gains for larger families. Prior to 2006, weekly income thresholds were increased by a fixed amount regardless of family size. This led to a bias in favour of smaller families. Budget 2006 and subsequent budgets concentrated additional resources on larger families. |
|
2012 |
Budget 2012 provided for the inclusion of income from weekly carers payments for the purposes of calculating entitlement to WFP in line with other welfare payments (introduced over a three year period). Budget 2012 also provided for the inclusion of income from employment as a home help in the WFP income assessment. |
|
2013 |
Social Welfare legislation generally precludes changing the WFP rate within the 52 week payment period, except in the case of an increase for an additional child. However in light of the changes to the One-parent Family Payment (OFP) regulations were introduced in July 2013 as an exceptional measure, to enable entitlement to WFP to be reviewed so that former OFP recipients in receipt of FIS will have their WFP payment increased in light of the termination of their OFP due to the age of the youngest child. The WFP payment will be adjusted solely to take account of the loss of OFP income and other changes in income will not affect the rate of WFP within the original 52 week award period. |
|
2016 |
Budget 2016 increased the Working Family Payment income thresholds by €5 for families with one child and €10 for families with two or more children. |
|
2018 |
Budget 2018 increased the Working Family Payment earnings thresholds by €10 per week for families with up to three children. The name of the Family Income Supplement was also changed to the Working Family Payment to better reflect the nature of the payment |
897. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the progress to date in the determination of a rent allowance review in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30846/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA review of Rent Supplement entitlement was undertaken in April 2018 in the case of the person concerned. On completion of this review the rate of Rent Supplement was assessed at €490 per calendar month. This constituted a reduction in payment due to the fact that a child dependant had reached the age of 18, is in receipt of a social welfare payment in their own right and is thus assessed with a minimum contribution of €30 per week towards the cost of rent payment as per current scheme guidelines. The revised Rent Supplement payment is effective from April 2018.
If the person concerned is not happy with the decision of the designated officer or if their circumstances have changed since completion of the last review in April 2018, it is open to the person concerned to contact the community welfare service and request a further review of their Rent Supplement claim.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
898. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the eligibility for the back-to-work family dividend scheme in the case of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30847/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned was awarded Back to Work Family Dividend Scheme on the 4th April 2018 effective from the 27th March 2018.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
899. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the estimated amount it would cost in a full year if the foster care allowance for a child aged under 12 years of age was increased from €325 to €335 per week and from €352 to €372 per week for a child that is over 12 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30862/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is a matter for my colleague in Department of Children and Youth Affairs, who administrators the foster care allowance scheme.
900. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the eligibility for the fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30875/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist those on long-term social welfare payments with their heating costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. Eligibility is subject to a household means test and other qualifying conditions, such as household composition. With regard to means, a person may have a combined household income of up to €100.00 per week over and above the maximum rate of state pension (contributory).
A fuel allowance application form was received from the person concerned on 12 March 2018. Additional information regarding their household means was requested in writing on 9 April 2018. As no reply was received, a further request for the required information was issued on 6 July 2018. When the requested information is received from the person concerned, a decision on their eligibility for fuel allowance will be made and the person notified in writing.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
901. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the progress to date in the determination of an application for carer's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); if the application has reached a successful conclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30876/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 26 February 2018.
Additional information and documentation was requested from the person concerned on 25 June 2018. Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and she will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
902. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the eligibility for family income supplement in the case of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30877/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for Working Family Payment (WFP) was received from the person concerned on 28 March 2018.
In order to determine entitlement to WFP, all applications must be fully completed and signed by the claimant so that a claim can be processed.
The application form (FIS1) submitted by the person concerned could not be processed as Part 8 (employer details) of the form was incomplete. WFP Section wrote to the applicant on 14 April 2018 requesting Part 8 (employer details) to be completed on the application form but no response was received and the claim remained pending.
To date, the information requested by WFP Section remains outstanding so a decision on entitlement cannot be determined. WFP Section reissued a letter requesting the relevant documents on 6 July 2018.
On receipt of this information, WFP will be processed and the person without delay and the person concerned will be notified in due course.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
