Written Answers Nos. 1072-1095
1072. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the status of an application by a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45152/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned has now been processed and any arrears owing to him has been issued.
He is currently certified up to 14th November. If he remains ill and unfit for work after that date, he should submit further medical certificates to the Department to ensure that payments can continue to be made to him.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1073. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the details of the new hot school meals pilot programme for DEIS schools to commence in 2019; the process and criteria for schools to be selected for this pilot; the timeframe for roll-out; the length of time it will be rolled out for; the person or body evaluating the scheme; if the pilot meets the nutrition standards for schools meals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45159/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €54 million in 2018 representing an increase of €6.5 million over the previous year. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
Budget 2019 announced a further extension to the scheme and additional funding of €1 million for 2019. The additional funding is to provide a hot school meals pilot programme to commence in the 2019/2020 academic year.
Research shows us the value of the provision of adequate and nutritious meals for a child’s health, learning, attention and educational achievement. That is why I am providing funds to establish a pilot programme for a hot meals scheme in DEIS schools. Hot dinners will be provided on a pilot basis in up to some 7,200 children. If successful, I would hope to work with the Department of Education and Skills (DES) in extending the scheme on a much wider basis in future years and establish the scheme on a permanent basis.
Officials from my Department will now engage with officials in DES to identify suitable DEIS schools for the pilot and thereafter a consultation with the schools involved will begin. The timeframe and duration of the pilot as well as who will evaluate it are to be decided but it is expected that the pilot will commence in September 2019. The pilot will comply with the nutrition standards for school meals.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1074. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the cost associated with rolling out the new automated system in the illness benefit section; if training was provided to staff in the section; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45165/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOverall payment levels of Illness Benefit (IB) are now at their normal level. For information, in any one week, circa 50,000 customers are entitled to an IB payment. Last week, circa 54,000 customer payments were made, approximately 4,000 payments in excess of the normal level, and this includes some customers due arrears. For any customers with arrears outstanding, the Department would like to assure them that they will receive their back payments as soon as possible.
The Department can confirm that a normal level of payments will issue to IB customers this week. It is, however, important to note that there will always be some people who do not get paid in any given week. This is due to issues such as delays in receipt of claims and certificates, incorrectly completed certificates, human error, inconsistencies between the information submitted and the information already on file, the existence of another welfare payment for the main claimant or their dependants on the claim, all of which can lead to payments being suspended or delayed. This was always the case.
However, the Department acknowledges that the majority of the delays over the past few weeks were due to system and processing issues rather than normal levels of exceptions and would like to again apologise to the customers affected.
In August, the IB scheme migrated from an old legacy IT system approaching its end-of-life to a more up-to-date system already successfully used for many of the Department’s other payments. As part of this process, IB payments transitioned from a payment in arrears to a real-time payment model. This model was designed to provide quicker access to payments for customers and also to greatly reduce the manual processing work involved in administering IB claims. Unfortunately, although the majority of customers continued to receive payments, there were a number of unanticipated difficulties and some IB customers’ payments were adversely affected with delays and missed payments.
The Department would like to sincerely apologise for the difficulties and frustration experienced by customers who did not receive the correct IB payment or who experienced delays in their payments. The Department has been working hard over the past few weeks, and is continuing to work, to resolve any outstanding issues - allocating additional staff to IB claim work and developing a number of IT modifications to identify and rectify payment issues.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1075. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the number of persons in receipt of illness benefit by county. [45169/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn any one week, circa 50,000 people are entitled to an Illness Benefit payment. Last week, payments were made to circa 54,000 people as some 4,000 people were due arrears payments.
The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. It will be sent to him as soon as possible.
1076. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a disability allowance payment will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45190/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance from the person concerned on 25 September 2018. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the application a decision will be made and they will be notified directly of the outcome.
The processing time for individual disability allowance applications may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their application.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1077. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a company (details supplied) has undertaken work within her Department's remit to build or renovate projects over the past ten years; if so, the project name and location; the year in which it was built; if building fire safety inspections have been carried out on the projects since construction; the details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45199/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department is not aware or does not have any record of this company having carried out any refurbishment work on behalf of the Department. All renovation and refurbishment work is tendered through and contracted by the OPW on behalf of the Department.
1078. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the reason for the delay in issuing a weekly illness benefit payment to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45209/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned is paid up to date.
She is currently certified until 5th November 2018. If she remains ill and unfit for work, a further medical certificate should be forwarded to the Department as soon as possible in order for payment to continue to issue.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1079. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the reason for the delay in issuing a weekly illness benefit payment to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45210/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned is paid up to date.
She is currently certified up to 16th November. If she remains ill and unfit for work after that date, she should submit further medical certificates to the Department to ensure payments can continue to be made.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1080. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the status of an illness benefit application by a person (details supplied); when arrears will be issued in this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45214/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe payment issue with the Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned has now been resolved and all arrears due have been issued. Normalised payments should now resume. The customer is certified until 12th December 2018.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1081. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the reason a person (details supplied) will receive a reduced rate of illness benefit as notified. [45215/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe customer concerned is in receipt of her full entitlement under the Illness Benefit scheme. She was advised in the award letter that issued to her that the personal rate of benefit is based on her average weekly earnings in the 2016 income tax year.
She is currently certified to 11th November 2018. If she remains ill and unfit for work, she should submit additional medical certificates to the Department as soon as possible to ensure that further payments can issue to her.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1082. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) can submit a six monthly certificate in respect of illness benefit. [45219/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of the Illness Benefit scheme administered by my Department, patients can be certified for up to 26 weeks, depending on the nature of the person’s illness.
One of my officials will contact the customer concerned to discuss her pattern of medical certification.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1083. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the correct amount for the period of certified illness will be restored in respect of an illness benefit claim by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45220/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned is certified and paid up to 1st November 2018.
If she remains ill and unfit for work, she should forward a further medical certificate to the Department as soon as possible to ensure that payments can continue to issue to her.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1084. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the correct amount for the period of certified illness will be restored in respect of an illness benefit claim by a person (details supplied). [45221/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned is awarded and in payment. He was medically certified to 1st November 2018 and is paid to that date.
If he remains ill and unable to work, he should forward a further medical certificate to the Department as soon as possible to ensure that any payments due may issue.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1085. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will be able to reapply for illness benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45232/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf the person's doctor certifies her as medically unfit for work and she successfully reapplies for Illness Benefit, she can request permission to continue with the course. One of my officials will contact the customer to advise and assist her in relation to this matter.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1086. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are avenues available for a person to retrospectively adjust the required 391-day continuous period on a qualifying social protection payment in cases in which the person or his or her children need this period to qualify for a SUSI grant, specifically in the context outlined (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45233/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant, payable by the Department of Education and Skills, represents the primary support for persons pursuing education. The eligibility rules that govern the payment of a student maintenance grant are a matter for that Department.
Jobseekers Allowance (JA) is a statutory social protection scheme with the legislative provisions provided for in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended). These provisions provide for recording the duration of a person's JA claim is terms of days of unemployment. The total number of days of unemployment paid on JA in one continuous period of unemployment is known as the cumulative total.
The legislation provides that any periods of unemployment not separated by more than 52 weeks for are treated as one such period. Therefore in cases where a person ceases their jobseeker’s payment to take up work but the work ends and the person signs on to a jobseeker’s payment again within one year, there is no break in the cumulative total days of unemployment.
There are no plans at present to change the JA legislation for how days of unemployment are determined and counted. Any proposals to amend the scheme that would give rise to costs within the Department would have to be considered in the overall budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy at this time.
1087. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the reason a person (details supplied) had a jobseeker's allowance discontinued; when a jobseeker's payment will be restored in view of the fact that the person has no other source of income; if it is possible for the person to change from the local office on the Navan Road to the office in Cumberland Street in view of the difficulties the person is having in the area surrounding the Navan Road office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45236/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn this case my Department was notified that the person concerned was not engaging with the JobPath service. Regretfully, the person concerned did not initially respond to requests to attend the Navan Road Intreo Centre and this led to the suspension of his Jobseekers payment on the 18/10/18.
However, on the 26/10/18, following a discussion with the person concerned, Intreo Centre staff revoked the payment suspension and arranged for a manual payment to be issued to him.
I note that this customer has stated he has some difficulties in dealing with the Centre. Should the Deputy wish to discuss this particular case in greater detail with the management of the Department I will make the necessary arrangements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1088. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if rent allowance will be reinstated as a matter of urgency in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45254/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of Rent Supplement is to assist eligible persons with reasonable accommodation costs of living in private rented accommodation, where they are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources, and do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.
In order to establish eligibility under legislation and means, certain information or documentation is required before a decision can be made.
The person concerned was in receipt of rent supplement until 30/4/2018 when it was closed following a review. Correspondence from the Residential Tenancies Board was furnished as part of the review stating that the person concerned was in breach of a determination order made on 7/7/2017.
The person concerned made a new application for rent supplement, registered on 6/7/2018. Correspondence was provided from the property company managing the person’s concerned rental accommodation stating that the person concerned was in breach of a determination made on 7/7/2017. The claim was disallowed under S.I No 412 of 2007 Part 3 Article 9 (2) (a) which states that the person concerned has not established that he was a bona fide tenant of the property for which he had claimed rent supplement. This decision is due to the existence of the determination order.
Any future application made by the person concerned will be considered within the legislative guidelines as appropriate.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1089. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if payment by a person (details supplied) has been accurately reflected in the person's record; if a record of all payments made by the person in respect of this overpayment since it was assessed will be furnished to the person without delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45255/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy officials are currently reviewing the records for the person concerned with a view to compiling the required data. Officials will revert directly to the Deputy at the earliest opportunity with the information he has requested.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1090. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the correct level of jobseeker's allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45256/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith reference to Parliamentary Question 45280/18, the person concerned is a part-time worker and claims jobseeker's allowance for days not in employment. The rate of payment is reduced by the amount of means attributable to earnings in respect of days of employment. Means assessed are based on the most recent earnings information supplied by the employer on Form UP 16 dated 24/9/2018.
Should there have been any changes to the circumstances of the person concerned since 24/9/2018, these should be notified to the Intreo Centre, Moorefield Road, Newbridge, supported with relevant documentation and a review of circumstances will be carried out accordingly.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1091. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the status of a carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45257/18]
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 child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 20 June 2018.
The application was referred to a social welfare inspector (SWI) on 31 August 2018 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
Once the SWI has reported, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1092. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline her plans to extend the total contributions approach announced in budget 2019 being applied to those who left the work force for an extended period of time to raise children in the home and who retired on or before September 2012 to those who retired in similar circumstances and who retired in the years and months prior to September 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45260/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA policy to introduce the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pensions calculation was adopted by Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010, as was the decision to base the entitlements of all new pensioners on this approach from around 2020. In advance of this, on the 23rd January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by an interim “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, while raising families or in a caring role. The TCA will ensure that the totality of a person’s social insurance contributions - as opposed to the timing of them - determines their final pension outcome.
People whose pensions were decided under the 2000-2012 rate bands were subject to a significantly more generous regime than those who qualified before or afterwards, as a Yearly Average of only 20 contributions per year (out of a maximum of 52) could attract a 98% pension. The effect of those changes, as it impacted upon those new pensioners since 2012, will be familiar to anyone who followed the debate on this matter over the last 6 years.
If pre-2012 pensioners were also allowed avail of HomeCaring Credits, their arrangements, as a group, would continue to be significantly more generous than those of post-2012 pensioners. There would also be a very significant cost which would be expected to be of the order of several hundred million euro each year. This in turn could significantly impact funds for future pension increases with consequential implications for pensioner poverty.
For those with insufficient contributions to meet the requirements for a State pension (contributory), they may qualify for a means tested State pension (non-contributory), the maximum personal rate for which is €232 (over 95% of the maximum rate of the contributory pension). This rate of payment does not include rent allowance, household benefits or fuel allowance. Alternatively, if their spouse is a State pensioner and they have significant household means, their most beneficial payment may be an Increase for a Qualified Adult, based on their personal means, and amounting up to 90% of a full contributory pension.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1093. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when an illness benefit payment in the case of a person (details supplied) will be normalised; the status or changes to the system which have resulted in delayed or irregular payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45263/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned is now paid up to date. She is certified to 11th November 2018. If she remains unfit for work, a further medical certificate should be submitted to the Department as soon as possible.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1094. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when payment of illness benefit will issue to a person (details supplied) who has not been paid benefit for a number of weeks. [45270/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issues with the Occupational Injury Benefit claim for the person concerned have now been resolved and all arrears owing to her have been issued. She is paid up to her certified date of 31st October 2018. If the customer remains unfit for work, she should submit a further medical certificate as soon as possible.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1095. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a disability allowance payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45274/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension in June 2018 with effect from 07 December 2017.
The first payment issued to their nominated bank account on 21 June 2018. Arrears due from 07 December 2017 to 20 June 2018 issued to him on 19 July 2018.
The gentleman in question was notified of this decision on 07 June 2018.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
