Written Answers Nos. 285-304
285. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the period of time a person can receive jobseeker’s benefit before they are means tested for jobseeker’s allowance temporarily until the job market and the economy has recovered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35442/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Jobseekers Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and who are unable to find full-time employment. These statutory schemes allow individuals to work up to 3 days a week and retain access to a reduced jobseekers payment.
Jobseekers Benefit is paid for up to 9 months (or 234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid. It is paid for up to 6 months (or 156 days) for people with fewer than 260 PRSI contributions paid.
It is a fundamental feature of a range of the Department's benefit payments, including Jobseekers Benefit, that the payment is time-limited. Time limits apply across a range of PRSI related schemes such as maternity benefit and illness benefit.
Where a person exhausts their entitlement to Jobseekers Benefit, they may be eligible for support under the means-tested Jobseekers Allowance scheme. The Department contacts the Jobseeker's Benefit recipient in advance of the expiry date of their claim to advise them that their entitlement is due to expire and that they should make an application for Jobseekers Allowance on the attached application form.
Jobseekers Allowance has unlimited duration as long as a person meets the qualifying scheme conditions including the means test.
The wide ranging nature of the assistance available to those impacted by Covid -19, including the availability of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme for employers, constitutes a comprehensive suite of supports. On that basis I do not intend to amend the duration of Jobseeker's Benefit at this time.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
286. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the pandemic unemployment payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35500/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 provides for the attribution of social insurance contributions to insured persons who were beneficiaries of certain Covid-19 income support payments including the pandemic unemployment payment.
This provision ensures that employees entitled to and in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment will have social insurance contributions attributed to them at the same value as they were paying while employed immediately before going on to the payment. The measure means that people who lost their jobs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic will not be disadvantaged in accessing social insurance benefits in the future. Following receipt of the necessary employment data from Revenue earlier this year, the Department has attributed social insurance contributions to the social insurance records of former employed contributors who were entitled to and in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in 2020. Attributing contributions in respect of 2021 will be considered when the relevant employment data relating to that year is available from Revenue in early 2022.
A self-employed worker whose income is €5,000 or more in a contribution year, is liable to pay a social insurance contribution at the class S rate of 4% on such income, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500. Where the social insurance liability is paid in full in respect of a contribution year, a full annual complement of 52 contributions is awarded.
The above mentioned Act also makes provision for the Minister for Social Protection, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to make regulations, having considered certain matters set out in the Act including the potential impact of Covid-19 on the entitlements of employed and self-employed contributors and the manner in which social insurance contributions are paid by employed and self-employed contributors, to apply the attribution of contributions measure to persons specified in those regulations.
Once data on the social insurance returns made by self-employed workers in respect of 2020 are available later this year or early in 2022, I and my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, will be in a position to consider the factors set out in the Act and decide if regulations are necessary to protect the social insurance entitlements of certain self-employed workers who were in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment and who were not in a position to discharge their social insurance liability for 2020.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy at this time.
287. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a carer’s allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35507/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 12 May 2021. 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 Social Protection. Those papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 27 May 2021 and the case was referred on to an Appeals Officer on 9 June 2021.
The Appeals Officer will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing. Hearings are currently being conducted online or by telephone. Due to the current level of Covid-19 restrictions in-person oral appeal hearings have been suspended.
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 trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
288. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will receive a PPS number for their newborn daughter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35508/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to inform the Deputy that a Person Public Service Number was assigned in this case and the family of the person concerned has been informed by regular post.
I hope this addresses the question.
289. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the difficult circumstances that workers who are nearing retirement are faced with whereby they cannot obtain an estimated prediction of their State pensions due to time spent working in jurisdictions outside of Ireland; if her Department is in a position to provide such estimates to persons who are close to retiring; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35514/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraPension entitlement is determined on the basis of the eligibility conditions applicable on the date an individual reaches pension age. Pension forecasts are not therefore provided, irrespective of where a person may have been employed, as the eligibility conditions may change. It is, however, possible for a person to request a copy of their insurance record at any stage.
Individual pension entitlement depends on factors such as a person’s social insurance record, their attachment to the workforce and their countries of employment. It is advisable that all contributors maintain their social insurance record as fully as possible over their working life.
Applicants should apply for State pension (contributory) three to six months before reaching pension age. Their entitlement to pension will then be determined on the basis of the eligibility conditions in force and they will be notified in writing of the decision.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
290. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if client identity applications can be expedited for persons (details supplied) to access the Covid-19 vaccination programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35523/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) is not required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. If a person does not have a PPSN, they should register for their vaccination by contacting the HSE's COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline at Freephone 1800 700 700.
I can confirm that the first individual referred to by the Deputy was issued a PPSN a number of years ago. That individual attended an office of my Department on 28th June for SAFE registration and will be issued a Public Services Card in the coming days, upon which will be inscribed their PPSN.
A letter issued on 29th June to the second individual referred to by the Deputy, which informed them that a PPSN is not required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination and included the number of the HSE's COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline.
More information on the HSE Vaccination Programme is available on the HSE's website.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
291. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason applicants for the new transitional payment for persons aged 65 years are deemed ineligible to receive this benefit and considered to be self-employed and engaged in insurable self-employment if they are paying class S contributions arising from sole income from a self-funded private pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35531/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra311. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which satisfactory provision has been made for those retiring at 65 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35718/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 291 and 311 together.
The Benefit Payment for 65 Year olds is provided under the Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed) social insurance schemes in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as amended. The introduction of the payment fulfils a key commitment in the Programme for Government to provide a benefit payment for people who are aged 65 and who are required to or who chose to retire early, but do not qualify for the State Pension until they are aged 66.
The payment is made to people aged between 65 and 66 years who satisfy the qualifying scheme conditions and who have ceased employment or self-employment. Those who qualify for the payment will not be required to sign on, partake in any activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work which is generally the case for recipients of jobseeker payments.
Applicants must also satisfy the PRSI conditionality for the scheme which includes having the required contributions in the Governing Contribution Year, which is the second last complete tax year. For example, for a claim in 2021, the second last complete tax year is 2019. This condition demonstrates a recent attachment to the workforce. The reason for the requirement to have paid contributions in the manner set out in legislation is to demonstrate a recent attachment to the workforce. Those retiring at age 65 should meet the required PRSI conditionality having recently left employment.
Self-employed contributors pay PRSI on a wide variety of self-employment income. These contributions help to ensure that individuals qualify for valuable social welfare benefits, including pensions. The qualifying conditions for Jobseekers Benefit (Self-Employed) include the requirement that a person has completely ceased self-employment. For that reason, individuals who continue to pay Class S PRSI on a variety of income sources re not regarded as having ceased self-employment; they continue to pay Class S PRSI and are to be regarded as being in insurable self-employment.
The issue regarding Class S PRSI contributions arising solely from personal pensions has been raised with my Department and the matter is under consideration.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
292. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection the annual spend on the treatment benefit scheme in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35598/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe table below shows expenditure for the Treatment Benefit Schemes in each of the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 as requested by the Deputy:
|
- |
2000 |
2005 |
2010 |
2015 |
2020 |
|
- |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
Dental Benefit |
45,402 |
49,612 |
34,215 |
16,619 |
44,309 |
|
Optical Benefit |
10,885 |
11,688 |
9,989 |
6,808 |
35,256 |
|
Medical & Surgical Devices Benefit |
1,512 |
4,197 |
7,269 |
6,466 |
11,755 |
|
Total Treatment Benefits |
57,799 |
65,497 |
51,473 |
29,893 |
91,320 |
The figures for 2020 are provisional and are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
The Deputy may wish to note that the Treatment Benefit schemes catered for examinations and treatments in the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2020. In 2015, only examinations were covered by the scheme. In addition, by 2020, the scheme catered for a broader range of individuals as the scheme was extended to self-employed workers in Budget 2017.
293. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was refused the wage subsidy scheme to enable them to employ a person with a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35599/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is targeted at private sector employers and is aimed at encouraging the employment of people with disabilities through the provision of financial incentives (a wage subsidy). The subsidy is delivered in three strands depending on the number of qualifying employees.
In the case of one employee, the wage subsidy may be paid if the employee with a disability has a production level of between 80% or less (compared to other staff). An employee must work for a minimum of 21 hours per week up to a maximum of 39 subsidised hours per week. The rate of subsidy is €5.30 per hour and the amount of the subsidy is based on the number of hours worked.
I am advised that the WSS application in question was refused in this instance as the business had not yet opened and therefore the employment of the individual concerned had not commenced.
The owner of the business has been advised in writing of the decision, and of the opportunity to apply under the WSS again, if it can be demonstrated that the business is sustainable.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
294. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports that are available for single parents with 50% or less custody of their child and or children; if her Department has considered the issue of single parents with significant minority custody time who may be struggling financially to provide for their children while in their care due to their ineligibility for child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35602/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Social Protection provides schemes specifically targeted at lone parents who have the main care and charge of the qualifying children, that is, they have more than 50% of the custody, in addition to satisfying the other qualifying conditions such as the means test.
These schemes are the One-Parent Family Payment, where the youngest child is aged under 7 years of age, and the Jobseeker's Transitional Payment, where the youngest child is aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive.
Parents who have an income support need but who do not qualify for either of the above schemes may be eligible for other payments such as Jobseeker's Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance.
295. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35604/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the submission of further medical evidence by the person concerned, their case has been reviewed and they have been awarded disability allowance with effect from 28 April 2021. The first payment will be made on 7 July 2021.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
296. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the payment of the fuel allowance for the full year will be examined (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35632/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
The Fuel Allowance is an important measure that assists pensioners and other welfare dependent householders to address income deficiency, especially during the winter when a household faces increased heating needs. The duration of the scheme is designed to coincide with the coldest periods of the year and it is for this reason the scheme runs from October to mid-April.
The household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain long-term welfare payments such as invalidity pension, carer's allowance, disability allowance, blind pension and incapacity supplement.
In order to support vulnerable households during the initial COVID-19 emergency, financial resources at that time allowed for the 2019/20 fuel season to be extended by four weeks for existing eligible customers on a once-off basis. While I fully understand that these are difficult times for many people, especially for the vulnerable and the elderly, any further economic measures, such as extending the 2020/21 fuel allowance season, can only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources. In this regard, the Deputy will appreciate the scale of support provided throughout the pandemic with over €8 Billion spent on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment alone to date.
In Budget 2021, the Government targeted one third of carbon tax revenues to go towards boosting the incomes of the poorest in our society. Based on ESRI research, three key DSP payments were targeted for increases in the budget as a result - the Fuel Allowance, the Qualified Child Allowance and the Living Alone Allowance. Accordingly, with effect from January 2021, I increased the Fuel Allowance by €3.50 per week to €28 for a period of 28 weeks, while the increase in carbon tax on solid fuels will not take effect until May 2021. This ensured that recipients benefitted from the increased payment over the winter period.
The full year cost of the Fuel Allowance would be €541.6 million approximately in 2021 if it was provided for the full year to the 372,000 eligible households.
Finally, under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
297. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the research being carried out in association with an organisation (details supplied) into the cost of bereavement. [35636/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Budget 2020, a budget of €60,000 was provided to support the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) in carrying out a research project into funeral poverty in Ireland.
This independent research by the IHF is to examine how bereavement affects people, particularly the economic impact of death. It seeks to trace the dynamics of bereavement in Ireland, identify immediate and longer-term impacts on families, identify the costs and deficits, and explore ways to mitigate the economic impact.
Funding from the Department is supporting the research, which was originally due to be completed by December 2020. However, the COVID-19 emergency resulted in much of the work being deferred and brought forward to 2021.
I understand that the first phase of the project was completed in 2020 and that funding support of €31,394.38 was paid to the IHF in December 2020.
I also understand that work is now underway on Phase 2 which is a qualitative phase exploring in-depth the economic impacts that bereavement can have, from the perspectives of the bereaved and the professionals who support them. The IHF team for this is in place and is in the process of developing its sampling strategy, with a view to completing this phase in September 2021.
I further understand that IHF's current plan is to finalise its work, combining the various phases of the project, in October 2021, when it intends to publish its findings, consisting of a final report and two short papers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
298. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2022 and in a full year for every 1% and every €1 per week increase in basic social welfare rates by each social welfare payment. [35682/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe estimated full year cost of increasing each weekly social welfare payment by €1 is shown in the table below.
|
Payment |
Personal €m |
Qualified Adult €m |
Total €m* |
|
Social Insurance Schemes |
|||
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
€ 22.0 |
€ 3.0 |
€ 25.0 |
|
Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension |
€ 6.2 |
€ 6.2 |
|
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
€ 0.3 |
€ 0.3 |
|
|
Invalidity Pension |
€ 3.1 |
€ 0.2 |
€ 3.3 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.1 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.1 |
|
|
Disablement Pension |
€ 0.2 |
€ 0.2 |
|
|
Illness Benefit |
€ 2.5 |
€ 0.1 |
€ 2.6 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
€ 6.6 |
€ 0.4 |
€ 7.0 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit (Self Employed) |
€ 0.2 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.2 |
|
Carer's Benefit |
€ 0.2 |
€ 0.2 |
|
|
Maternity & Adoptive Benefit |
€ 1.0 |
€ 1.0 |
|
|
Paternity & Parent's Benefit |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.1 |
|
|
Social Assistance Schemes |
|||
|
State Pension (Non Con) |
€ 5.0 |
€ 0.1 |
€ 5.1 |
|
Blind Person's Pension |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.1 |
|
Widow/ers or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Con) Pension |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.1 |
|
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
€ 2.1 |
€ 2.1 |
|
|
Carer's Allowance |
€ 2.6 |
€ 2.6 |
|
|
Half Rate Carer's Allowance |
€ 1.1 |
€ 1.1 |
|
|
Jobseeker's Allowance Max Rate |
€ 6.4 |
€ 1.1 |
€ 7.5 |
|
JA age 18 to 24 |
€ 0.7 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.7 |
|
Disability Allowance |
€ 8.0 |
€ 0.6 |
€ 8.6 |
|
Farm Assist |
€ 0.3 |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.4 |
|
Employment Support Schemes (BTWA & BTEA) |
€ 0.7 |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.8 |
|
Employment/Internship Schemes (CE, Tús, RSS etc.) |
€ 1.7 |
€ 0.3 |
€ 2.0 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
€ 0.7 |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.8 |
|
TOTAL* |
€ 72.1 |
€ 6.1 |
€ 78.2 |
*Rounding may affect totals.
The estimated full year cost of increasing each weekly social welfare payment by 1%, with all payment rates rounded to the nearest 10 cent, is shown in the table below.
|
Payment |
Personal (€m) |
Qualified Adult (€m) |
Total (€m)* |
|
Social Insurance Schemes |
|||
|
State Pension(Contributory) |
€ 53.9 |
€ 7.2 |
€ 61.1 |
|
Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension |
€ 14.5 |
€ 14.5 |
|
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
€ 0.6 |
€ 0.6 |
|
|
Invalidity Pension |
€ 6.5 |
€ 0.4 |
€ 6.9 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
€ 0.2 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.2 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.1 |
|
|
Death Benefit Pension |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.1 |
|
|
Disablement Pension |
€ 0.6 |
€ 0.6 |
|
|
Illness Benefit |
€ 5.4 |
€ 0.2 |
€ 5.6 |
|
Injury Benefit |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.1 |
|
Incapacity Supplement |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.1 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
€ 13.4 |
€ 0.6 |
€ 14.0 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed) |
€ 0.4 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.5 |
|
Carer's Benefit |
€ 0.4 |
€ 0.4 |
|
|
Maternity & Adoptive Benefit |
€ 2.6 |
€ 2.6 |
|
|
Paternity & Parent's Benefit |
€ 0.6 |
€ 0.6 |
|
|
Social Assistance Schemes |
|||
|
State Pension (Non Con) |
€ 11.9 |
€ 0.3 |
€ 12.1 |
|
Blind Person's Pension |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.1 |
|
Widow/ers or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Con) Pension |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.1 |
|
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
€ 4.1 |
€ 4.1 |
|
|
Carer's Allowance |
€ 6.0 |
€ 6.0 |
|
|
Half Rate Carer's Allowance |
€ 2.4 |
€ 2.4 |
|
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory) |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.1 |
|
|
Jobseeker's Allowance Max Rate |
€ 12.9 |
€ 1.8 |
€ 14.7 |
|
JA age 18 to 24 |
€ 0.7 |
€ 0.0 |
€ 0.8 |
|
Disability Allowance |
€ 16.0 |
€ 1.1 |
€ 17.1 |
|
Farm Assist |
€ 0.6 |
€ 0.1 |
€ 0.7 |
|
Employment Support Schemes (BTWA & BTEA) |
€ 1.7 |
€ 0.3 |
€ 1.9 |
|
Employment/Internship Schemes (CE, Tús, RSS etc.) |
€ 4.0 |
€ 0.5 |
€ 4.4 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
€ 1.4 |
€ 0.1 |
€ 1.5 |
|
TOTAL* |
€ 161.5 |
€ 12.7 |
€ 174.1 |
*Rounding may affect totals.
The costs shown above are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021, and are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
299. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2022 and in a full year of a €20 per week increase in the basic rate of disability allowance with a proportionate increase for qualified adults and no proportionate increase for qualified adults. [35683/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraDisability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test.
The estimated annual expenditure on DA for 2021 is some €1.83 billion. The estimated cost of increasing the weekly personal rate of DA by €20 would be an additional €171.1 million. This estimate includes a proportionate increase for qualified adults (QA). With no proportionate QA increase the cost would be an estimated €160 million.
My Department regularly reviews its supports and payment schemes to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives. Given the cost implications, any changes to the current payment rates would have to be considered in the overall budgetary context.
I trust that this clarifies the matter.
300. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2022 and in a full year of every €10 increase in the upper income disregard currently €350 applying to disability allowance. [35684/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraDisability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test.
DA is structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or in insurable employment. When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, a 50% taper on earnings between €140 and €350 is also applied (disregarded), for the purpose of the means test.
The ESRI SWITCH microsimulation model has been used for the purposes of the estimate requested. The additional cost of increasing the upper limit of the earnings disregard for the disability allowance from €350 in increments of €10 up to €450 respectively are set out in tabular form below.
It is important to note that SWITCH is a tax-benefit microsimulation developed by the ESRI. It provides estimates of full-year policy changes, using data from the CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions. These estimates are based on current Disability Allowance recipients. As Disability Allowance is a comparatively small scheme in terms of recipients, there may be issues around sample size when running costings. SWITCH cannot predict changes in behaviour (including increased take-up of employment). It should be noted that increased disregards may in fact increase the number of eligible recipients, and therefore, increase the overall Disability Allowance expenditure.
Table: Disability Allowance Disregard Upper Limit Increase from €350.00 to €450.00 in increments of €10.00
|
Base value |
New value |
Increase |
Total Estimated additional Expenditure (€m per year) per incremental step |
|
€350 |
€360 |
+ €10 |
€0.53 |
|
€360 |
€370 |
+ €10 |
€0.53 |
|
€370 |
€380 |
+ €10 |
€0.42 |
|
€380 |
€390 |
+ €10 |
€0.41 |
|
€390 |
€400 |
+ €10 |
€0.41 |
|
€400 |
€410 |
+ €10 |
€0.37 |
|
€410 |
€420 |
+ €10 |
€0.32 |
|
€420 |
€430 |
+ €10 |
€0.02 |
|
€430 |
€440 |
+ €10 |
€0.00 |
|
€440 |
€450 |
+ €10 |
€0.00 |
301. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the approximate number of job coaches in whole-time equivalent terms currently funded through EmployAbility; the way in which the number has changed in recent years; and the full year cost of every ten additional job coaches. [35685/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EmployAbility Service is an important service which is delivered by individual contractors on behalf of my Department. Contracts for service have been entered into with 24 organisations around the state, currently servicing approximately 3000 clients. The EmployAbility Service contracts describe the employment service to be delivered and the funding available to an organisation for the full delivery of that service.
Each contract for service is a stand-alone agreement and is subject to negotiation with the service provider. The budget allocation to an individual service provider may be subject to an increase or decrease based on the requirements for the coming year. As with any 'contract for service', the terms and conditions of staff, including remuneration, are a matter for the contracting organisation that employs them.
The combined staffing cost for these services contracted by my Department in 2021 is €7.8m which is an increase from €7.7m contracted in 2020 and 2019.
In 2019, the number of EmployAbility Job Coaches across the service were 122(FTE), this was approximately 115 (FTE) in 2020, and in 2021 YTD, the number of Job Coaches across the service is approximately 116 (FTE). The numbers are an averaging across each year as numbers may fluctuate across the duration of the contract due to contractors employees leaving and joining the service.
302. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2022 and in a full year of restoring the subsidy under the wage subsidy scheme for persons with disabilities to 55%, 60% and 65% of the national minimum wage. [35686/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Wage Subsidy Scheme is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market. The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for between 21 and 39 subsidised hours per week under a contract of employment. The basic rate of subsidy is €5.30 per hour giving a total annual subsidy available of €10,748 per annum based on a 39 hour week. The subsidy rate is not linked to the statutory minimum wage - it is a contribution paid to the employer, subject to certain conditions, against the cost incurred where a productivity shortfall arises from a disability.
The financial supports for employers are structured under three separate strands and companies could benefit under one strand or under two or three strands simultaneously depending on the number of people with a disability employed, as below:
Strand I is a general subsidy for any perceived productivity shortfall in excess of 20% for a person with a disability, in comparison to a colleague without a disability. The subsidy is based on the number of hours worked.
Strand II subsidy is payable when an employer employs three or more people with disabilities who are supported by a Wage Subsidy Scheme Strand I payment. Strand II is intended to cover the additional supervisory, management and other work-based costs relating to such employees. This top-up payment is a percentage of the Strand I subsidy and is based on the overall number of employees with a disability employed under Strand I. It ranges from an additional 10% of wage subsidy for 3 to 6 employees with a disability to a maximum of 50% of wage subsidy for 23+ employees with a disability. Therefore, when an employer has 23 or more Wage Subsidy Scheme employees a 50% top-up is applied to the hourly rate increasing the payment rate to €7.95 per hour for each employee.
|
Nos. |
% |
|
3 to 6 employees with a disability |
10% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
|
7 to 11 employees with a disability |
20% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
|
12 to 16 employees with a disability |
30% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
|
17 to 22 employees with a disability |
40% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
|
23 + employees with a disability |
50% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
Strand III subsidy enables employers who employ 25 or more workers with a disability on the Wage Subsidy Scheme to be eligible for a grant of up to €30,000 per year towards the expense of employing an Employment Assistance Officer to support these employees.
The total cost in a full year to set the rate of the Wage Subsidy at 55%, 60% and 65% of the national minimum wage are set out in tabular form below.
The figures below are based on the following:
- The current number of 1,602 private sector employers availing of the subsidy in respect of some 2,539 participant employees. The Wage Subsidy Scheme is a demand-led scheme so the figures below take no account of behavioural impact e.g. where a new employer might apply for the subsidy on account of an increased rate of subsidy.
- The subsidy is available from between 21 and 39 hours per week and therefore employees hours vary. The costs provided are based on employees' current average hours across the subsidised range of 21-39.
- The costs include Strand II and Strand III associated increases.
|
% of National Minimum Wage (NMW) |
Rate in € |
Full Year Cost |
|
55 % of NMW |
€5.61 |
€24,476,423 |
|
60% of NMW |
€6.12 |
€26,671,552 |
|
65% of NMW |
€6.63 |
€28,866,682 |
I trust the above clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
303. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which she plans to meet the commitment in the Programme for Government to expand the Ability Programme; the funding set aside in 2020 and 2021 for this programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35687/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to fine-tune and expand targeted employment schemes, such as the Ability Programme, to help more people with disabilities stay in the workforce.
The Ability Programme was introduced in June 2018 for a three-year period and is a pre-activation programme for young people with disabilities. The funding for the Programme will amount to around €16 million over the three-year period and is being co-funded by the EU and the Irish Exchequer under the EU's ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) Operational Programme 2014-2020.
The aim of the Ability Programme is to help bring young people with disabilities who are not work-ready closer to the labour market through engagement in training and personal development activities, to be followed by an incremental exposure to work. The Programme is being delivered by 27 community and voluntary groups from around the country, selected on foot of a competitive process.
The projects being funded have been designed to assist young people in their transition from school to further education and employment. In total, the Programme is supporting over 2,600 young people with disabilities aged between 15 and 29 years of age. Pobal has been contracted by the Department to manage the Programme.
The outturn in 2020 was €4.5m and the estimate for 2021 is approximately €1.76m. The Programme concluded at the end of June. However, funding for the programme has been extended by two months to the end of August 2021. This additional period will allow organisations extra time to appropriately transition current arrangements and support participants progression appropriately.
In conjunction with the Ability Providers Subgroup, the following transition arrangements have been made:-
- Options for progression pathways have been offered for Ability participants who are work-ready (and the projects themselves), to existing schemes run under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection, such as Community Employment and Local Employment Services.
- On 16 April I announced a Call for Applications under the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2021 to support initiatives under the heading of "Measures to Support Employment, Education and Training Outcomes for People with a Disability”. Up to €5 million will be available under the measure. Pobal is managing the process on behalf of the Department. The delivery period for the successful applicants will be from 1st September 2021 to 31st December 2022.
Before any successor programme to Ability can be decided on, there are a number of factors that need to be satisfactorily considered to inform the need for, and design of, any follow-on programme. These include:
- the outcomes of the current programme, including effectiveness of the programme in achieving objectives,
- the findings of the ongoing evaluation of the programme and the recommendations arising from this. It is critical that the evaluation of the Ability Programme informs the design of new programmes
- how a subsequent programme would fit within the suite of existing employment supports targeted at people with disabilities provided by the Department of Social Protection and broader national strategies for employment of people with disabilities, including the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities,
- possible co-funding availability.
It is expected that the learnings and good practice will feed into the design of a new programme under ESF+ and that such a programme will be in place by January 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
304. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding currently devoted to training for employers in relation to diversity and disability awareness. [35688/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disability Awareness Support Scheme (DASS) provides a contribution towards the cost of disability awareness training for private sector employers. The training to be delivered must, for example, provide clear and accurate information about disability, address questions that employers/employees may have, and cover anti-discrimination/equal opportunities legislation.
It is important to note that the amount of funding grants provided under the DASS is demand-led – i.e. the funding / number of grants provided is in response to the number of applications received.
The value of the grants available is as set out below:
|
First year a company applies |
90% of eligible training costs up to a maximum of €20,000 |
|
Second and subsequent years a company applies |
80% of eligible training costs up to a maximum of €20,000 |
