Written Answers Nos. 1040-1056
1040. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the assistance that is given to schools to operate the hot meals programmes given that no school in Ballymun, Dublin 11 has applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1785/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 children. The objective of the programme 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.
A budget of €65.1 million was provided for the scheme in 2021.
Participation in the scheme is entirely voluntary with the onus being on the individual eligible schools to make an application and to administer the programme in accordance to the guidelines. Funding is strictly for food items only, which must be of suitable nutritional quality.
As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no onsite cooking facilities.
Budget 2021 provided an additional €5.5m to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option. Invitations for expressions of interest were issued to 705 primary schools (612 DEIS and 93 non-DEIS) in November 2020. Some 28 schools in the Dublin 9 and Dublin 11 areas were invited to submit an expression of interest. There were no expressions of interest received from the schools in Ballymun.
A total of 281 (256 DEIS and 25 non-DEIS) expressions of interest were received in respect of 52,148 children.
The 35,000 places were allocated to each local authority area based on the number of children applied by local authority as a percentage of the total number. A minimum of one school for each Local Authority area was selected. Thereafter, a process of random selection was used for each area.
Budget 2022 is providing for the hot school meals to be extended from January 2022 to the 81 DEIS schools that submitted an expression of interest but were not selected in the extension to 35,000 children as referred to earlier.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1041. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a schedule of all client and or customer-facing and or orientated services that her Department provide via a contracted service provider; the contractor that provides the service; and the cost of same for the past five years to date in 2022. [1807/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy has clarified that the “customer facing/orientated services” referred to in the question relates to those involving direct “face-to-face” interactions with the customer in relation to the provision of my Department’s services. My officials have identified three main areas which meet this criterion: externally contracted employment services, payment services, and translation and interpretation services.
1. Externally Contracted Employment Services
The Department contracts external employment services through four programmes: JobPath, Local Employment Services (LES), EmployAbility and Job Clubs. Externally contracted provision supports the Department with additional capacity and access to specialised skills to meet the requirements of jobseekers. My Department has committed in a number of policy documents (e.g. Make Work Pay for People with Disabilities, Roadmap for Social Inclusion, and Pathways to Work) to extend employment support services to a wider range of cohorts including people with disabilities, lone parents and qualified adults. It is important that the Department maintains sufficient jobseeker support capacity to meet current and future needs in order to be able to provide a high-quality service to these customers and respond effectively and quickly to rises in unemployment.
The table below shows the expenditure on these services for the relevant period. The Deputy will be aware that payments to individual contractors is commercially sensitive information and to publish would place the State at a disadvantage both in terms of the contracts currently in place and in any future procurement that may be undertaken. Therefore, the expenditure on each programme per year has been provided:
*Year-to-date November 2021. No expenditure yet recorded for 2022.
2. Payment Services
My Department’s payment services are provided by Danske Bank and An Post. Cash payments collected in post offices entail direct customer ‘face-to-face’ transactions. An Post have been paid the following annual agency fees for the provision of these cash services:
|
Year |
An Post Agency Fee |
|
2017 |
€51.6m |
|
2018 |
€50.8m |
|
2019 |
€49.8m |
|
2020 |
€48m |
|
2021 |
€49.5m |
3. Interpretation & Translation Services
My Department provides face-to-face services with Irish Sign Language interpreters and other languages as necessary. Over the period in question, contracts were issued to the following providers for services:
- Unique Voice Translation & Interpreting
- Accord Translations
- Word Perfect Translation Services Ltd
- SLIS
- Bridge Interpretation
Details of annual expenditure on services is set out in the table below Please note that these figures will include some non face-to-face translation, e.g., translation of some of the Department's forms into Polish and other languages used by our customers:
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Translation & Interpretating services |
€71.2m |
€96.4m |
€68.2m |
€38.3m |
|
Irish Sign Language Interpreting Services |
€5.9m |
€12.0m |
€14.9m |
€6.7m |
*Note: From March 2020 and throughout 2021, limited face-to-face language interpretation took place due to restrictions because of the Covid-19 public health crisis. My Department provided phone and video interpretation services in their place during this time.
Finally, my Department operates an extensive network of Social Welfare Branch Offices which utilise contracts for the management and operation of the office. However, Branch Offices are fully integrated with the Department’s systems and work processes and are effectively presented as an office of the Department, distinguished only by the employment status of the Branch Manager. On that basis, Branch Offices are not directly comparable with service providers who operate at arm’s length from the Department and who clearly adopt a separate public identity.
The following correction was received on 16 March 2022.
3. Interpretation & Translation Services
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
Translation & Interpretating services |
€71,160 |
€96,415 |
€68,217 |
€38,334 |
* |
* |
|
Irish Sign Language Interpreting Services |
€5,932 |
€12,027 |
€14,948 |
€6,746 |
* |
* |
1042. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection her views in relation to returning to signing on at post offices and if this would increase the risk for recipients and post office staff of contracting the omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus (details supplied). [1814/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince March 2020, my Department has taken all necessary measures, in line with the advice of the Department of Health, HSE and Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), to respond to the significant challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.
These included introducing fortnightly instead of weekly payments in 2020 to help facilitate social distancing requirements, as well as giving customers the option to request payment directly into a bank account by electronic fund transfer (EFT). In addition, the time period in which cash payments had to be collected at post offices was considerably extended.
The fortnightly payment pattern was discontinued in October 2020 due to the difficulties presented to our customers, including our most vulnerable, in trying to manage money on a fortnightly basis. However, the other measures remain in place.
It is worth noting that since the onset of the pandemic, there has been improved public knowledge of socially distancing requirements and the need to wear face masks. All post offices have been equipped with fixed sanitiser units so that customers can sanitise their hands. Post offices also have clearly marked signs to assist with social distancing and staff operate behind transparent screens.
Retail has reopened nationally and is operating safely. The post office network has remained open throughout the pandemic and has processed approximately 45 million social welfare payments over the last 2 years.
My officials and I continue to review the Department’s payment policy in light of the ongoing health situation.
1043. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the dedicated TD helpline has been suspended in the illness benefit section; if this can be reinstated as a matter of urgency for TDs and constituency offices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1815/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a dedicated mailbox for each of the main schemes whereby TDs can raise specific queries for their constituents directly with the relevant scheme area. These mailboxes are monitored every day and operate effectively.
With the onset of COVID-19, the imposition of social distancing meant that my Department had to reduce the number of staff working from within the traditional office environment. Large numbers of scheme administration staff are now successfully working from home. My Department has been able to redirect work to them electronically and overall productivity has been maintained at pre-COVID levels.
However, with the significant reduction in staff “onsite” the provision of some telephone services had to be reviewed. While the main Customer Call Centres were maintained, the operation of the scheme level TD Enquiry lines was suspended. This is being kept under ongoing review and as and when social distancing measures are eased and more staff can work safely in the Department's offices, I hope to be in a position to reintroduce these enquiry lines.
Some areas of my Department may be in a position to reintroduce the TD enquiry line sooner than others and as they are reintroduced details will be made available to Deputies. Currently, the Illness Benefit TD line remains suspended.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1044. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the matters that were identified for improvement from phase 1 of the tender process for regional employment services which have been incorporated as part of phase 2 of the tender for local area employment services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1817/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is procuring a new Local Area Employment Service over two distinct phases.
Phase one of the process for procuring new employment services involved seven counties in the Midlands and North West currently without a Local Employment Service. Contracts were signed last month and the new services are currently being mobilised.
Phase two of the process has now commenced, with the publication on 21 December last of a request for tender for seventeen lots covering 19 counties. Services for this phase will begin in July 2022.
My Department carried out an analysis of the learning's from the Phase 1 procurement process itself and feedback from the sector. The Phase 2 RFT differs from the Phased 1 RFT in relation to minimum referral numbers, referral contract values and addressing issues such as up-front advances to assist cash flow for potential tenderers.
The Deputy will be aware from her role as a Board Member of an interested party and her attendance at information sessions for prospective tenderers on 9th November last and more recently on 11th January that there are also significant changes to Lot boundaries and sizes to those recommended by the external consultants engaged by the Department.
Other elements of the Phase 2 RFT have also been revised and improved to ensure the employment service reflect best practices and is best positioned to attract quality tenders that can provide the services needed for those furthest from the labour market.
1045. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carer’s allowance applications refused in the past year; the number of applications made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1829/22]
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.
For the period from Jan 2021 to Dec 2021, 19,648 Carer's Allowance claims were
received. During this period 24,354 decisions were made, of which 9,134 were refused.
It should be noted that more than one decision may be made where a customer provides further information and/or seeks a review/appeal of a decision. It is important that anyone applying for carer's should provide as much information as possible when initially submitting their claim.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1046. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of rent supplement claims at the end of 2021, by local authority area; and the cost of the scheme to the Exchequer in 2021, in tabular form. [1877/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraRent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme supporting 13,401 active recipients at the end of December 2021.
Since the introduction of HAP, rent supplement continues to revert to its original role of providing short-term support to those who have become temporarily unemployed and require income support to meet their tenancy cost whilst they seek alternative employment.
Rent supplement claims and expenditure by local authority are not maintained; however, tabular statements providing recipients by county breakdown and provisional expenditure details are provided as at end December 2021.
Tabular Statement 1 – Rent Supplement recipients by county at year end 2021
|
COUNTY |
RECIPIENTS |
|
CARLOW |
149 |
|
CAVAN |
149 |
|
CLARE |
61 |
|
CORK |
1,858 |
|
DONEGAL |
71 |
|
DUBLIN |
6,973 |
|
GALWAY |
537 |
|
KERRY |
442 |
|
KILDARE |
630 |
|
KILKENNY |
66 |
|
LAOIS |
53 |
|
LEITRIM |
36 |
|
LIMERICK |
283 |
|
LONGFORD |
44 |
|
LOUTH |
108 |
|
MAYO |
180 |
|
MEATH |
172 |
|
MONAGHAN |
106 |
|
OFFALY |
61 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
86 |
|
SLIGO |
88 |
|
TIPPERARY |
122 |
|
WATERFORD |
60 |
|
WESTMEATH |
274 |
|
WEXFORD |
280 |
|
WICKLOW |
512 |
|
Grand Total |
13,401 |
Tabular Statement 2 – Rent Supplement Provisional Expenditure for 2021
|
Year |
Provisional Expenditure |
|
2021 |
€123m |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1047. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if there have been changes to the way a person registers the death of a family member such as changes in an extension of the three month deadline or changes with walk-in offices if there must be an appointment during Covid-19 restrictions. [1916/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe requirements for registration of a death are set out in Part 5 of the Civil Registration Act 2004, as amended. This Part sets out that it is the duty of a qualified informant to attend before any registrar to register a death within 3 months of the date of a person's death.
There have been no changes to this requirement. For the period that Civil Registration Offices were closed during 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19, registration of a death could be completed without the need for attendance by the qualified informant. Civil Registration Offices re-opened from 1st October 2021.
The HSE are responsible for the day-to-day delivery of Civil Registration Services and they have advised that a mixture of walk-in and appointment-based services are in operation at the 60 Civil Registration Offices located across the country.
I can advise the Deputy that a death can be registered at any Civil Registration Office. No penalties arise where a qualified informant is unable to comply with their duty to register a death within 3 months where there are reasonable grounds for non-compliance. This includes circumstances where there is no appointment available within 3 months.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
1048. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if the text in a document (details supplied) released under data protection legislation by a company also forms a part of the text of the document as identified by the business information security unit in an email and held on file by her Department. [1919/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to confirm that the document referred to, forms a part of the text of the document held in the Department. This was previously confirmed by the Department's Business Information Security Unit on 17 April, 2015 under Section 3 of the Data Protection Act, 1988.
1049. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a community employment placement will be extended in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1973/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity Employment (CE) Schemes are active labour market programmes providing eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary fixed term basis. Participation limits on these schemes are necessary to allow for the maximum availability of places for qualifying persons and to assist participants progress to employment in the open labour market on completion of the programme. In normal times, for persons up to a certain age, participation limits on CE range from one, three or six years depending on the age, training undertaken and circumstances of participants on CE.
During the COVID pandemic the Minister for Social Protection and I extended CE participants contracts beyond these normal time limits, on a number of occasions. These contract extensions which are in place since October 2020, supported CE schemes at various stages of the pandemic so that they could maintain important community services. These contract extensions also ensured that participants had sufficient time to fully avail of the work experience and training opportunities affected by public health restrictions. The latest contract extensions are due to start to come to an end in February 2022 and will be phased out in a co-ordinated manner over the following twelve months.
In light of the ongoing challenges faced by CE schemes and their participants, Minister Humphreys and I announced further changes to rules governing CE schemes just before the end of 2021. We reduced the age at which persons can stay on CE until they reach retirement age from 62 to 60 years of age. The upper limit on the percentage of persons that can benefit from this exemption has also been removed. Furthermore, to assist with the transition from COVID emergency supports over the next period, participants, including those with extended contracts, may not be required to leave CE, where a suitable replacement has not yet been referred to the scheme. This transitionary provision will support schemes to retain services, with the higher-than-normal turnover of participants in 2022.
At the same time, we need to retain the core CE objective as an active labour market measure for the benefit of the long term unemployed and continue to ensure that places are available for the newer cohort of long term unemployed to assist them re-enter the labour market. Therefore, time limits on participation will be retained for the majority of CE participants.
While I do not wish to comment on an individual case, the above additional flexibilities recently introduced to CE may provide some options that could be explored by the CE scheme in consultation with the local Departmental official in the case referred to by the Deputy. The Department's activation service is also available to work with CE participants nearing the end of their time on CE, to ensure that the benefits and experience received during CE are maximised. This process will help identify potential employment opportunities and offer support participants overcoming any barriers to employment.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1050. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress she has made to date with her counterparts at European Union level regarding the extending and or harmonisation of the free travel pass that this State issues for use in other member States; if she has costed same; and if so, if she will provide estimates of same. [1985/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately 1,022,000 customers with direct eligibility through receipt of a qualifying social protection scheme. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2021 was €95 million.
The Department is not engaged in or aware of any discussions at European Union level regarding the extending and/or harmonisation of the free travel scheme to allow the pass to be used in other Member States at this time.
The primary objective of the free travel scheme is to encourage older people and people with disabilities to remain independent and active within the community, thereby reducing the need for institutional care and to encourage social mobility. Extending the use of the pass outside of the island of Ireland would be a fundamental change to these objectives. Given that travel concessions granted by EU Member States vary considerably, any such scheme would also be difficult to administer and might prove to be extremely costly.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1051. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the rate of increase for persons participating in the part-time job incentive scheme with regard to the €5 rate increases announced across many social welfare schemes in Budget 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2037/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Part-Time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJI) is a scheme which allows long-term Jobseeker's Allowance recipients to take up part-time employment for up to 24 hours per week, and receive a special weekly income supplement. Recipients must be genuinely seeking work and available for full-time work while availing of the PTJI.
As the PTJI is an income supplement for jobseekers in part-time employment the rate increase in 2022 is a proportion of €5. As such, from January 2022, the rate of payment increased by €3.20, from €128.60 to €131.80.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1052. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to protect the not-for-profit local employment services sector, in addition to a related matter raised during the Dáil Éireann debate on the matter on 30 November 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2181/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is procuring a new Local Area Employment Service over two distinct phases.
Phase one of the process for procuring new employment services involved seven counties in the Midlands and North West currently without a Local Employment Service, contracts were signed last month and services are in the process of being mobilised.
Phase two of the process has now commenced, with the publication on 21 December last of a request for tender for seventeen lots covering 19 counties. Services for this phase will begin in July 2022.
In a competitive procurement, it is not legally permissible for my Department to protect any potential tenderers. What I have ensured however, is that, in drafting the requests for tenders, the majority of the evaluation marks will be awarded based on the quality of the service being offered and the community linkages and social value associated with its delivery.
In addition, learnings from Phase 1 of the procurement process have been incorporated into phase 2. Specifically, enhancing the financial viability of the new contracts for the non-profit sector has been possible by increasing the number of guaranteed minimum referrals and adding detail to the scheme for upfront payments.
Two specific information sessions, last November and this January, outlined the approach of the Department to this procurement and informed prospective tenderers on how to approach the current procurement process.
1053. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the difficulty faced by persons attempting to access appointments with registration offices; if her attention has been further drawn the long waiting times for appointments; if her attention has been further drawn to the financial impact of same on many persons; and the steps she will take to ensure registrations are carried out and processed in a timely manner. [2250/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the HSE is responsible for the delivery of Civil Registration Services which includes birth registration and managing appointments for parents to attend at a civil registration office.
I am aware of the current difficulties members of the public are encountering in obtaining an appointment, particularly those parents based in the East of the country who wish to register births. The HSE have advised my Department that services have been impacted by Covid-19 restrictions and by the impact of the cyber-attack on HSE systems, particularly on the number of appointments available daily.
Following completion of a birth registration, my Department will automatically allocate a PPSN and issue an application for Child Benefit Payment or adjust the level of payment where Child Benefit is already being paid to the family. Any arrears of Child Benefit arising from delays in the birth registration are automatically calculated and paid. The Department also provides financial supports through its Community Welfare Services should parents need assistance while awaiting an appointment with the HSE.
My Department will continue to engage and work senior management in the HSE to enable full restoration of timely services.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1054. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason many persons who were on the pandemic unemployment payment and being transitioned to the jobseeker’s allowance before 7 December 2021, even though their industry had not returned to pre-pandemic levels and were then unable to return due to the 7 December 2021 restrictions meant their industry would not return, are still being pushed onto jobseeker’s allowance and not being returned to the pandemic unemployment payment given that the only reason they are not working is due the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2262/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver €9 billion has been spent on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) since its introduction in March 2020 demonstrating the Government's absolute commitment to support workers who have been impacted by the Government mandated Covid-19 public health restrictions.
The re-opening of the scheme last December was specifically designed to support those workers who lost their employment further to the introduction of the restrictions which took effect from Tuesday, 7th December.
The existing arrangements, including the transition to standard jobseekers terms, continue to apply for those already in receipt of PUP prior to that date. Self-Employed workers who are in receipt of PUP, including those prior to 7th December, can continue to earn €960 over 8 weeks and retain their PUP payment so there is flexibility to carry out limited amounts of work and retain their payment.
It is important to recognise that we are in a very different situation from the onset of the pandemic when almost the entire economy was closed and over 605,000 were in receipt of the PUP. The vast majority of businesses are open and able to operate as normal.
The current restrictions are targeted and limited in nature and in this regard, my Government colleague, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media announced a funding package of €50m to support the Live Performance Sector. In addition, the Minister for Finance also announced improved support for businesses under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS).
I trust that this clarifies the position at this time.
1055. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of existing recipients that sought a review of their rate of the pandemic unemployment payment; the number that received an increase to their rate of pandemic unemployment as a result of review following the changes to the payment whereby the scheme was reopened due to updated public health guidelines; if she will provide this data broken down by week from December 2021 to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2326/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid. Initially, payment was made at a weekly rate of €350.
From 26 June 2020, the rate at which the PUP is paid was linked to the amount that individuals previously earned and made it more targeted and fairer. In determining the rate payable, the objective was to ensure that recent earnings were taken into account, with data supplied by the Revenue Commissioners used for this purpose. This is consistent with the approach underpinning short-term income support schemes such as Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance. From 14 September 2021, the rate of payment is being aligned with the standard rate of Jobseeker’s Benefit as part of the transition of persons in receipt of PUP to standard jobseeker terms.
To date, over 870,000 people have received payment under the scheme at a cost of €9 billion and over 28 million payments have issued.
The scheme closed to new entrants in July 2021. However, the Government has decided to reopen the scheme, for a limited period to support people who lose employment arising from the new public health restrictions introduced from 7 December 2021. Over 31,000 individuals have benefitted from this decision.
When the scheme re-opened to new entrants it did so on the basis of the rates structure which was in place on 7 September 2021, along with the addition of a new rate of €150 for individuals who previously earned less than €151.50. In addition, the reference periods on which previous earnings were calculated were expanded to include all employee earnings in 2020 and 2021 and all self-employment earnings in 2020. No person will be worse off as a result of these changes.
The necessary IT development work to implement the changes to the reference periods for previous earnings is underway and will be implemented in the coming weeks, at which time all new claims from 7 December 2021 will be reviewed to see if an adjustment to the current rate is required. There is no need for individuals to contact the Department in respect of this issue and any changes will be implemented automatically.
To date approximately 400 people have sought a review of their rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment since the scheme re-opened on 7 December 2021; of these, 29 cases have resulted in an increase in the rate payable, and there are 5 cases on hands.
I trust that this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
1056. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 458 of 14 December 2021, the overall number of applications to the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit scheme; the number of successful applications to the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit scheme; the average waiting time from application to approval for Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit; if she will provide this data for November and December 2021 and to date in 2022 by week and in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2327/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCOVID Illness Benefit (Enhanced Illness Benefit) is a scheme that was introduced in March 2020, to support people who are incapable of work or who are required to self-isolate, as a result of a COVID diagnosis or being a probable source of infection. To date a total of 365,376 COVID Illness Benefit related claims have been processed of which 340,005 have received a payment.
The majority of the standard Illness Benefit claims are automatically processed once medical evidence has been received from the customer, where an application is received and an e-Cert is submitted by a GP.
Over the past four weeks an average of some 31,300 COVID Illness Benefit applications have been received weekly with some 54,800 received in the first week of January. This compares to some 8,000 weekly applications in December. The medical evidence provided for the majority of these claims is a text from the HSE advising the person to self-isolate or that they have a COVID diagnosis. From 03 January 2022, confirmation of an order for antigen tests from the HSE or a PCR test booking is also accepted as medical evidence.
As advised previously it is not possible to differentiate between Illness Benefit and Enhanced Illness Benefit in claim processing statistics. Processing statistics for Illness Benefit, which includes Enhanced Illness Benefit, for November saw some 73.58% of claims awarded within a week with 68.28% of claims awarded within a week in December 2021.
While my Department has made changes to increase automation within the Enhanced Illness Benefit process which has helped improve processing times, many claims still require manual intervention. Additional staff from around the Department have also been redirected to assist with the processing of the increased volume of Enhanced Illness Benefit claims. The high volumes have resulted in some delays where manual intervention is still required and the Department is working to clear all claims as quickly as possible.
See table below. This refers to the total customers in receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit for each week since 1st November.
|
Week |
Enhanced Illness Benefit recipients |
|
01/11/2021 to 07/11/2022 |
3,820 |
|
08/11/2021 to 14/11/2021 |
4,720 |
|
15/11/2021 to 21/11/2021 |
5,979 |
|
22/11/2021 to 27/11/2021 |
6,877 |
|
29/11/2021 to 05/12/2021 |
7,959 |
|
06/12/2021 to 12/12/2021 |
8,343 |
|
13/12/2021 to 19/12/2021 |
10,710 |
|
20/12/2021 to 26/12/2021 |
17,937 |
|
27/12/2021 to 02/01/2022 |
7,580 |
|
03/01/2022 to 09/01/2022 |
30,934 |
|
10/01/2022 to 14/01/2022 |
84,885 |
