Written Answers Nos. 369-380
369. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to increasing the level of pay that community employment supervisors receive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56148/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra370. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to giving increases in pay to community employment supervisors similar to that which was received by those working in the public service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56149/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra371. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that community employment supervisors did not receive increases to their pay recently that those in the public service did, even though they are paid by the Department of Social Protection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56150/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 369 to 371, inclusive, together.
We are all very conscious of the important role that Community Employment (CE) and other programmes play in our communities. In addition to providing valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment for people who are unemployed, schemes such as CE also provide important and, in many cases essential, services to their local communities.
The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsoring authorities who are the legal employers of CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors. The Department is the funder of schemes; CE sponsoring authorities receive state funding to cover the cost of remuneration, training and material costs from the department. Therefore, any pay increases could increase the cost to the state of running CE schemes.
The Department of Social Protection, as the funder of CE schemes, has received correspondence from Fórsa and SIPTU seeking a pay increase for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. However, any increase in pay rates that would potentially increase the overall cost to the state of funding schemes, or state funded activities in the wider community and voluntary sector, must take into consideration the potential cost to the exchequer. Given these budgetary implications, this correspondence has been forwarded to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for their consideration.
The Department will continue to follow-up on this issue with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and will also continue discussions with the Trade Unions concerned.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
372. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider raising the number of hours that a carer in receipt of carer's allowance can work from 18.5 hours to 20 hours to recognise the valuable role family carers play in keeping people safe and well in their own homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56153/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.
My department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.
The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to carers in the community. Carer’s Allowance is a means tested social assistance payment awarded to those carers who are caring for certain people who require full-time care and attention. The means test is used to target the support to those most in need.
The primary objective of the payment is to provide an income support to carers whose earning capacity is substantially reduced as a consequence of their caring responsibilities and in so doing to support the ongoing care of the person in respect of whom care is being provided.
A primary qualifying condition for the Carer’s Allowance payment is that the applicant provides full-time care and attention to a person in need of such care. The person being cared for must be so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention and be likely to require this full-time care and attention for at least 12 months.
The minimum hours condition for which a carer can be regarded as providing full-time care and attention is set out in legislation. A carer will be regarded as providing full-time care and attention to a relevant person, where the number of hours providing such care is not less than 35 hours in a period of 7 consecutive days, and care is provided on any 5 days, whether consecutive or not, within a period of 7 consecutive days.
However, in order to support a carer’s continued attachment to the workforce and to support broader social inclusion, carers may engage in some limited employment, education or training, while still being regarded as being in a position to provide full-time care and continue to receive their full payment. During this time of employment, education or training, adequate provision must be made for the care of the relevant person.
There have been a number of significant improvements to the Carer’s Allowance scheme regarding the relaxation of the full-time care and attention requirement so as to enable carers to engage in education, training or work.
From August 1999, the full-time care and attention requirements were relaxed to introduce some flexibility and allow carers to work for up to 10 hours per week. As of June 2006, this was increased from 10 to 15 hours per week. In Budget 2020, this was further increased from 15 to 18.5 hours per week. This measure was prioritised in response to carers who had stated that they found the previous number of 15 hours to be too restrictive.
Both the full-time care and attention requirement and the 18.5-hour limitation are contained in the respective legislative provisions of the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Carer’s Support Grant schemes.
I consider the limit of 18.5 hours to represent a reasonable balance between meeting the care recipient's requirement for full-time care and the carer's need to maintain contact with the workforce. Any proposals for further changes to this condition would need to maintain this balance and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
373. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on an application for SWA considering that the claim was received by her Department on 24 August 2022 (details supplied) and the delay that has caused undue financial hardship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56158/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) is a weekly means assessed allowance paid to people who do not have enough income to meet their needs and those of their families.
According to the records of my Department, an application for a basic SWA was received from the person concerned on 24/08/2022. Requests for further information in support of the person’s application issued on 31/08/2022 and 04/10/2022. My officials advise there is no evidence of that bank account in my Department’s records and details were sought in error.
Following your representation, the person’s application has been reviewed and a revised decision issued to the person in writing on 11/11/2022. On the basis of all information provided, the person’s claim was disallowed as he was found to have means in excess of the prescribed limit of €464 per week for his family composition. The person’s means were assessed at €691.70 from 24/08/2022 and €558.78 from 05/09/2022 which were derived from Social Welfare Parent's Benefit, insurable employment income and savings.
If the person concerned is not satisfied with the decision, he may send in any facts or evidence to the Department. An official will review the decision. The person can also appeal to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
If the person’s circumstances change, he can reapply for assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
374. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56170/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAccording to the records of my Department, the person concerned applied for an Exceptional Needs Payment for three months’ rent arrears in September 2022. As the matter of these rent arrears is being brought before the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), the Department cannot progress the claim at this time. When the outcome of the RTB case is provided to my Department, it will be possible to make a prompt decision on the person’s application.
Following your representation, the person’s Rent Supplement claim was reviewed. Due to a change in the person's circumstances her Rent Supplement has been increased from €80.50 to €258.45 per week with effect from 26/09/2022. Arrears of €1,245.65 due for the period 26/09/2022 to 12/11/2022 will be paid to the person’s nominated bank account on 15/11/2022 together with her revised weekly payment of €258.45.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
375. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the qualifying payments required currently for fuel allowance will remain when the new income criteria are implemented in January 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56210/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.
In Budget 2023, I announced that, from January 2023, a new means threshold will be introduced for people aged 70 years and over. The new means threshold will be €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple.
This measure seeks to ensure that older people not currently in receipt of Fuel Allowance but who are marginally outside the thresholds will now be covered by the scheme. This reform is being introduced because older people can often be more vulnerable to the effects of energy poverty.
Those aged over 70 will no longer be required to be in receipt of a qualifying Social Welfare payment but will still have to satisfy all other relevant qualifying criteria.
There has been no change to the qualifying payment requirement for those aged under 70 and an applicant aged under 70 will still be required to be in receipt of a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance purposes.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
376. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the review of a carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56274/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer’s benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention.
A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses for a maximum of 18.5 hours per week and the maximum weekly income from this employment is €350.00, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding officer that adequate care has been provided for the care recipient in their absence.
CARB was awarded to the person concerned for the period 3 Feb 2022 to 21 Sept 2022.
The person concerned made a further application with current medical information on 10 Oct 2022 to extend the period of benefit. The required medical has now been approved, but the additional information that was requested from the person concerned on 1 November 2022 regarding their new employment is still outstanding.
Once the information is received, the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
377. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is eligible for dental treatment under the treatment benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56281/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependant spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions.
The person concerned is entitled to dental benefit under the Department's PRSI scheme and is qualified for life.
The scheme provides for a free annual dental examination and an annual scale and polish treatment, subject to a maximum co-payment by the customer of €15 for a standard cleaning.
According to the Department’s records, the person concerned received a free dental examination under the treatment benefit scheme in March 2022.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
378. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a decision has not been reached to date on an exceptional needs payment for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo, in view of the fact this application is with her Department since September 2022 and the person involved is in urgent need of assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56305/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned applied for an Exceptional Needs Payment on 14/09/2022. Further information in support of the person’s application was requested on 05/11/2022. When this information has been received by my Department the person’s application will be processed promptly, and they will be advised of the outcome in writing. The delay in requesting additional information from the person in this case is regretted.
I would emphasise to the Deputy that when the Community Welfare Service becomes aware that a customer has an urgent or immediate need, every effort is made to ensure that the person receives a prompt service. Where possible, this is a same-day service.
Where an application is complete and accompanied by the required documentation, it is generally processed in a matter of days. Delays can arise where a person makes an application without all of the necessary supporting documentation. It is important that anyone applying for Supplementary Welfare Allowance should provide as much information as possible when sending in their application. This will enable a decision to be made more quickly for them.
The delivery of crucial community welfare services to meet the challenges and the needs of citizens across the country is a priority for the Government and for the Department of Social Protection.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
379. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing times for working family payment applications in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56316/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment for employees with children which supports people in low paid employment. The WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take up employment. Once awarded WFP is payable for 52 weeks. At the end of the 52-week period a customer must reapply (renew) to determine ongoing eligibility.
The number of new applications for the Working Family Payment to date this year is 71% higher than in 2021.
The average processing time for new Working Family Payment applications is currently 4 weeks. Please see below table of new claims processing times from 2020 to date as requested.
Working Family Payment New Claims Processing Information
Year New Claims Received Average Processing Time
2020 17,043 2 Weeks
2021 22,623 2 Weeks
2022 26,508 (up to end of Sep 22) 4 Weeks
Separately, WFP Renewal customers are invited to reapply in advance of the renewal date giving applicants an opportunity to apply and source relevant information. Where all information has been provided in time, the claim is processed prior to the expiry of the current claim ensuring a continuity of payment. Claims are processed on the basis of renewal date to ensure no break in payment.
The easiest and fastest ways for customers to make an application for Working Family Payment is online via mywelfare.ie
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
380. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) has to repay a pension payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56326/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraState pension payments are paid on Friday of each week, on a 'week-in-advance' basis, with pension entitlement covering the period from the due payment date (Friday) to the following Thursday.
My Department makes every effort to prevent over-issue of pension payments, but this is sometimes not possible where the death of a pension recipient occurs in the days immediately prior to their next scheduled payment day. Where pension payment has issued (either for collection at the person's Post Office or by direct transfer to their financial institution account), entitlement to pension will already have ceased as the person concerned will have been paid, in advance, for the week of their passing, on the previous Friday.
In the case of the person concerned, the undue payment which had issued to the person's Post Office was subsequently collected. In these circumstances, the standard procedure is that the Department writes to the personal representative of the deceased to request a refund of the pension payment.
All overpayments, including posthumous pension over-issues, are regarded as a debt to the State and as such every effort must be made to have them repaid. However, in seeking recovery, consideration is given to personal circumstances. If a person has difficulty in making the repayment and contacts my Department, it will be possible to facilitate repayment by instalments. The Department will assist similarly in this case, if required.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
