Written Answers Nos. 401-418
401. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an exceptional needs payment for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61838/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to the Deputy’s Dáil Questions Nos. 243 and 260, the person concerned applied for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) for house repairs. In order to complete the assessment of the application, the local Community Welfare Officer requested additional information from the person on 26/10/2022.
As this information has not yet been received in my Department, the person's ENP application cannot be progressed. When all the necessary information is received, the person’s application will be processed promptly, and he will be advised of the outcome in writing.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
402. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility for the fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61839/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April.
The person concerned was awarded the Fuel Allowance from 6 January 2023. The person concerned was notified in writing on 06 December 2022.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
403. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of a fuel allowance application of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61842/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned applied for Fuel Allowance, which was awarded with effect from 4 November 2022. The person was notified in writing of this decision on 2 November 2022 and received their first payment on 11 November 2022, which included arrears from 4 November 2022.
As part of the overall social welfare Budget 2023 package of €2.2 billion, I announced an additional cost of living payment of €400 for qualified Fuel Allowance recipients. This additional cost-of-living payment was payable to Fuel Allowance recipients for week commencing 14 November 2022. As the person concerned qualified for Fuel Allowance from 4 November 2022, they also received this additional cost-of-living payment of €400.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
404. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of domiciliary care allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61843/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires ongoing continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of that normally required by children of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months.
An application for DCA in respect of their child was received from the person concerned on 21 November 2022.
DCA applications are processed in date of receipt order and are currently taking 6-8 weeks to process from date of receipt.
Their application is currently awaiting the opinion of a Departmental medical assessor.
A deciding officer will make a decision in due course and the person concerned will be notified in writing of the decision details.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
405. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in liaising with her counterpart in Hungary with a view to assessing contributions for the purpose of qualifying for an invalidity pension in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61844/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The Department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 28 July 2022. To qualify for IP a claimant must, inter-alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last or second last complete contribution years before the relevant date of their claim. The person in question does not have the required 260 paid PRSI contributions in Ireland. The claim was refused under national legislation on the grounds that the contribution conditions for the scheme are not satisfied. As the person concerned had previously worked in Hungary, a request was made to the Hungarian Authorities on 29 August 2022 for his Hungarian contribution record. To date the requested information has not been received from the Hungarian Authorities and this information was requested again on 05 December 2022. Unfortunately, claims processed under Bilateral/EU Regulations are more complex and can take longer to finalise as the Department is highly dependent on receiving necessary information from other states. The Department will continue to endeavour to establish the entitlement of the person in question and he will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
406. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in undertaking review in the case of a child (details supplied) who has been assessed as having ADHD, whose application for domiciliary care allowance has been refused, who has again been expelled from school on the basis of disruptive behaviour but has been deemed by her Department as being equal to any other child of a similar age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61845/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child, aged under 16 with a severe disability who requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the level of care and attention normally required by children of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. Eligibility for DCA is established primarily and essentially by reference to the degree of ongoing additional care and attention required by the child rather than the child's disability.
An application for DCA was received from the person concerned in respect of their child on 23 May 2022. Their application was disallowed as per decision dated 20 July 2022, as their child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for DCA.
A request for a review of the above decision was received on behalf of the person concerned (via PQ) on 17 August 2022.
Following a review of their complete application, including the completed application form and all available information and evidence provided in support of their application, including the information provided via PQ (Ref No 42365/22), a deciding officer decided that a revision of the above decision of 20 July 2022 was not warranted. A written notification of the review decision dated 29 September 2022 was issued to the person concerned.
The person concerned subsequently appealed this decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office. (SWAO)
As part of the appeals process, a deciding officer completed a further review of their application, including all further information and documentary evidence that was subsequently provided in support of their appeal and decided that a revision of the review decision of 29 September 2022 was not warranted. A written notification of this further review decision dated 29 November 2022, was also issued to the person concerned.
Their DCA file (ref no 22/21484) was sent to the SWAO on 29 November 2022 for further consideration by an appeals officer.
The SWAO will notify the person concerned directly of the appeal outcome in due course.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
407. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports that are available to a person (details supplied). [61860/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability or condition and requires continual or continuous care and attention in the home, substantially over and above the care and attention normally required by children of the same age and the child must be likely to require full time care and attention for at least 12 months. Eligibility for DCA is established primarily and essentially by reference to the degree of ongoing additional care and attention required by the child rather than the child's disability/disabilities.
An application for DCA in respect of their child was received from the person concerned on 19 June 2019. Their application was disallowed as per decision dated 03 September 2019, as their child was not considered to satisfy the conditions for DCA.
A further application in respect of the child concerned, including new additional information and updated documentary evidence, was subsequently received from the applicant on 18 November 2021. This re-application was disallowed by a deciding officer on 07 March 2022, as their child was not considered to satisfy the conditions for DCA based on the information and evidence provided by the person concerned.
In relation to DCA, it is open to the person concerned to request a review(s) of the deciding officer's decision of 07 March 2022 and this right is not time limited. If requesting a (further) review of a deciding officer's decision, an applicant may provide any further new relevant information or documentary evidence that was not previously available to the department for further consideration.
Additionally, the applicant also has the right to subsequently appeal any review decision directly to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO), including in cases where the deciding officer's original decision is upheld following a review(s)
It should also be noted that a person may qualify for Disability Allowance (DA) from age 16, even while attending fulltime education, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions for that scheme, including the medical criteria and a means test.
Carer's Allowance, is a means tested payment for persons, who are providing care to a qualified person, who requires full-time care and attention. Where the caree is a child aged under 16, the child must be in receipt of DCA.
Carer's Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment which is automatically payable to carers who are in receipt of Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. However, CSG may also be payable on a standalone basis to persons who are not in receipt of one of the above qualifying payments, who are providing full-time care to a person, including children aged under 16, subject to satisfying all criteria for the payment. Application forms for CSG are available from the local Intreo Centre or Branch Office.
The person concerned may also contact their local Intreo Centre or Branch Office in relation to the Department's Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, relating to possible entitlement to related financial supports such as an additional or exceptional needs payment if appropriate.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
408. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial supports that are available in the interim to an individual who is awaiting the result of a post-mortem following their husband’s death and who cannot claim their husband’s life insurance policy to cover funeral expenses and so on until the full death certificate is issued (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61866/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary. Assistance can be provided for funeral costs where there are no other supports available.
The schemes are demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
Anyone who struggles with funeral costs is entitled to make an application for a payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance schemes. I would encourage them to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
409. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will report on the means review project 2022; the persons and the number of recipients that were included in this review; the way that were they were selected; the reason they were selected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61921/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2022 provided for two key measures for people receiving Carer’s Allowance which took effect in June.
- The capital disregarded in the means test increased from €20,000 to €50,000; and
- The weekly income disregarded in the means test increased to €350 (from €332.50) for a single person and €750 (from €665) for a couple.
Earlier this year, the Department initiated a review of the approximately 3,600 Carer's Allowance recipients who were in receipt of a reduced rate payment to determine how these measures may impact on their rate of payment.
While the reviews resulted in some recipients of Carer’s Allowance having their payment rate reduced due to an increase in household income, many recipients saw an increase in their rate of payment.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
410. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will provide support for a person (details supplied); and if she will provide an update on any outstanding applications or appeals that the person has with her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61936/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 have asked the Chief Appeals Officer to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
411. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if she agrees with An Taoiseach (details supplied) that it is not the Government's intention to deny the €500 lump-sum payment to those who have come off disability allowance on a temporary basis to undertake Solas training courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61947/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has acted very quickly to deliver the Disability Support Grant and other budget measures within an exceptionally short timeframe. Wherever possible, budget measures that are usually implemented in the January to March period of the year following a Budget announcement, have been brought forward and implemented within a period of weeks. While this early issue of payments was very challenging it was possible to achieve for people paid directly by the Department’s own payment systems.
I can confirm that it is the intention that people on training courses, having previously been in receipt of a Disability Allowance payment, will receive the €500 Disability Support Grant.
When undertaking training courses, recipients of Disability Allowance move off the Department’s payment systems and transfer to a Department of Further, Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science-funded Training Allowance. As a consequence, it was not possible to process early payment of the Disability Support Grant to these recipients.
My officials have examined this issue in conjunction with their colleagues in the Department of Further, Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with a view to this payment being made as soon as possible.
412. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is an appeal mechanism for a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim who, by virtue of reaching the age of 66 years and having been awarded the old-age pension, missed out on the €500 bonus paid to persons in receipt of the invalidity pension by just one month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61949/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, I announced on Budget Day that my Department will spend approximately €1.2 billion on social welfare measures to help individuals and families through this difficult period.
This included a range of double payments and lump sum payments that were targeted at those who are most vulnerable including older people, families, carers and those living with disabilities.
The €500 lump sum payment to those on Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension was paid to those receiving these payments in the relevant week in November.
However, recipients of State Pensions, who receive a higher weekly rate of payment, are eligible for the Christmas Bonus.
In November, my Department paid a range of cost of living supports, which included:
- A €400 lump sum payment to all households in receipt of Fuel Allowance, many of whom are pensioners.
- An additional €200 Lump Sum Payment to all persons in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance, the majority of whom are pensioners.
Last week, the Christmas Bonus Double Payment was paid to all Pensioners, Carers, Persons with Disabilities, One Parent Family Payment and other Social Protection recipients.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy
413. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection when a disability allowance payment will be processed for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61976/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from the person concerned on 03 August 2022.
On 03 September 2022, this person was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on eligibility.
Based on the evidence supplied in support of this person’s application, this application for DA was refused on failing to supply sufficient information to determine the person's means. A letter notifying the person concerned issued on 26 September 2022.
The requested documentation of 03 September 2022 was received by the Department on 10 October 2022 and a review of the decision of 26 September 2022, was carried out. As part of the review, the application was referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) on 27 October 2022 for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. The report was returned to the Department on 07 December 2022.
I can confirm that the person concerned has been awarded DA with effect from 03 August 2022. The first payment will be made by their chosen payment method on 14 December 2022.
Arrears of payment due from 03 August 2022 to 13 December 2022 will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments (if applicable).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
414. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on her commitment to examine the possibility of extending the €500 disability payment to those in receipt of the Partial Capacity Benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62007/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2023 has been designed to assist people with cost-of-living increases through a mix of lump sum payments, increases to weekly payment rates and an expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme.
The measures include the provision of a one-off €500 payment to recipients of the Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and the Carer's Support Grant.
Partial Capacity Benefit has been designed to allow persons on the scheme to continue to receive a percentage of their previous payment while in employment; there are no restrictions on the number of hours a person can work nor on their earnings. A person may be in receipt of a Partial Capacity Benefit payment while in employment for up to three years.
As persons in receipt of Partial Capacity Benefit are in employment without any restriction on earnings, they are not eligible for the €500 payment. However, Partial Capacity recipients received a double payment in October and are also eligible for the Christmas bonus double payment. In addition, from January 2023, the maximum rate of Partial Capacity Benefit will increase by €12 per week, with proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate and for qualified adults.
416. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for additional needs payment and exceptional needs payment by county to date in 2022; and the number of applications awarded in tabular form. [62162/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra422. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for ANP and ENP by county for the months of October and November in 2021 and October and November in 2022; and the number of applications awarded in tabular form. [62207/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 416 and 422 together.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department can make Additional Needs Payments (ANPs) to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.
The scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the schemes taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
A person can apply for an ANP by completing a SWA1 form, which is widely available. It can be downloaded at www.gov.ie. It is available in all Intreo Centres and Branch Offices. It can also be requested by emailing cwsforms@welfare.ie or by calling the National Community Welfare Service freephone number at 0818 60 70 80. A person can also request a SWA1 form by using the Request Application Form page available on www.gov.ie.
The following table details ANPs registered in October and November 2021 and the latest available statistics in the year-to-date September 2022:
|
County |
Registered in Oct 2021 |
Registered in Nov 2021 |
Registered YTD Sept 2022 |
|
Carlow |
85 |
109 |
1,532 |
|
Cavan |
93 |
85 |
1,614 |
|
Clare |
155 |
125 |
3,663 |
|
Cork |
627 |
591 |
7,988 |
|
Donegal |
160 |
190 |
4,932 |
|
Dublin |
2,276 |
2,529 |
29,264 |
|
Galway |
229 |
312 |
4,484 |
|
Kerry |
161 |
249 |
4,762 |
|
Kildare |
316 |
343 |
3,213 |
|
Kilkenny |
135 |
150 |
2,131 |
|
Laois |
150 |
154 |
2,028 |
|
Leitrim |
85 |
77 |
1,405 |
|
Limerick |
207 |
225 |
3,674 |
|
Longford |
122 |
136 |
2,048 |
|
Louth |
119 |
218 |
2,807 |
|
Mayo |
134 |
162 |
2,677 |
|
Meath |
210 |
228 |
3,906 |
|
Monaghan |
69 |
68 |
685 |
|
Offaly |
88 |
102 |
2,134 |
|
Roscommon |
104 |
75 |
1,389 |
|
Sligo |
110 |
140 |
1,928 |
|
Tipperary |
287 |
290 |
3,521 |
|
Waterford |
167 |
224 |
2,905 |
|
Westmeath |
181 |
180 |
3,155 |
|
Wexford |
136 |
154 |
2,652 |
|
Wicklow |
152 |
225 |
3,118 |
|
Unknown |
11 |
9 |
59 |
|
Total |
6,569 |
7,350 |
103,674 |
I trust this clarifies the matter.
417. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of social welfare participants involved in skill development schemes, community and voluntary schemes and training courses per payment type in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62197/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish labour market has experienced a robust recovery post-COVID. According to the latest estimates from the CSO’s Labour Force Survey (Q3, 2022), the number of people in employment is now above 2.55 million, the highest level in the history of the State, while the unemployment rate for November 2022 stood at 4.4 percent, below pre-pandemic levels.
The table below provides an overview of the number of participants on activation programmes. These figures are available in the CSO’s monthly Live Register publication. While the majority of people enrolled in these programmes are jobseeker’s recipients, there are a range of other social welfare recipients also participating in the programmes listed below.
Table: Scheme participants, October 2022
|
Scheme |
Participants |
|
Back to work enterprise allowance |
2,356 |
|
Short-term enterprise allowance |
294 |
|
DSP Part-Time Job Incentive |
122 |
|
TUS |
4,794 |
|
Work Placement Experience Programme |
469 |
|
Community employment schemes (excluding supervisors) |
18,585 |
|
SOLAS full time training for unemployed people |
4,754 |
|
Back to education courses - vocational training opportunities scheme |
1,776 |
|
Back to education courses - back to education allowance |
3,215 |
|
Total |
36,365 |
As part of Pathways to Work , the Government’s national employment services strategy, my Department has specific commitments to improve labour market outcomes for people facing higher barriers to employment, including people with disabilities. As of the 11th of November, there were 798 former Disability Allowance recipients enrolled in Community Employment, 51 on the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance and 54 on the Back to Education Allowance. This includes people who transferred onto an activation programme since the 1st of January 2019. Enrolment into programmes is entirely voluntary for this group.
418. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the current number of recipients of jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance; the number of recipients of jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance in 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62198/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra419. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance by time spent on each payment type, including a time of less than 12 months; less than 24 months and longer than 24 months in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62199/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra420. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the current number of recipients of jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance, with regard to jobseeker's allowance for 18 to 25-year-olds for all rates of payment in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62200/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 418, 419 and 420 together.
Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) is a payment for people between 18 and 66 years of age who become fully or partly unemployed and have paid enough pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contributions.
If you don't qualify for JB, or if your entitlement to JB has expired, you may qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance (JA). This is a means-tested payment, so your income must be below a certain amount to get JA.
At the end of November 2022, there were 122,047 individuals in receipt of JA, of which 15,886 were between 18 and 25 years of age. There were 34,830 recipients of JB, of which 3,255 were between 18 and 25 years of age.
The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the tables below. Table 1 shows the number of JA and JB recipients as at the end of December 2021 and as at the end of November 2022. Table 2 shows the number of current JA and JB recipients, broken down by their duration on the scheme. Table 3 provides the breakdown of 18 to 25 year olds in receipt of JA, by rates of payment.
Table 1: Number of recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance and Jobseeker's Benefit
|
Scheme |
December 2021 |
November 2022 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
108,414 |
122,047 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
35,908 |
34,830 |
Table 2: Current Jobseeker's Allowance and Jobseeker's Benefit recipients (including casuals), by duration on the scheme
|
Duration |
Jobseeker's Allowance |
Jobseeker's Benefit |
|
Less than 1 year |
58,122 |
33,618 |
|
1 - 2 years |
15,622 |
1,129 |
|
2 + years |
48,303 |
83 |
|
Total |
122,047 |
34,830 |
Table 3: 18 to 25 year olds in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance, by rate of payment
|
Rate of payment |
Jobseeker's Allowance |
|
Less than €117.70 |
1,249 |
|
€117.70 |
9,946 |
|
€117.71 to €207.99 |
535 |
|
€208 |
2,523 |
|
Greater than €208 |
1,633 |
|
Total |
15,886 |
