Written Answers Nos. 89-111
89. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to clarify the figure taken as means from self-employment accounts when accounts are submitted in respect of the spouse of applicants under the jobseeker's allowance scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44762/15]
View answerIn self-employment cases, income is taken to be the gross profit less allowable work-related expenses over 12 months. The net profit is taken as means.
Business-related allowable expenses may include depreciation of machinery or equipment where appropriate to the nature of the self-employment.
Any drawings taken from the business are not an allowable expense. However, where a person has taken drawings from the business which is greater than the level of income thus calculated, the drawings are assessed as cash income.
90. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the full-year cost of providing an in-work benefit to all working families to guarantee an hourly income rate of €11.75 per hour. [44864/15]
View answer91. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the full-year cost of providing an in-work benefit to all individual workers ensuring a minimum hourly income rate of €11.75 per hour. [44865/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 91 together.
The cost implications of an In Work Benefit proposal are very complex to estimate and require significant resources to prepare. A significant effort is also required to test the robustness of any calculations.
In the first instance a significant effort would have be invested in establishing how an in work benefit scheme would operate and how it would go about achieving an objective of ensuring that individual workers and/or families would be guaranteed an hourly income rate of €11.75 per hour.
In order to undertake such an extensive exercise then data from a wide range of different sources including the Department of Social Protection, CSO and Revenue data, would have to be collated and an appropriate model created. The calculations involved in modelling a reform of this nature are complex and would require significant resources while taking considerable time to complete. The Department is therefore not in a position to provide the costing requested.
92. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding pension contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44868/15]
View answerThe State pension is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. State pensions account for the single largest block of social welfare expenditure, and while expenditure on pensions is increasing because of demographic pressures, this is being successfully managed within the overall welfare budget. This year (2015), the Department will spend an estimated €6.675 billion on pensions – 34.4% of all welfare expenditure and an increase of €168 million over 2014. The overall concern of the Government in recent budgets has been to protect the primary weekly social welfare rates where possible. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty.
A number of changes have been made to the State Pension (Contributory) in the context of State pension reform, to provide for sustainable pensions in the future. “Developing the National pensions System – Final Report of the National Pensions Board” published in 1993, recommended that the number of paid contributions required to qualify for a contributory pension should be increased to 520 (10 years) contributions. The necessary legislation to effect these recommendations was contained in Section 12 of the Social Welfare Act 1997 (now incorporated in the Social Welfare Consolidated Act 2005) which provided for the implementation of the change in two stages, with the paid contribution requirement being standardised at 260 from 2002, rising to 520 from April 2012.
Social welfare supports will continue to be available to those who need it most and where a person fails to meet the qualifying conditions of an insurance based scheme, a means tested assistance payment may be available provided they satisfy the qualifying conditions, such as the State Pension (Non-Contributory), the maximum rate of which is 95% of the maximum rate of the State Pension (Contributory).
93. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry under the invalidity benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44902/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 16 September 2015. The first payment will be made by his selected payment method on 30 December 2015. Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments or in respect of outstanding overpayments (if applicable).
94. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application under the illness benefit scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44907/15]
View answerIllness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The PRSI conditions are that a person must have a minimum of 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the tax year governing the claim. Claims made in 2015 are governed by the 2013 tax year and only Classes A, E, H, and P contributions are reckonable for illness benefit purposes.
An application for illness benefit from the person concerned was made from 20 Oct 2015. According to the records of the department the person concerned has no contributions paid or credited in 2013. Illness benefit, therefore, could not be paid.
Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year. The person concerned must pass a medical exam, a means test and be habitually resident in Ireland to satisfy the conditions for receipt of this allowance.
No application for disability allowance has been received in my department from the person concerned to date. Further information on disability allowance is available on my department’s website www.welfare.ie.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance.
95. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce a travel allowance for persons with disabilities in rural Ireland who wish to work part-time but who cannot do so as there is no public transport and their travel pass is insufficient; if there is an allowance they can apply for to assist them to allay these costs while the legislation is still being finalised for the mobility allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44910/15]
View answer97. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce a travel allowance for persons with disabilities in rural Ireland who wish to work part-time but cannot do so as there is no public transport and their travel pass is insufficient; if there is an allowance they can apply for to assist them to allay these costs while the legislation is still being finalised for the mobility allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44913/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 97 together.
The current 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 almost 80 private transport operators. Persons resident in Ireland who are over 66 and persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including disability allowance, invalidity pension, partial capacity benefit (under certain conditions) and carer’s allowance, are eligible for the scheme.
My Department also provides annual funding contribution of €1.5 million towards the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) which is administered by the National Transport Authority. The rural transport programme provides services to people whose travel needs are not met by existing bus or train services. The Programme aims to enhance and sustain nationwide accessibility, through community based participation, particularly for those at risk of social exclusion.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) the Department of Social Protection may award a travel supplement in any case where the circumstances of the case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
The Government decided that the detailed preparatory work required for a new Transport Support Scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. I am informed that the Minister for Health is seeking a solution which would best meet the aim of supporting people with severe disabilities who require additional income to contribute towards the cost of their mobility needs, while remaining within the available budget and satisfying all legal and equality concerns.
96. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the level of payment for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare with particular reference to the attached documentation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44912/15]
View answerThe person concerned is working on a casual basis and as such her means have been assessed based on documentation provided. Her claim has been reviewed taking into consideration the documentation provided by the Deputy and it has been confirmed that she is in receipt of the correct rate of payment. It is open to the person concerned to request a review of her means if there is a change in her circumstances.
98. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44915/15]
View answerThe application for carer’s allowance in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 3 December 2015 and the first payment will issue to the person’s nominated post office on 24 December 2015. The person concerned has been notified directly with the details of this decision.
Arrears of allowance due from 20 August 2015 to 23 December 2015 will issue to the nominated post office in due course.
99. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the Christmas bonus will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [44923/15]
View answerThe person concerned currently is in receipt of a weekly social welfare payment with which Christmas bonus is not payable.
An application for DA was submitted on 6 July 2015. Based upon the evidence supplied, it was refused on medical grounds and on the grounds that he failed to supply information requested by a deciding officer and which was necessary to establish his means and other relevant circumstances.
The person in question was notified in writing of this decision on 16 November 2015. The person was also notified of his right to a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
100. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a carer's allowance and the respite grant will be immediately paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; if she will review the case of overpayment. [44930/15]
View answerFirstly, on behalf of myself and the Department, I would like to offer the person in question our sincere sympathies on her bereavement.
Carer’s allowance (CA) was awarded to the person concerned on 13 August 2015 and was awarded for the period 4 June 2015 to 2 September 2015. This covers 6 weeks payment after the death of the person being cared for and the Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) formerly known as the Respite Care Grant.
However, the person concerned has an outstanding One-Parent Family Payment debt amounting to €8,376.04. It is the Department’s policy to seek recover of all debts due and can withhold payments due to reduce the amount outstanding.
The Department has previously sought recovery from the person concerned in 2013 and 2014 but she failed to offer a method of recovery.
Now that she has requalified for payment, arrears of CA and CSG are being withheld to reduce her debt. Pending further enquiries in relation to the information you have provided, the Department has been agreed to release 50% of CA arrears. Arrangements will now be made to pay this as soon as possible.
101. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application under the disability allowance scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44935/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 7 October 2015. The first payment will issue on 6 January 2016.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments or in respect of outstanding overpayments (if applicable).
102. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why a reduced level of rent supplement is being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if the rate will be increased as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44937/15]
View answerThe client concerned is in receipt of their maximum entitlement to Rent Supplement based on her weekly income from One Parent Family payment and maintenance. The Department requested the client provide an up to date Rent Supplement form and lease agreement confirming any increase in her monthly rent on 9 December 2015. On receipt of same, client’s ongoing entitlement can be reassessed.
103. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will award a backdated increase to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick who is in receipt of a disability allowance which had been recently reduced to €42 per week based on spousal income, as this income has now ceased from 13 November 2015 and the spouse is now due to recommence employment on a casual basis; if she will confirm that arrears will issue for the full amount of disability allowance to the applicant for the period from 13 November to date, as no other income has been received in the household; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44944/15]
View answerI confirm that the above named person was in receipt of disability allowance (DA) at the maximum rate up to 24 November 2015. Following a review of her entitlement recently, it was established that the person concerned had means derived from spouse’s employment.
On 1 December 2015, based upon payslips provided, a deciding officer decided that the person concerned had a reduced entitlement to DA from 25 November 2015. The person concerned was notified of this decision and the reason(s) for it.
If there has been a change to the circumstances of the person concerned, she may forward any relevant documentation to disability allowance section and the case will be reviewed.
104. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the assistance available for a person (details supplied) in County Laois to assist with school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44947/15]
View answerA recurring expense such as providing transport to college is not a matter for the Department as this not a once-off/unexpected cost.
However, if the family have an exceptional or unexpected cost at any time they can apply under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, for a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. These payments are known as Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs).
There is no automatic entitlement to such payments. ENPs are payable at the discretion of the Department’s representative 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.
105. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 76 of 3 December 2015, the statutory basis for not providing a Christmas bonus to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9, given that the person has not been in full employment for many years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44955/15]
View answerAn additional payment bonus for recipients of long-term social welfare payments is provided for under the Social Welfare (Temporary Provisions) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 529 of 2015). The regulations provide that named long-term welfare payments will attract a once-off additional sum of money known as the Christmas bonus. Jobseeker’s benefit is not specified as a scheme to attract the bonus and therefore clients in receipt of jobseekers benefit are not entitled to the additional once-off income.
The person concerned was employed on a Community Employment scheme from January 2010 to January 2015 and is currently in receipt of jobseeker’s benefit. As there is no legal provision for payment of an additional sum to clients in receipt of jobseeker’s benefit, the person has no entitlement to the bonus.
106. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the categories of weekly social protection payments not covered by the Christmas bonus; if she will review these with a view to expanding the qualifying payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44969/15]
View answer122. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the categories of persons who will not receive the Christmas bonus in 2015 but who would have received it before it was cut; the cost of reinstating the Christmas bonus for these categories; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45175/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 122 together.
The Christmas Bonus was introduced in 1980 and was paid annually, at varying rates, until it was abolished in 2009. Last year, I was pleased to partially restore the Bonus, with a 25% payment, and on Budget Day this year, I announced that a 75% Christmas Bonus would be paid to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and long-term jobseekers at a cost of circa €197 million.
The bonus, since its re-introduction, is paid to all of the schemes that previously benefited from its payment, with the addition this year of the new Back to Work Family Dividend.
As in previous years, Jobseeker’s Allowance recipients must have been in receipt of their payment for a minimum of 15 months (390 days) in order to qualify for the bonus. Time spent on Jobseeker’s Benefit prior to receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance counts towards the calculation of the 15 month period. Short-term welfare payments, such as Jobseeker’s Benefit, Maternity Benefit, Illness Benefit and FIS, have never been eligible for the Bonus, and similar arrangements continue to apply this year.
The Christmas bonus (when paid in the past) was administered for SWA recipients by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) of the HSE. The CWS transferred into this Department in late 2011. Prior to the abolition of the Bonus in 2009, there was variation in the administration of the bonus across HSE areas. When the bonus was re-introduced last year, entitlement was standardised for SWA recipients in line with Jobseeker’s Allowance. It should be noted that persons on Basic SWA (with a duration of less than 15 months) who are awaiting a decision on a long term scheme (to which the Bonus applies) will receive the Bonus if entitlement to the relevant scheme is backdated to cover the week in which the Bonus would have been payable for 2015.
There are currently no plans to review the schemes eligible for the bonus.
107. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44971/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on the 11 September 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
108. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of applications for social protection payments by persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44972/15]
View answerInvalidity 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 the 16 September 2015. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. He was notified on the 11 December 2015 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and appeal.
Disability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 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 department received a claim for DA for the person concerned on the 2 October 2015. The person concerned was refused DA on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. He was notified on the 12 November 2015 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and appeal. An appeal was lodged with the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) on the 7 December 2015. The SWAO will be in touch with the person in question in due course in relation to the progress of their appeal.
The person in question is currently in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance and his wife is in receipt of IP in her own right. His wife may apply to have him included as a qualified adult on her IP claim or the person concerned may apply for illness benefit (IB) which is a short-term payment for persons who are incapable of work and who satisfy the PRSI conditions.
109. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the Pobal minimum wage increase and its effects on workers (details supplied) in County Kerry. [45018/15]
View answer114. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why she has not increased the funding contribution for the community services programme administered by Pobal in 2016 as a result of the new minimum wage of €9.15 taking effect on 1 January 2016 and in recognition of the extra financial burden this will place on community groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45120/15]
View answer124. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review a matter (details supplied) to help ensure the viability of the community services programme; the additional cost of increasing the community service programme support in line with the 50 cent per hour increase in the national minimum wage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45200/15]
View answer127. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why the grant payable to community organisations under the community services programme employment scheme is not being increased to meet the increased minimum wage of programme participants. [45245/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 114, 124 and 127 together.
The Department of Social Protection supports service provision through a number of programmes and schemes. The Community Services Programme supports community companies that operate on a community business or social enterprise model. Companies supported by the CSP generate and use income from the services they provide to pay staff, meet overhead costs and to contribute to future development. The CSP provides a contribution to the wage cost on the basis that the services are not fully self-financing or the cost of provision would be prohibitive on users.
Currently, there are 398 active contracts in place with community companies at a cost of €42 million per annum. The Programme directly supports 2,110 full-time positions. Of these positions, a financial contribution of €32,000 per annum is made to support the employment of managers, of which there are 312 currently. Funds are also provided as a contribution to the cost of employing people in some 1,800 full-time equivalent positions. The Department estimates that some 2,800 people are employed across these companies with direct CSP support. Another 1,100 people are employed in these companies without public funding support. Additionally, the companies provide some 1,500 work placements through CE, the Rural Social Scheme and Tús. These companies are valuable to the social fabric of the country and provide very good quality services, particularly in poorer urban areas and rural villages where services are not widely available.
Since the CSP became operational in 2006, it has helped companies to move from a situation where the minimum wage was paid to a position today where 60% of employees are paid above this level. The Department is committed to working with the remaining companies to work towards paying a reasonable wage. The resurgent economy will support this move. A core requirement of the Programme is that service providers generate non-public revenues from their operations by the sale of goods, charging fees for services delivered or fundraising.
Companies in contract with CSP must be not-for-profit, social enterprise or community business in nature. This does not mean that they should not aspire to make reasonable returns from their activities that allow for a good wage to be paid. The CSP operates very clearly on the basis that it provides a “contribution only” to offset the wage costs of service provision. However, it is entirely a matter for each service provider to set their own wage levels.
The Deputies should note that some 45% of non-management staff are paid the minimum wage in companies in contract to the CSP, contrary to the requirements of the programme to pay the local pay rate. Ten percent were paid above the proposed living wage of €11.50 per hour and the remaining 45% are paid between these ranges. The development of the Programme and the companies in recent years has ensured that the majority of companies do not continue to operate with a low pay model.
The Department is working with Pobal to put in place arrangements that will allow companies to apply in a structured manner to access short-term financial support, if that is needed to deal with the issues identified. The arrangements which are being prepared will be notified to companies early in the New Year.
110. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the ground rents payable by her Department or agencies under her remit, by named property, by name of landlord by amount payable, in 2015 and in 2016 and in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45060/15]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection is not aware of any ground rents payable for any property either under our remit or payable by an Agency under our remit.
111. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45064/15]
View answerI confirm that the department has received an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 12 November 2015. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.
