Ukraine War

Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Questions (107)

Seán Haughey

Question:

107. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will give details of the recent changes announced regarding the social welfare benefits for Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection; when the change in respect of the €38.50 payment will commence; if claimants living in State-provided hotel accommodation will still have to pay €70 per week per adult for food after their benefits have been reduced; if the €70 payment is reduced or scrapped, if it will also be reduced for those residents who are working or does this only apply to those receiving some form of State aid; how the new benefit scheme will affect single mothers, pensioners and people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26374/24]

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Written answers

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Last month, the Government agreed that Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in state-provided serviced accommodation should receive the same level of payment regardless of when they arrived.

The Minister for Social Protection and I, and our officials are liaising on the operational arrangements to give effect to this change, with an estimated 12 week lead-in time to allow details to be finalised and notice to be provided to the people affected.

This change will apply to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in designated fully serviced accommodation in receipt of any of the Department of Social Protection’s social assistance schemes. However, they will continue to have an entitlement to Child Benefit and to Additional Needs Payments, subject to the normal eligibility criteria.

Details of the operational arrangements giving effect to the change, including the matters to which the Deputy refer, have yet to be finalised and will be made available in due course.