John Brady
Ceist:35. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce the working family payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18761/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial Welfare Benefits
Ceisteanna (35)
Freagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government contains commitments to improve the take-home pay of families on low-incomes. One of the most significant is the proposed ‘Working Family Payment’ targeted at low-income families. Over the course of the next six months, we will develop proposals for the new payment.
In doing so, we will be guided by two principles. First, that it should ensure that work pays and that no family is better off on welfare than at work, and second, though equally important, that it has a positive effect on child poverty.
Making Work Pay cannot just be about welfare payments and top-ups. It also has to tackle low pay. The Programme for Government also commits to supporting an increase in the minimum wage.
The Government will also strengthen the role of the Low Pay Commission to examine the gender pay gap and strengthen regulations on precarious work.
Labour Activation Measures
Ceisteanna (36)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:36. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the contracts awarded to United Kingdom companies for labour market activation schemes, such as JobsPlus and other private schemes not delivered within the auspices of the State, given the UK’s new relationship with the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18792/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Ireland’s Public Employment Service (PES) is managed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and delivered directly by its own Intreo service as well as by contracted private companies under the JobPath service; the Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs. The JobPath element of the service is a new approach to employment activation designed to support long-term unemployed people and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. I’m assuming that the Deputy’s question refers to the JobPath contracts.
My Department has contracted 2 companies – Turas Nua Limited and Seetec Limited – to deliver JobPath services. Turas Nua is a joint venture between FRS Recruitment (based in Roscrea) and Working Links (a UK based provider of employment services). Turas Nua is registered in Ireland. Seetec is also a UK based company with a subsidiary company registered in Ireland. The JobPath contracts are subject to Irish law. The services provided by the companies are delivered in Ireland. Both companies have established a network of offices throughout the country and have recruited staff locally. There is nothing to suggest that a review of the contracts is warranted at this time in light of the outcome of the UK’s referendum on its membership of the European Union.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Question No. 37 answered with Question No. 11.
Social Welfare Payments Administration
Ceisteanna (38)
Jack Chambers
Ceist:38. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Social Protection why he is continuing to issue correspondence urging recipients under the jobseeker's benefit scheme to use financial institutions instead of using the post office to collect payments. [18700/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government clearly states the Government’s commitment to actively encouraging payments at Post Offices. While responsibility for An Post and the Post Office Network rests with my colleagues the Minister for Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources and the Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and Gaeltacht, I wish to highlight the size of my department’s business with An Post which was over 38 million transactions across the network in 2015 at a cost of €54m to my department. I recently had a constructive meeting with the Irish Postmasters Union and will be meeting with Bobby Kerr next week.
My Department recently wrote to a cohort of jobseeker customers, who are classified as casual jobseekers, offering the option of payment to an account. These customers are in-work and claim a jobseekers payment for 2 to 3 days per week or work week on/week-off. They were paid by cheque each week due to the changing nature of their work/claiming patterns and the short turn-around time to issue and collect payments. This group of customers were not paid via post offices under the department’s existing cash payments contract with An Post. The vast majority have responded and opted for payment to a bank account. No further letters are being issued to this group.
My Department has developed its payment capacity in respect of changing work and claiming patterns and is offering payments direct to accounts in financial institutions for casual Jobseeker customers. This is in line with departmental policy where the focus is on ensuring that in-work customers are paid by the most convenient method possible.
I wish to assure the Deputy that my department is not undertaking any measures which seek to actively influence customer choice in the manner of payment away from cash payments at the Post Office. In light of the Programme for Government commitment, staff in my Department will be formally advised that, when dealing with payment options, customers can choose between payment at the Post Office or by EFT, where possible.
Community Services Programme
Ceisteanna (39)
Willie O'Dea
Ceist:39. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has increased the contribution to the community services programme in line with the increase in the national minimum wage; if the programmes have as of yet received this funding; if he can provide assurances that the contribution to the community service programmes will be increased in line with any future increases in the national minimum wage as set out in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18694/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The community services programme (CSP) provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a social inclusion nature. Many of these companies are also funded from other sources and generate revenue from the public use of their facilities and services. The contribution from the CSP is towards the wage costs of the companies and is on the basis that the services are not fully self-financing or the cost of provision would be prohibitive on users. My Department does not set the wage rate but requires the payment of appropriate wage rates, consistent with local norms.
In 2015, 398 companies received a contribution towards the wage costs of just over 1,700 employees. The funding is managed and administered on behalf of the Department by Pobal. A process has been put in place to assist and support existing funded companies who are not in a position to cover the increase in the minimum wage for 2016.
Pobal and the Department are currently examining these submissions and will be communicating with the companies in the coming weeks.
Bereavement Grant
Ceisteanna (40)
John Brady
Ceist:40. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will restore the bereavement grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18759/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The overall concern in recent Budgets has been to protect primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided an annual saving of €22 million. This allowed the Department to protect other more fundamental social welfare payments such as the State pension.
There are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than the grant. These include a weekly-paid widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner’s (contributory and non-contributory) pensions, which are based on contributions or a means test, and a once-off widowed or surviving civil partner grant of €6,000 where there is a dependent child. A number of social welfare payments, including State pension continue in payment for six weeks following a death. In Budget 2016, the Government increased the payment after death period to 12 weeks for carer’s allowance. Guardian payments are available where someone cares for an orphaned child. A special funeral grant of €850 is paid where a person dies because of an accident at work or occupational disease.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure including help with funeral and burial expenses which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. However, there is no automatic entitlement to such a payment. An ENP is a means tested payment payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances.
Any decision to restore the bereavement grant would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times
Ceisteanna (41)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:41. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the ongoing delay in determining eligibility for some means-tested payments and appeals; if there has been a reduction in resources or a redeployment of staff given the reduced numbers of recipients under the jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit scheme; if he will examine the situation with a view to improving this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18756/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department is working hard to improve the processing times for applications and the quality of decisions given. I can assure the Deputy that reducing waiting times on applications is a key priority.
As part of its programme of service delivery modernisation, a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology, have been implemented by the Department in recent years. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised.
In addition, staffing needs are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources. Where additional staffing is deployed to a scheme, such as has happened for carer’s allowance, there is a time-lag involved while those staff are trained and build up expertise.
In general terms, processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of disability and caring schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments also require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision making process.
The improved decision making is reflected in the numbers of appeals received, which are down from a peak of 35,500 in 2012 to 25,000 in 2015. Processing times for appeals have also improved and seen a reduction of over 50% in the time taken to hear oral appeals; down from 52 weeks in 2011 to less than 24 weeks currently. The timeframe for summary decision has also fallen, from 25 weeks in 2011 to 17 weeks currently.
Finally, I want to assure the Deputy that the prompt and accurate processing of applications remains a key priority for me and my Department.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
One-Parent Family Payment
Ceisteanna (42)
Mick Wallace
Ceist:42. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to reverse the changes made in 2015 to the one-parent family payment scheme which have considerably increased the financial burden on one-parent families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18684/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department will be spending an estimated €500 million on the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme in 2016. The scheme currently supports over 41,000 recipients and almost 74,300 children.
The reforms to the one-parent family payment scheme were introduced to address long-term social welfare income support dependency. The reforms provide enhanced access to the Department’s Intreo service to lone parents once their youngest child turns 7 years of age. Access to the Department’s range of education and employment support services is essential to facilitate lone parents to progress into sustainable employment and financial independence.
Budget 2016 contained a number of measures to support lone parents, including working lone parents. For example a lone parent on the jobseeker’s transitional payment working 15 hours at the national minimum wage saw an increase in their overall income of just over €28 per week from approximately €306 in 2015 to €334 in 2016. This is as a result of the increase in the national minimum wage, the more generous means test on the jobseeker’s transitional payment and the increase in fuel allowance. They also received an extra €5 per month per child as a result of the increase in child benefit.
It is important to highlight that the social impact assessment of Budget 2016 showed that budgetary policy would increase average household incomes for working lone parents by 2%. Non-earning lone parents also fared above average, gaining 1.8%.
Research shows that being at work reduces the at-risk-of-poverty rate for lone parents by three-quarters - compared to those who do not work. This highlights that the best way to tackle poverty among lone parents is to assist them into employment. Access to activation supports is therefore vital to achieve this objective and it is therefore imperative that my Department continues to engage with lone parents to assist them into employment.
Question No. 43 answered with Question No. 25.
Community Employment Schemes Operation
Ceisteanna (44)
Jack Chambers
Ceist:44. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the details of recent developments at the Blanchardstown Centre for the Unemployed community employment scheme including the efforts he has and will make to ensure it continues. [18701/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
On 26 May 2016, the Sponsor board of Blanchardstown Centre for the Unemployed formally advised the Department that it intended to discontinue its Community Employment (CE) Scheme.
On foot of this decision by the Sponsor Board, the Department has extended the scheme until 14/10/2016, by agreement with the Sponsor, to facilitate an orderly wind down of the Scheme.
It is the Department's intention that the Sponsor will retain all participants, who are eligible to remain on the Scheme, up until the Scheme closure date and that those participants who are eligible to remain on CE beyond 14/10/2015 will be facilitated to do so, with a transfer to other schemes in the Dublin 15 area where possible.
The Department will also examine the feasibility of transferring CE Supervisory staff to other Schemes within the Dublin 15 area.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Rent Supplement Scheme
Ceisteanna (45)
Ruth Coppinger
Ceist:45. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will raise the maximum rent supplement level to the levels recommended by the Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness. [18773/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have announced earlier this week that revised increased rent limits under the rent supplement scheme will be introduced with effect from this Friday, 1 July 2016. I can assure the Deputy that supports in relation to housing and the provision of financial supports, including the rent supplement scheme currently supporting some 55,000 recipients at a cost of €267 million in 2016, are a key priority as evidenced by the early implementation of this Government commitment.
In line with priority recommendations made in the report of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness, the review sets the rent limits in line with market rents which have been benchmarked at the 35th percentile of agreed rents as registered with the Residential Tenancies Board. Substantial levels of increases are being provided throughout the country, in both urban and rural areas, reflecting the local rental market conditions. Detail of the revised limits is available on the Department’s website at www.welfare.ie.
The new limits, combined with the flexible approach provided by the Department’s Community Welfare Service and the Tenancy Protection Service, operated by Threshold, will provide for increased security for persons seeking support under the rent supplement scheme. To date, over 8,700 persons at imminent risk of homelessness have been supported through increased payments under this flexible approach.
I would urge that any person experiencing increased rents or facing the threat of the loss of their tenancy under rent supplement to contact the Department’s Community Welfare Service or the Threshold Tenancy Protection service without delay.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Question No. 46 answered with Question No. 11.