Written Answers Nos. 232-240
232. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason two persons (details supplied) are not receiving the full amount of jobseeker's allowance, given they are currently homeless, unable to source accommodation via the HAP scheme due to the chronic shortage of properties and are being supported with emergency bed and breakfast vouchers by the local authority. [26792/23]
View answerAge-related rates for jobseeker's allowance recipients were introduced on a phased basis from 2009 to tackle high youth unemployment and to avoid long-term welfare dependency. Where a jobseeker aged 18-24 participates in approved full-time education or training, they will receive the maximum rate of payment.
Age-related jobseeker’s allowance rates also do not apply to those with qualifying child dependents, or those who were in care of the HSE, Child and Family Agency (Tusla) during the 12 months immediately before they turned 18.
A jobseeker aged between 18 and 24 is entitled to an exemption from the reduced rates if they are living independently of the family home and are in receipt of state housing supports. They must be in receipt of either rent supplement, housing assistance payment (HAP), rental accommodation scheme (RAS), local authority housing or living permanently in accommodation provided by an approved housing body to qualify for and exemption from the reduced rates. The individuals referenced are not currently in receipt of any of the supports outlined above.
The Community Welfare Service supports young people in these circumstances and provides support under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Supports can include additional needs payments, depending on the individual circumstances involved.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
233. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the one-parent family payment for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26794/23]
View answerThe Person concerned submitted an application for One Parent Family on the 27th of March 2023. A decision to disallow the application was made on the 5th of May 2023. The reasons for disallowance were as follows :
The person concerned does not satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition which is a requirement for the award of One Parent Family Payment. One-Parent Family Payment is not paid to a qualified parent where one fails to show that their means are below the maximum rate of €354.00. Requests to provide certain details in relation to means were not provided.
It has also been confirmed that they continue to be in receipt of social welfare assistance from the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK in the form of Universal Credit, Carer's Allowance and Child Benefit. A person cannot be eligible for social welfare while they are in receipt of social welfare from the UK.
The Person Concerned was advised that they had 21 days from the date of the disallowance letter to appeal the decision, as yet no appeal has been received.
234. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application by a person (details supplied) for disability allowance will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26802/23]
View answerDisability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and the habitual residency conditions.
I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 24 January 2023. Based on the evidence supplied in support of this person’s application, the application was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 14 April 2023 and was given the right to a review or an appeal.
Further medical evidence was received and, following a request, a review of the decision of 14 April 2023 was carried out and the original decision was upheld. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 19 May 2023.
They were given the right to a review or to appeal the decision to the Independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). I can confirm that no further request for a review or an appeal has been received to date.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
235. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason persons under 25 years of age can receive the back-to-education allowance at the rate of €220 per week but those getting the back-to-work enterprise allowance are only given €129.70; if there are any plans to amend this disparity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26827/23]
View answerOne of the aims of Pathways to Work 2021-2025 is to reduce the youth unemployment rate back to or below the 2019 average of 12.5% by 2023. According to the latest CSO data, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate for April 2023 is already well below this target, at 7.9%.
My Department is pro-active in providing a number of supports to young jobseekers to enhance their employment prospects over time through, for example, educational and training opportunities, the Work Placement Experience Programme, self-employment and early access to JobsPlus.
The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme supports people to commence full-time self-employment by allowing them to retain a proportion of their payment over 2 years. The self-employment income earned over the two years of the scheme is not means tested. Together with the Enterprise Support Grant of up to €2,500, these are valuable supports which provide some financial security during the early stages of the new enterprise.
The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance is of a different nature to the Back to Education Allowance, which provides a second chance education opportunity and enables eligible people to take up full-time education courses and continue to receive income support. Participants must continue to maintain eligibility to their underlying social welfare payment including continuing to meet the means test.
The Back to Education scheme is not intended to be an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third level education system or to provide a basis for a long-duration participation in extended education. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant represents the primary support for persons pursuing education.
Employment supports are kept under review in the context of the overall improving labour market and commitments under the Pathways to Work Strategy.
There are no plans at present to amend the level of payments under the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme.
If the Deputy has concerns in relation to a specific case, could I suggest that he bring it to the attention of the Department.
I trust this clarifies the position.
236. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied) will be re-examined to ensure they are on the correct rate; if they are entitled to optical benefit; and if their employment record has been considered. [26853/23]
View answerThe person concerned reached pension age on 25 July 2000.
According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a yearly average of 35 contributions, giving entitlement to 98% of the maximum rate state pension (contributory), the current rate of which is €260.10 per week. They are also in receipt of €10.00 per week over 80 allowance.
The rate of State Pension (contributory) paid is commensurate with their social insurance record as held by my Department. In order to qualify for the maximum rate, a yearly average of 48 contributions is required.
The person concerned does not satisfy the conditions for optical benefit under the Department's PRSI scheme. While they have the 260 required paid contributions, they do not have the 39 paid (at the relevant rate) or credited contributions, in the relevant years.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
237. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a full list of public bodies under the aegis of her Department; and Oireachtas contact details for each. [26919/23]
View answerThe statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal.
I can confirm that each of these bodies provide members of the Oireachtas with a dedicated email address for relevant queries. These mailboxes are monitored regularly and operate efficiently and effectively. The list of dedicated e-mail addresses is periodically updated and re-circulated to Oireachtas members.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
238. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has plans to assist people who paid class D contributions in the public sector (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26951/23]
View answerMatters relating to the pension entitlements of public servants generally are not the responsibility of my Department and are a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.
To qualify for the State Pension (Contributory), a person must have entered the social insurance system before their 56th birthday and have paid a minimum of 520 qualifying contributions. Contributions paid at Classes B, C or D, i.e., those made by public servants recruited before 6 April 1995, are not qualifying contributions. Only those who have the minimum of 520 paid contributions may avail of PRSI credits or homecaring periods to enhance the rate at which they are paid the State Pension (Contributory).
Prior to 6 April 1995, civil and public servants did not have access to the full range of social insurance benefits as their terms of employment protected them against the main contingencies of illness and old age, and the risk of unemployment was not considered a factor due to the nature of their employment.
Consequently, such contributors pay less in social insurance contributions in return for fewer social insurance benefits. For example, class D contributors currently pay a contribution at the rate of 0.9% on their weekly earnings up to €1,443 and 4% on weekly earnings over that amount, and their employers pay a contribution of 2.35% on all employee earnings.
In contrast, class A contributors pay a contribution of 4% on their weekly earnings and their employers pay a contribution of 8.8% where employees’ weekly earnings are €441 or less and 11.05% where their employees’ weekly earnings exceed €441. Class A contributors have access to the full range of social insurance benefits.
While the modified rates of social insurance do not give entitlement to the State Pension (Contributory), such contributors may, subject to a means test, qualify for the State pension (Non-Contributory). Entitlement to the State Pension (Non-Contributory) may entitle recipients to access other secondary benefits (subject to any other criteria).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
239. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when an appeal against a decision to refuse the invalidity pension will be allowed in the case of a person (details supplied), having regard to the fact they have had no income for 20 weeks and are now in a very serious family situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26980/23]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 8 February 2023. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 20 February 2023 and referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The person concerned lodged a Freedom of Information request with the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 27 April 2023. This required that the appeal file be returned by the Appeals Officer to the relevant area of the Appeals Office to complete the FOI request. The FOI request was completed on 18 May 2023 and the appeal file was immediately returned to the Appeals Officer to finalise their considerations. The decision will issue as quickly as possible.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
240. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment might be provided in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26981/23]
View answerIf the person concerned is experiencing difficulty with their mortgage payments, they are advised to contact the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) in the first instance at www.Mabs.ie or by phone on 0818 072 000. MABS provides support with managing debt and household finances. If the person concerned requires assistance with essential expenses that they are unable to meet from their weekly income, they may be entitled to assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme. The SWA scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system and helps eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs). 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. The person can apply for an ANP online at www.MyWelfare.ie. Alternatively and for the convenience of the person concerned, a SWA application pack was posted to them on 30/05/2023. A fully completed application should be returned to the Community Welfare Service with any supporting documentation. When all the necessary information has been received the person’s application will be processed, and they will be advised of the outcome in writing. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
