Results 9,201-9,220 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced on 16 March 2020 as an emergency income support payment for employees and self-employed people, aged between 18 and under 66, who were in employment or self-employment immediately prior to 13 March 2020 and have lost their employment or self-employment due to the downturn in economic activity as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Farm Relief Scheme (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Farm Assist is an income support for low-income farmers. To be eligible for the scheme a person must be aged between 18 and 66 years, a farmer, be farming land in the State and satisfy a means test. The changes introduced in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provided that the State pension age would increase to age 67 in 2021 and to age 68 in 2028. In January 2014, the abolition of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18 March 2020. 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 Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers were received...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: To date, 110,730 people have received at least one Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €203, with 58,115 people in receipt on September 1st 2020. Approximately 13,400 people have queried the reduction in their PUP rate. Currently, some 5,583 cases are outstanding. All customers who were successful in their review are paid the higher rate of €350. Figures on the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The position of Deputy Secretary General became vacant on 24 August 2020. The Department is currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on arrangements to fill the post in line with standard procedures for appointments.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has had their Pandemic Unemployment Payment reviewed. Her payment has been re-rated to the higher weekly amount and arrears will issue this week. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: To manage the delivery of services across the county, the country is split into eight divisional areas. The divisions are based on the location and catchment areas of the Department's various offices, rather than county boundaries. Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) recipients are not assigned to an Intreo or branch office, and so cannot readily be broken into these divisional areas....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 710 and 714 together. The Programme for Government commits to introducing a Retirement Payment for 65 year olds paid at the same rate as Jobseeker's Benefit without a requirement to sign on, partake in any activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. I wish to assure the Deputy that I have made the introduction of the new Retirement...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. Basic weekly SWA may be paid to customers awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment. In certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance paid for each eligible child aged from 4 to 11 years on or before 30 September 2020 is €150 while an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government states that the Low Pay Commission is to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government. This matter will be progressed in line with the Programme for Government commitment and a referral to the Low Pay Commission will be made in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: For the purposes of this Question, events are considered to be those that are directly funded and organised by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. In relation to the issue of funding remaining in place for 2021, the Deputy will be aware that the Department's funding is allocated on an annual basis and the 2021 budget allocation has not yet been made. To assist in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Community Employment (CE) is a positive initiative that enables the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for prospective future employment. It helps to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. A number of new conditions were introduced on CE in July 2017 to further...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the person referred to by the Deputy has held a basic MyGovID account since 13th July 2020. With a basic MyGovID account, a person can access a number of services, such as requesting a statement of their PRSI contributions or checking their eligibility to certain benefits. To hold a verified MyGovID account, a person must have authenticated their identity through the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 May 2020. 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 Employment Affairs Social Protection. These papers were received in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The 2020 revised estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on Jobseekers Benefit (including Jobseekers Benefit for the Self- employed) of €1.58 billion. Jobseeker's Benefit is a weekly payment to people who have lost their employment and who satisfy the scheme's statutory conditions including the requirement to have sufficient social insurance contributions paid....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The public policy and social issues in relation to funding a sustainable and adequate State pension system are complex. Therefore, the Government is establishing a Commission on Pensions to examine a range of issues including contributions, calculation methods, sustainability, eligibility and intergenerational fairness. The Terms of Reference for the Commission on Pensions are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 29 May 2020. The evidence submitted in support of this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. I can confirm that my department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Community Employment (CE) is a positive initiative that enables the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for employment opportunities that will become available. The scheme can play an important role in breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment for some people and improve their chances of employment. In order to qualify for CE,...