Results 10,761-10,780 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Live Register (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not tabulate Live Register data by place of residence below county level, and so I am unable to provide specific figures for Dublin Fingal. I can notify the Deputy that in the November Live Register, 50,184 individuals were resident in County Dublin. This represented 26% of the total Live Register.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. For the purposes of the means-test, at the outset and at any review intervals during the lifetime of the...

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

Heather Humphreys: The widowed or surviving civil partner grant is a once-off payment of €6000 and is available to widows, widowers or surviving civil partners who have one or more dependent children living with them at the date of death, or a widow or surviving civil partner whose child is born within 10 months of the date of death of her spouse or civil partner. The applicant must also qualify for...

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

Heather Humphreys: As previously outlined in Question 500 on 10/11/2020, the person concerned is not eligible for a Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) from March as she became unemployed prior to 13/03/2020, the qualifying date when the PUP was introduced.  According to the records of my Department, the person concerned ceased self-employment on 21/01/2020 and was awarded a Jobseeker’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Maternity benefit is a statutory payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions on their own insurance record.  Contributions paid in another EU Member State can also be taken into account when determining any claim to maternity benefit. There is no plan to consider amending the maternity benefit scheme along the lines...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: From 1st September 2017 the Cost of Education allowance of €500 per academic year is payable to all BTEA customers with a qualified child payment on their claim subject to fulfilling all conditions on the primary scheme. Where both the primary customer and the qualified adult are engaged with BTEA the maximum rate of payment of the Cost of Education Allowance in respect of their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Christmas Bonus will be paid in the week beginning 7th December to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, and lone parents in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on social welfare payments for all, or most, of their income.  Short-term schemes, including Maternity...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered on 2 October 2020 and the file papers were received from the Department of Social Protection on 29 October 2020. The appeal was referred on 3 November 2020 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required,...

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

Heather Humphreys: The requirement for recipients to sign for their cash payment is an important tool in helping to prevent the fraudulent collection of social welfare payments by unauthorised persons.  This is done by means of an electronic signing pad.  An electronic signature can only be captured by using a purpose-made stylus which is physically connected to the signing pad.  Disabling...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Training Support Grant (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department manages the State’s public employment service (PES) which it delivers through its Intreo centre network of offices and through contractors delivering EmployAbility and other services on its behalf. The Training Support Grant (TSG) is designed to fund quick access to short term training or related interventions. It also assists with obtaining or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market.  The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for between 21...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In addition to providing income supports, my Department provides a wide range of employment-related supports for both jobseekers with disabilities and employers seeking to employ a jobseeker with a disability or to retain an existing employee who has or who acquires a disability.  The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance scheme (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for customers in receipt of certain social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education, subject to meeting the qualifying conditions. The person concerned is in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance.  In order to qualify for BTEA, a person must satisfy the qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021.  This measure will cost an estimated €28.6 million in 2021 and will support up to 39,000 parents.  This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted since 1st November 2019 and the period during...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which involves the authentication of a person's identity in a face-to-face interview, is the normal method of processing an application for a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a PPSN issued by post to a person a number of days after their SAFE registration interview. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was considered to be capable of work following an assessment by a Medical Assessor.  Following a review of all the evidence available this decision was upheld by a Deciding Officer and payment of Illness Benefit was disallowed.  A letter issued to the person concerned on the 28th October 2020 informing her of the decision and that her Illness...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The EmployAbility Service is service is open to all persons with a disability who are considered job ready and need the support of a Job Coach to secure employment in the labour market. The participant must be registered with my Department and be referred to, and engage with, the EmployAbility Service. A person may be considered to be job ready, if they are “a person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 to 411, inclusive, together. EmployAbility Services, as contracted by my Department, provide support to people with disabilities to secure and maintain paid employment in the open labour market leading to independence and career progression. My Department continuously monitors each service locally using a system of monthly control checks...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 412 to 417, inclusive, together. The Employability Service provides support and advice to people with disabilities with a view to them securing employment.   The number of customers referred by my Department to the EmployAbility Services in each of the past five years is as follows: 2016  2017 2018 2019 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (8 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for a Personal Public Service Number (PPS Number) from the individual concerned. Under social welfare legislation, a PPS Number can only be allocated where a person needs it to transact with the public service and where they can provide evidence of that need. When a person takes up employment, they need a PPS Number to pay tax and...