Results 11,041-11,060 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Chapter 3 of Part 2 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) requires all self-employed workers aged between 16 years and pensionable age (currently 66 years) with income of €5,000 or more per annum to pay social insurance contributions.   The social insurance contributions paid by self-employed workers are categorised as class...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A review team has been set up in the Department and this team will continue to systematically review claims from employees of the company concerned for the period between March and end-August when the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme was in payment. The Department is writing to individual employees of the company requesting that they contact their employer for the information that is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which is a face to face process, is used by the Department of Social Protection to authenticate a person's identity and results in the issue of a Public Services Card (PSC).  A Free Travel variant PSC is issued to those with free travel entitlement who have completed the SAFE registration process.  At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,557 schools and organisations benefitting 227,000 children.  The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them.  The programme is an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance has been awarded to the person concerned, payable from 2 October 2020. All arrears due have issued. The Living Alone Allowance has also been awarded from 22 March 2020 and the Telephone Support Allowance from 25 September 2020. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The following tables relate to all Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment categories. As the data is provided on a weekly basis the 5 week period is taken from 28/11/2010-02/01/2021 rather than the specific period requested. The breakdown by county is based on the county of the recipients - dis-aggregation of office locations by distinct counties is not possible  - and is set out in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The higher rate of employer social insurance contribution is currently 11.05% of employee earnings and  includes a National Training Fund levy of 1%. I understand that the Deputy’s office clarified that the additional revenue of a 2.5% increase in the higher rate of the employer social insurance contribution on earnings in excess of €100,000 is what is being sought. Based...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: National Advocacy Service (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board (CIB), which has a mandate under the Citizens Information Act 2007 to provide advocacy for people with disabilities. The NAS provides an independent, confidential and free, issues-based representative advocacy service that works exclusively for the person using the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 23 December 2020.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought.  When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for a Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) on 24/3/2020 confirming his last day worked was 06/03/2020.  A PUP was awarded at the weekly rate of €350 in line with the scheme guidelines at that time. From 29/06/2020 the PUP rate was revised and where a person had no earnings in 2018 or 2019 (for self-employed) and in 2019 or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is linked to a person's previous average weekly earnings. Last November,I secured Government approval to extend the 2020 earnings reference period for employees to September 2020.  This change, which is effective from 2 October,  meant that people who only commenced employment after February 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work supplementary, family benefit which provides additional income support to employees with children and on low earnings. Once awarded, WFP is payable for 52 weeks from the date of award at a fixed weekly rate. At the end of the 52 week award period, a person must submit a new application for reassessment. In order to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 26 November 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 Social Protection.  These papers...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Payment of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) in the case of the person concerned ceased on 23/12/2020 and is currently suspended pending the provision of a current GNIB card.  This card is required to verify continued entitlement to JA.  Following 3 requests made to the person concerned on 13/10/2020, 25/11/2020 and 08/12/2020 for a current GNIB card, the person concerned informed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Where a recipient of State Pension (contributory or non-contributory ) dies and their spouse/civil-partner/cohabitant is receiving a State Pension in their own right, the surviving recipient has an entitlement to a six weeks after-death payment. As the deceased spouse of the person concerned was in receipt of State Pension (non-contributory), the person concerned qualifies for a six weeks...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My officials have advised that an application form for an Emergency Needs Payment (ENP) and a request for information issued to the person concerned on 06/01/2021. On receipt of the completed application form and any relevant supporting documentation, the ENP application will be assessed and a decision will issue to the person concerned. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department, like all Government departments and agencies, is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond to new demands across a wide range of services. This is to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Following a review of the application made by the person concerned for a Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) his claim has been awarded with effect from 13/10/2020 at a rate of €203 per week. A payment will issue to the nominated bank account of the person concerned on Tuesday, 19/01/2021 and any arrears due will issue in the coming weeks. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Following a review of the entitlement of the person concerned, her claim was suspended as she failed to supply the information required in order to assess her entitlement. Following the submission of this information by the person concerned, their case has been reviewed and their disability allowance (DA) has been re-instated with effect from 7 October 2020. The first payment will be made...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (13 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is due Pandemic Unemployment Payment rerate arrears for the periods 26th June 2020 to the 9th of July 2020 and also from the 9th October 2020 to the 5th November 2020. There has been a technical issue with rerate arrears being paid to customers for dates prior to the 06/11/2020. It is envisaged that these arrears will be paid in January 2021. I trust this clarifies the...