Results 11,341-11,360 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is paid for a maximum of two years or 624 payable days. The person concerned was in receipt of an Illness Benefit payment from the 22nd December 2018 to the 25th December 2020, at which point his entitlement to an Illness Benefit payment exhausted. A letter issued to the person concerned on the 26th September 2020 informing him that his entitlement to Illness Benefit was due...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Feb 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 but were laid-off in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (10 Feb 2021)

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 extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted on or after 1st November 2019. The period during which this leave can be taken will be extended from 12 to 24 months so it can be taken up to a child's second birthday...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 18 August 2020. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that he was substantially restricted in taking up employment. He was also refused on failing to supply information which was required in order to assess his entitlement. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (10 Feb 2021)

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. I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 26 November 2020. The application...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: It is important to distinguish between a process of legislative consolidation and the enacting of new legislation to modify or supplement existing law. Legislative consolidation is the process provided for when it is desired to consolidate all existing statute law on a particular subject matter from two or more existing Acts of the Oireachtas, into one replacement Act of the Oireachtas. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is payable to people between the ages of 18 and 66 which is consistent with other social protection schemes payable to people of working age who have lost their employment. In total, since the payment began, 1,785 people were in receipt of PUP until the week of their 66th birthday. It is important to note that people aged 66 years and over are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a statutory support which is available to support persons of working age - between 18 years and pensionable age, 66 years - who have lost their employment due to the pandemic and where they were not being paid by their employer. The age range provided for is consistent with other social protection schemes payable to people of working age. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: According to the information supplied to my Department by Revenue, earnings in 2019 for the person concerned amount to €20,751 with 52 Class S PRSI contributions giving average weekly earnings of €399.06. In line with Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme guidelines the correct weekly rate of payment for a person within the earnings band of €300-€399.99 is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 516 together. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid. In order to ensure that the scheme was simple and accessible for the unprecedented number of applicants, a flat payment rate was introduced. This rate was the equivalent of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Blind Person's Pension (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Blind Pension is a means tested payment paid to blind people and certain people with low vision, aged 18 and up to the age of 66 who are habitually resident in the State. Blind Pension is one of a range of means-tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse/partner, if applicable)...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is not due arrears for the week from 02/10/20 to 08/10/20 as he was overpaid for the week 24/07/20 to 30/07/20. His PUP payment of €203 for the week from 24/07/20 to 30/07/20 was paid into his bank account on 04/08/2020. Regarding his overpayment, he returned to work on 26/07/20. In normal circumstances the customer would have been entitled to PUP for the week...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (10 Feb 2021)

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 4 September 2020. The evidence was examined by a Deciding...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from 17 December 2020. Payment will issue to her nominated bank account on 11 February 2021. The person concerned was notified of this decision on 08 February 2021. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Payment of a Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) payment in the case of the person concerned ceased on 23/12/2020 and is presently suspended pending the provision of a current Irish Residence Permit (IRP) formerly known as a GNIB card. This permit is required to verify continued entitlement to JA. The person concerned applied for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment on 13/01/2021,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 makes provision for the attribution of social insurance contributions, for a period that may be prescribed, for employed contributors who are beneficiaries of certain Covid-19 income supports including the pandemic unemployment payment. Such contributors will have social insurance contributions attributed to them at the same value as they...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7 December 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 were received in the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (10 Feb 2021)

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. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Government intervention through the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and other targeted supports has provided key financial assistance to employees and businesses who have been impacted by Covid-19. Since last March over 820,000 people have benefited from the PUP and the total expenditure is approximately €5.7 billion. These figures reflect the unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), funded by the Citizens Information Board (CIB), is the State’s money advice service and provides assistance to people, in particular those on low incomes or in receipt of social welfare payments, who are over-indebted. An annual allocation is provided to the 8 regional MABS companies, by a statutory body, the CIB, on a regional basis -...