Results 17,441-17,460 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code Issues (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned was in receipt of both jobseekers allowance and rent supplement from my Department whilst also being employed on a casual basis. In August last, his jobseekers allowance was suspended as requested documentation had not been provided. This meant that his rent supplement entitlement was also suspended pending review. The necessary documents have been supplied and both...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence allowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 24th September 2012. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Appeals (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 12th April 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 9th ...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned is currently in receipt of Disability Allowance at maximum personal rate for a person in her circumstances; she will also shortly receive the Free Fuel Allowance along with this. In addition Rent Supplement is payable to the person concerned, again at the maximum rate for a person in her circumstances. She has also received payments in the past from the Supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on 20th June 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for DCA. A letter issued on 21st September 2011 refusing the allowance. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question. Additional medical evidence has been received and forwarded to the Department’s medical assessor for further consideration. Once the medical review has been concluded a deciding officer will make a full decision. The application will be processed as quickly as...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: Child benefit is a universal payment that assists parents with the cost of raising children and it contributes towards alleviating child poverty. The estimated expenditure on child benefit for 2012 is around €2 billion. Child benefit is paid to around 600,000 families in respect of some 1.15 million children. The Government is conscious that child benefit, as a universal payment, can...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Statutory Sick Pay Scheme (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The Government is considering the introduction of a scheme of statutory sick pay at this time for a number of compelling reasons – firstly as a measure to help in addressing the deficit in the social insurance fund; secondly, as a measure to limit progression from short-term illness to long-term illness or disability; and thirdly, to bring Ireland into line with practices in other...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: In order to be eligible for a State pension (transition) the person must be aged 65 years, be retired from insurable employment, and satisfy certain other qualifying conditions. They may satisfy the retirement condition if they are employed but earning less than €38 per week, and paying PRSI at Class J. Alternatively, if self-employed, they can be considered retired if they earn less...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Medicinal Products Supply (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The means of the person concerned were deemed to be in excess of the threshold for payment of diet supplement. A review of this case is being undertaken at present and the person concerned will be informed of the outcome once the review is completed.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: The €100 rate of jobseeker’s allowance was introduced for claimants aged under 20 in April 2009, and this rate was applied to claimants aged up to 21 from December 2009. The €100 rate does not apply to certain categories of claimant including: - claimants with a qualified child; - those transferring to Jobseeker's Allowance immediately after exhausting their entitlement...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (27 Sep 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question. On 12 July 2012, a deciding officer sent an information request to the person in question with an enclosed Habitual Residency form to be completed. Upon return of this information, a deciding officer will proceed with the processing of this application. When a decision is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals (2 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The legislation provides that an Appeals Officer may decide a case before him/her on the basis of the documentary evidence. This course of action was taken in this case as it was considered that an oral hearing of the person concerned was not warranted.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications (2 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 4 July 2012. The medical evidence supplied with her application was referred to one of the department’s medical assessors who was of the opinion, based on the information supplied, that she was not medically suitable for disability allowance. The deciding officer accepted this opinion and the claim was refused and the person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (2 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: In order for the person concerned to establish if an entitlement to Rent Supplement exists, he should lodge an application. He should also be assessed by a local authority as having a housing need. Although he did apply for Rent Supplement in September 2011, further necessary documentation which was requested was never submitted by him.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Financial Services Regulation (2 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260, 284, 291, 303 and 307 together. I recently announced a three-phased approach to establishing a comprehensive Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service to provide the necessary supports to assist people in mortgage distress. The approach differentiates between mortgage information and mortgage advice. The first two involve the enhancement of the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (2 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (2 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: I confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question. The medical assessment has been completed and the application is awaiting examination by a deciding officer for a means assessment and a full decision. The application will be processed as quickly as possible and when a decision is made the person concerned will be notified...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (2 Oct 2012)

Joan Burton: Qualified child increase (QCIs) are paid as child-related supplements to most weekly social welfare payments. QCIs are paid as supplements to weekly social welfare benefits and allowances in recognition of the need for greater incomes among benefit-dependent households with dependent children. The current full rate of payment is €29.80 per week per dependent child having increased in...