Results 18,401-18,420 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 233 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, which is supporting over 370,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a widows contributory pension at the maximum weekly rate for a person under age 66 of €213.50. In addition she is in receipt of the fuel allowance at the weekly rate of €33.00, with the first payment for the current season on 30 September. The fuel allowance is paid during the winter months .The person concerned is also in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is included in the attached tabular statement, and refers to current recipients of Full-rate Carer's Allowance, Half-rate Carer's Allowance, Carer's Support Grant, Carer's Benefit and Domiciliary Care Allowance as of September 30th 2022. County Full-rate Carer's Allowance Half-rate Carer's Allowance Carer's Support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system on 20th September 2022. The measures, which were approved by Government, are in response to the recommendations from the Commission on Pensions. The set of measures represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system. Rather than fixating on the idea of a single State Pension age, a flexible...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of a means review into her continued entitlement to disability allowance (DA), the person concerned was notified on 21 March 2022 that their entitlement to DA will cease effective from 30 March 2022. Based on the information provided by this person, her current means are in excess of the statutory limit for DA under section 210 and 302(b) of the 2005 Social Welfare Consolidation Act....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: On 12th September 2022, my Department implemented a formal blended working policy under which staff members may apply for a blended working arrangement, with attendance both in the office and remotely, subject to role suitability and other conditions. As at 30th September 2022, the number of staff members within my Department working remotely on a part-time or full-time basis and who have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Both Ulster Bank and KBC have announced their intention to leave the Irish market and have commenced communication with their customers, including customers of the Department who have their social welfare payments paid into their Ulster Bank and KBC accounts. My Department been proactively engaged in putting in place arrangements to facilitate a streamlined and accessible process to allow...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The purpose of the Fuel Allowance payment is to assist households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The Fuel Allowance payment is targeted towards those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Covid-19 does not constitute a prescribed disease or illness as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as it does not meet the criteria laid down in the Act. Section 87 (2) of the Act states that a disease or injury shall be prescribed for the purposes of this section in relation to any insured persons, where the Minister is satisfied that— (a) it ought to be treated,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. An application for invalidity pension by the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 9 May 2022. I am informed by the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cost of Living Issues (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, I have secured a package of €2.2 billion for Social Protection measures as part of Budget 2023. This represents the largest Budget package for the Department of Social Protection in the history of the State and will help to support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and families during this difficult...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Guardian's payment is paid to approximately 1,800 recipients, in respect of almost 2,200 children. Guardian's payment, at the current weekly rate of €191 per child, is the highest rate of weekly child income support paid by my Department. As a result of the measures announced in budget 2023, the rate of Guardian's payment will increase by €12 to €203 per week per child,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cost of Living Issues (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, I have secured a package of €2.2 billion for Social Protection measures as part of Budget 2023. This represents the largest Budget package for the Department of Social Protection in the history of the State and will help to support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and families during this difficult...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, which is supporting over 370,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, my Department will spend approximately €1.2 billion in one-off measures during the coming months to help individuals and families through this difficult period. The €500 lump sum payment to those on Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension will be paid only to those receiving these payments in the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce a €12 increase in weekly payments. This increase will also apply to Community Employment, Rural Social Scheme and Tús scheme participants. In addition, I am increasing the top-up rate on these employment schemes by €5 per week. This means that, combined with the rate increase, participants on these schemes will see a rise of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. A claim for IP was received from the person concerned on 15 September 2022. In order to establish medical suitability two forms were sent to him on 30 September 2022.The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department's Additional Needs Payment is available to support people when they face essential expenses that they are unable to meet from their income regardless of their employment situation or hours of work and each case is assessed on its merits taking account of the person’s income and expenses. So far this year to the end of September 2022 66,000 Additional Needs Payments have...