Results 18,601-18,620 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In March I announced that Government approval had been given to the final design principles for the auto-enrolment (AE) retirement savings system. A detailed explanatory paper on the new system has been published on www.gov.ie. Under the design approved by Government AE savings will be contributed by employees with a matching contribution from their employer and a 33% contribution by the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports to carers provided by Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending in 2022 is expected to amount to over €1.5 billion. There are currently 91,911 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance. This represents an increase of 22% in the past 5 years. The two principal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Funding (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. CIB delivers on this remit through its provision of services directly to the public and through a network of service delivery companies. The Money Advice and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Judicial Reviews (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The table below outlines the approximate number of cases where the Department have been named as a party in Judicial Review proceedings and files have been closed. As per Dáil Standing Order 69, it would be inappropriate to comment further on matters which are sub judice. Year Where the Department or one of its Offices was named in Judicial Review proceedings -...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April. One of the conditions for receipt of fuel allowance is that a person must satisfy a means test. The fuel allowance means test is linked to the maximum rate of State pension (contributory). An...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my department received an application for fuel allowance from this person on 29 September 2022. Fuel allowance is a means tested payment, payable to people who either live alone or only with certain other qualified people. Based on the information provided to the Department, the person concerned does not qualify for this allowance as their household includes people who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes such as Disability Allowance, all income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable, are assessable for means assessment purposes. This approach reflects the policy of ensuring that those with the least...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Energy Policy (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of the lump sum measures announced in Budget 2023, the scheduled date for the Autumn double payment is the week commencing 17 October 2022. The €500 once off disability support grant payment to people receiving Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension is scheduled for the week commencing 14 November 2022. The electricity credit falls under the remit of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, legally and 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. An application for state pension (non-contributory) from the person concerned was awarded at reduced rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla. More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system provides for a range of measures...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (13 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: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

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. Ongoing eligibility for this pension is conditional on a claimant continuing to habitually reside in the state and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion. A primary qualifying condition for the Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment in respect of a child aged under 16 with a severe disability who requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. Eligibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Where an application for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is awarded, payment is effective from the first of the month following receipt of the application. However, DCA applications may be backdated in cases where good cause for the delay in making the claim can be shown to the satisfaction of a deciding officer. This maximum permitted period is governed by social welfare legislation and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 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 person(s) in need of full-time care and attention. A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses for a maximum of 18.5 hours per week, provided that they...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

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 5 April 2022. The application was awarded to the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person referred to has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from 28 April 2022 and will receive her first payment to her nominated bank account on 20 October 2022. Any arrears due from 28 April 2022 to 19 October 2022 will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on 10 October 2022. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work weekly payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 25 September 2022. A Deciding Officer reviewed the application, and WFP was awarded on 11 October 2022. The first weekly payment and all arrears owing have issued to their selected...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In May 2022, I announced a series of measures designed to remove barriers facing social welfare customers who choose to accommodate people in their homes. The Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 10) (Income Disregard) Regulations 2022, S.I. No. 397 of 2022, were signed on 12th of July 2022. In practice, this means that a social welfare customer will be...