Results 19,341-19,360 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to announce on Budget Day that a 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid this year benefitting 1.3 million people in receipt of long-term social welfare payments. The Bonus will be paid during the week beginning the 5th of December and will cost approximately €294 million. The Bonus includes payments to pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment for employees with children which supports people in low paid employment. The WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take up employment. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, my Department will spend approximately €1.2 billion in social welfare measures this year to help individuals and families through this difficult period. One of these measures is the Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment which was paid to those schemes which are eligible to receive the Christmas Bonus, with one amendment - the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: While policy on energy poverty is primarily a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, I made a number of significant changes in Budget 2023 which will assist low-income households with rising energy costs. A number of considerable reforms were made to the Fuel Allowance scheme with up an estimated 81,000 new households to benefit from the major expansion of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, my Department will spend €1.3 billion this year on cost-of-living supports to help individuals and families through this difficult period. The €500 lump sum payment to those on Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension was paid to those receiving these payments in the relevant week in November. Community...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2023 (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I announced on Budget Day that the Government will spend €2.2 billion on Social Protection measures, including over €880 million in order to provide for a €12 increase to the weekly rate of social welfare payments from January 2023. Cost of living family supports include: an October cost-of-living double payment, and again in December via the payment of the Christmas...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2023 (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, I announced on Budget Day that my Department will spend approximately €1.2 billion on social welfare measures to help individuals and families through this difficult period. These measures include an Autumn Double Payment, which was paid in mid-October to over 1.4 million people, including pensioners, carers, people with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government and the Economic Recovery Plan include commitments to consider a pay-related jobseeker’s benefit scheme. Pathways to Work commits to using the experience from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to inform the design of such a scheme that may be developed. The introduction of a pay-related benefit for jobseekers would bring Ireland in line with the majority...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is not, and has never been, a qualifying payment for the Christmas Bonus. Illness Benefit is a short-term social welfare scheme which, by its nature, has a high degree of churn with people coming onto the scheme and moving off every week. The duration of claims is often very short. For example, between July and September 2022, almost 115,000 Illness Benefit claims were...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to delivering excellent Customer Service. The Department aims to provide the best possible service, ensuring all customers are served in a professional, fair, courteous and timely manner, and are provided with full and clear information regarding entitlements while having their privacy respected. My officials are currently in the process of reviewing and updating...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As of the week ending the 20thof November, the Live Register, which consists of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Jobseeker’s Benefit and Credits, stood at some 181,500 claimants. There has been some variation in the Live Register in the recent period. Notably, the Live Register rose to some 180,700 jobseekers following the closure of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) end-March 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2023 (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The 2021 Indecon Cost of Disability report identified that additional costs of disability run across a number of areas of expenditure, including housing, equipment, aids and appliances, care and assistance services, mobility, transport, communications, medicines, and additional living expenses. The findings of the research have implications for many areas of public policy. Based on this,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Nov 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, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, my Department will spend €1.3 billion this year on cost-of-living supports to help individuals and families through this difficult period. Participants on the Rural Social Scheme are eligible for the Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment paid last month, and the Christmas Bonus in December. Those participants with children were also...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Nov 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. All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domestic Violence (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Primary responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The accommodation needs of victims of domestic violence are met through a joined-up service delivery model provided by Tusla with the close involvement of housing authorities nationwide and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting the development of new enterprises. The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme supports people in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment to develop a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: On 27 June 2020, I had the privilege of being appointed as Minister for Social Protection. At that time, the rate of Fuel Allowance was €24.50 per week, payable over a 28 week period. From 4 January 2021, I increased the weekly rate by €3.50, raising the rate of payment to €28.00 per week. I secured a further increase of €5 to the weekly rate of Fuel Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The two principal conditions for receipt of Carer’s Allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided, and that the means test which applies is satisfied. Carer’s Allowance is primarily aimed at carers on low incomes who look after certain people who need full-time care and attention. While the age and the level of care required by those being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: It is my understanding that the question relates to the automatic enrolment retirement savings system and therefore will answer on that basis. Automatic Enrolment (AE) is a State sponsored, quality assured, retirement savings system. It is separate to the State Pension which will remain the bedrock of the Irish pension system. It will be of particular benefit to the estimated 65% of...