Results 19,361-19,380 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: The purpose of the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is to assist people with essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. ENPs are demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department allocated a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) to the individual referred to by the Deputy on 5th June 2012. A letter confirming the details of his PPSN issued to him on 22nd November 2022. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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

Heather Humphreys: 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, this person concerned lives with someone in receipt of a State Contributory Pension (SPC). A letter issued to the person concerned on 22 November 2022 informing them the Contributory Pensioner must apply for the...

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 02 July 2022. An application for State Pension non-contributory was received in my Department on 09/08/2022. The State Pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment. As such, all recipients of the State Pension non-contributory are subject to a means test. Social welfare legislation provides that all income and capital belonging to an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 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. Fuel Allowance in this case was awarded from 14 October 2022. The person concerned was notified in writing on the 17 November 2022. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

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

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions. I confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments (ANPs) to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term, introduced into our statistical reporting in 2022, used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements...

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

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make Additional Needs Payment (ANPs) 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 a person’s own resources and are...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 435 together. The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private...

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

Heather Humphreys: The 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, one of...

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

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is in receipt of State Pension (contributory) and an Increase for Qualified Adult allowance since 28 September 2006. The State Pension (contributory) awarded was based on a yearly average of 47 contributions. It is paid at the weekly rate of €248.30 plus an additional €10.00 over 80 allowance and the maximum Increase for Qualified Adult allowance of...

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

Heather Humphreys: The increase for Living Alone ceased on 25/05/2022 as the person concerned is no longer residing alone. They were notified in writing of this decision and informed of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent social welfare appeals office (SWAO). I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (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. Once awarded WFP is payable for 52 weeks. At the end of the 52-week period a customer must reapply (renew)...

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

Heather Humphreys: The delivery of crucial community welfare services to meet the challenges and the needs of citizens across the country is a priority for me and for my Department. Staffing levels have been maintained in the Community Welfare Service (CWS) nationwide in recent years, even during times when demands on the service decreased significantly. This reflects my commitment to continue to support the...

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

Heather Humphreys: Overpayments of social welfare assistance and benefit payments arise as a consequence of decisions made under the relevant sections of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005 (as amended). Customers who have been overpaid social welfare have a liability to refund the overpayment as they have been in receipt of a payment to which they were not entitled. Some payments can issue where a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 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. Only one fuel allowance is payable to a household. As the Fuel Allowance is already in payment to another person in the household, the person concerned is not entitled to the allowance. I hope...

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

Heather Humphreys: While the building on the Navan Road was closed for significant maintenance and upgrade work in April 2022, the Office of Public Works (OPW), which owns the building, advised that an urgent situation had arisen where there is a requirement to source emergency accommodation for critical units of An Garda Síochána (AGS) in North Dublin at short notice. This requirement necessitated...

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

Heather Humphreys: Disablement Benefit is part of the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme. This scheme caters for people injured or incapacitated by an accident at work or while travelling to or from work. The scheme also covers people who have contracted a disease as a result of the type of work they do. Payments under the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme, including Disablement Benefit, did not...