Results 4,141-4,160 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The numbers on the scheme have increased. I do not have that information but I will get it for the Deputy.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I have numbers now. I did get them. In 2020, there were 48,188 people on the scheme. In 2021, there were 45,365 people on it. In 2022, it came back up again to 47,115 people. I do not have projections as to how many more there will be and I will not know until applications come in. We will advertise it to make sure as many people are aware of it and that they can apply for it. The...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: We are doing work on the working age payments. It still needs a bit more. We should have that next year given the work we are doing on working age payments.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: It will probably be a bit later, but obviously we will try to do it as quickly as we can. We have to put it out to public consultation and see what comes back on that.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes. Our stuff is nearly all straw man.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The straw man proposal works well because we are not starting with a blank sheet and we are able to change it as we see fit or come forward with recommendations. On the working family payment it can be paid up to the child becoming 22 if he or she is in full-time education. It is also available to lone parents who are in employment for at least 38 hours per fortnight. Lone parents who...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The aim is to migrate to in-work . We encourage people to take up and to keep employment. We want them to migrate to working.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The aim is to mitigate poverty. They are better if they are working. There is the jobseeker's transition and then there is the working family payment. There are two payments there.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: No, you cannot.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I will give a commitment to the Deputy that we will look at it.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I cannot do anything but I will look at it. The Deputy makes a good point and, in fairness, I know what he is saying. I will look at it.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I take the point made about the domiciliary care allowance because then a person is assessed as to whether he or she qualifies for a disability payment or not. The age of 16 is quite young for a person to get the full payment and there is a conversation to be had on that. The way it is at the minute is that a person is moved on to the disability payment at the age of 16. If a person does...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy mentioned figures and the cost of the working family payment. In 2016, big changes were made in the lone parents' reforms, so that would have started a drop in figures. The changes that we made then reduced the number plus, as the Deputy said, another reason is the labour market. We are promoting the working family payment and we hope the number of people availing of it will...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: We are not going to do a big bang, because that causes a lot of problems, as we know.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Whatever we do it will be done gradually, as I prefer.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: It is taking quite a while but all of the means tests are being fully reviewed. I have taken on board all of the recommendations on means tests made by the Deputy and we will come forward with a review in the new year.