Results 5,381-5,400 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As part of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, Government committed to finalising an approach for the benchmarking and indexation of pension payments. Last September, I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system. The measures are in response to the recommendations from the Commission on Pensions and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jun 2023)

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. I can confirm that my Department received an application for IP and this individual has been awarded their claim with effect from 18 May 2023. They will receive their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17, if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. Claimants in receipt of Child Benefit received a double payment in November 2022, which benefited approximately 650,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Following an Appeals Officer decision, payment of an increased rate of guardians payment non-contributory for the person concerned will be made to her nominated account from 30 June 2023. All arrears due will issue to her account on the same date. The Department has notified the person concerned. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 and 410 together. The introduction of a pensions auto-enrolment system is a Programme for Government commitment, and a key priority for me as Minister for Social Protection. Last year, I published 'The Design Principles for Ireland’s Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System', which set out the new system in detail. It envisaged that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention in the home, substantially in excess of 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 for at least 12 months. An application for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: A number of schemes administered by my Department require medical evidence, provided by a GP, as part of the application process or as part of the process to determine continued eligibility for a certain payment. The Department has a panel of Medical Certifiers who carry out this role. Payment in respect of completed Medical Certificates and Reports is made on an agreed fee-per-item...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered and in line with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Chapter 13 of Part 2 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 legislates for the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme for persons injured by an accident at work or caused by a prescribed disease due to the nature of their employment. Covid-19 is not currently a prescribed disease or illness for the purposes of the Occupation Injuries Benefit scheme. Section 87 (2) of the Act states...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was in receipt of an Increase for a Qualified Adult on their State Pension (Contributory). An increase for a qualified adult is a means-tested payment, payable to a claimant whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a means test income...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: In relation to the details supplied, officials from my Department will contact the person directly to clarify the situation.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Indecon Cost of Disability report highlighted that there is not a single typical ‘cost of disability’; rather there is a spectrum from low additional costs to extremely high extra costs of disability, depending on the individual circumstances of the person concerned. It also highlighted that the cost of disability is significantly broader than the income support system and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection provides income supports for people with disabilities. The main long term disability payment supports are Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension. Disability Allowance is subject to a medical assessment and means test. The means assessment includes income from employment or self-employment, income from a social security pension from another...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal was received to that office on 14February 2023. In the interest of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year revenue that would be generated by establishing a new employer PRSI rate of 19.75% on any salaries paid over €90,000 per year is approximately €985.7 million. This estimate does not take into account any possible changes in employer or employee behaviour arising from changing the rate of employer PRSI contribution. I trust this clarifies the matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year revenue that would be generated by increasing the 11.05% employers PRSI rate to 13.05% on salaries paid below €90,000 per year and leaving the current rate of 11.05% for those earning over €90,000 per year is approximately €1.574 billion. This estimate does not take into account any possible changes in employer or employee behaviour arising from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2023 is €95 million. It is important to note that, in general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is a secondary benefit linked...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jun 2023)

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. Means are any income belonging to the carer and their spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant and includes earnings,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The processing of applications for State Pension Contributory (SPC) is a priority of my Department and is monitored on an ongoing basis with particular focus on processing times, to ensure a timely service to applicants. There are 30 full-time equivalent Deciding Officers assigned to assessing new applications, reviews and appeal activity for State Pension (contributory). The Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Living Alone Increase is paid to people aged 66 and over, who live alone and are in receipt of certain social welfare payments: the State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-Contributory); Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension; Widow's/Widower's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme; Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational...