Results 5,921-5,940 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (8 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The free television licence forms part of the household benefits package, together with the electricity or gas allowance.  The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment and who are living alone or only with an excepted person.  There is of course a universal entitlement to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January last, the Government agreed to allow pensioners, born on or after the 1st September 1946, affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands, to have their state pension (contributory) entitlement calculated under an interim “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA).  The changes also provide for up to 20 years of home caring periods...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment Eligibility (8 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax free payment which provides additional income support to employees, with children, on low earnings. The applicant,  in order to qualify for working family payment,  must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for no less than 38 hours in a fortnight. An application to renew the Working...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (8 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was notified by my Department on the 15th of August 2018 that they had a debt of €198.00.  The correspondence stipulated to the person concerned that this debt would be recovered by a reduction in their weekly payment of 15% of his personal rate and that the deductions would begin 3 weeks from the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (8 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The person concerned was last paid a weekly Jobseeker's Allowance on 13thDecember 2016 and last paid a weekly Supplementary Welfare Allowance on 6th September 2017. She has appealed the decisions to disallow both payments and the appeal process is currently underway. In the meantime, she has received a number of Exceptional Needs Payments, including on four occasions during October 2018....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Applications (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned has now been processed and any arrears owing to her have been issued. If she remains ill and unfit for work, she should forward further medical certificates to the Department as soon as possible to enable payments to continue to issue. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Overall payment levels of Illness Benefit (IB) are now at their normal level. For information, in any one week, circa 50,000 customers are entitled to an IB payment. Last week, circa 54,000 customer payments were made, approximately 4,000 payments in excess of the normal level, and this includes some customers due arrears. For any customers with arrears outstanding, the Department would like...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned is certified to 2nd February 2019 and is paid to date. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Waiting Times (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Secretary General will appear before the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection on 8th November 2018 in order to update the committee on the issues pertaining to recent Illness Benefit payment matters and the steps taken to address these issues. The Secretary General will respond to any questions raised by the committee at that meeting. In addition to his role as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 166 together. In line with other EU and OECD jurisdictions where such measures feature in their social welfare systems age related reduced jobseeker’s allowance (JA) payments for young unemployed people were introduced on a phased basis to tackle high youth unemployment.  Receiving the maximum rate of JA without a strong financial...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Unemployment Measures (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) has been open to applications since Monday 1st October 2018.  YESS is targeted at young jobseekers aged 18-24 years of age who are long-term unemployed or who face barriers to employment. The scheme aims to provide jobseekers with the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a supportive environment while on a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Waiting Times (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested payment, made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 25,700 recipients for which the Government has provided €179.50 million for in 2018. The outturn figure for 2017, with projected costs for 2018 and 2019, are provided in the following table. The 2018 forecast outturn figure remains in line with actual outturn trends to date...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Benefit Applications (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the paternity benefit appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Social welfare legislation provides that where a person under 25 years of age claiming a social welfare payment and is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, an assessment is made of the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of residing there. The value of the benefit and privilege assessed is based on the level of the parents' assessable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Correspondence (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: On 23 January last, the Government agreed to allow pensioners, born on or after the 1st September 1946, affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands, to have their state pension (contributory) entitlement calculated under an interim “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA). The changes also provide for up to 20 years of home caring periods in the calculation of that entitlement, for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Applications (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned has been processed and any arrears owing to him have been issued. If the person remains ill and unfit for work, he should submit further medical certificates to the Department as soon as possible to enable further payments to issue to him. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Occupational Injuries Benefit Applications (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: The Occupational Injury Benefit (OIB) claim for the person concerned was disallowed. The reason for this decision is because, as stated by the person concerned, he first noticed his incapacity before Christmas last. However, his incident at work did not occur until 8th February 2018. OIB is only allowed in cases where the incapacity is solely due to a work place accident or develops due to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Waiting Times (7 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: Overall payment levels of Illness Benefit (IB) are now at their normal level. For information, in any one week, circa 50,000 customers are entitled to an IB payment. Last week, circa 54,000 customer payments were made, approximately 4,000 payments in excess of the normal level, and this includes some customers due arrears. For any customers with arrears outstanding, the Department would like...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Illness Benefit Payments (6 Nov 2018)

Regina Doherty: I would like to finish by saying-----