Results 6,301-6,320 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) ceases to be payable when a child turns 16. A child may transition to Disability Allowance (DA) from age 16, even if still attending full-time education, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions for that scheme, including certain medical criteria and a means test. The number of qualified children in respect of whom DCA is payable will vary each...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Household Benefits package comprises of an electricity or gas allowance, and a free television licence.  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 or who satisfy a means test.  The package is also available to some people under age 66, who are in receipt...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Employment rights relating to illness and entitlement to statutory sick pay are a matter for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.  Where a person is absent from work for more than three days due to illness and meets the contribution requirements, along with other statutory conditions, they may have an entitlement to Illness Benefit from the Department of Social Protection....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability, both social insurance and means tested schemes.  There are a range of schemes available to people who make Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment for people who are deemed permanently incapable of work due to a long-term...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Application Forms (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, administered by the Community Welfare Service in my Department, Additional Needs Payments may be made to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income.  This is a demand-led scheme and there is no budget cap.  Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system, helps eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.  Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Maternity Benefit is a statutory payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions.  The fundamental qualification criteria for Maternity Benefit are that a woman must be in insurable employment and entitled to statutory maternity leave or be in insurable self-employment.  The applicant must also...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned will reach pension age on 18 July 2023. I have arranged for a copy of the person’s social insurance record to issue to them along with an application for State Pension (Contributory).  On receipt of the completed application, their entitlement will be examined and they will be notified of the outcome. If the person in question considers...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body under the aegis of my Department charged with providing independent information, advice and advocacy services to the public on a range of issues.   In relation to your query, CIB funds and supports eight independent regional Citizen Information Service (CIS) companies, which in turn operate a national network of Citizens...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body under the aegis of my Department tasked with providing independent information, advice and advocacy services to the public on a range of issues.   In relation to your query regarding in-person services, CIB funds and supports eight regional Citizen Information Service companies, which in turn operate a national network of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention.  Carer’s Benefit is payable to a carer for up to a maximum of 104 weeks in respect of a care recipient. To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance 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. For certain social welfare payments, the legislation provides that if a payment recipient is unable to collect their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Gender Recognition Act was referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands for pre-legislative scrutiny by my predecessor in 2019.  It is not possible at present to indicate a specific timeframe for when this process will be complete.  I trust that this clarifies the position...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The key role of my Department is to provide income supports where an income need may arise due to unemployment, illness/disability and caring...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware Job Initiative (JI) is an employment support scheme which was designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities.  Recruitment onto the scheme ceased from November 2004.  The Department funds wages for JI team leaders and JI participants along with a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 915 and 926 together. 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 €412 million in 2023.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  Only one allowance is paid per household. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: One Parent Family payment at full rate has been awarded in this case and a decision letter issued to the person concerned outlining payment details on 30/03/2023. One parent family payment including arrears has been issued to the person's nominated post office on 05/04/2023.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 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. There has been no recent communication to the IP section in respect of this claim that closed in 2016. The person concerned was in receipt of IP from 11 December 2003 to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Apr 2023)

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 €412 million in 2023.  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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: An application for State Pension IQA by the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 20 February 2023.  A further review by a Deciding Officer was disallowed on 07 March 2023. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against...