Results 9,221-9,240 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 05 September 2015.  According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 624 qualifying paid and credited social insurance contributions from their date of entry into self-employment, in April 1988, to end of December 2014. This equates to a yearly average of 23 contributions giving an entitlement of 85% of the state pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme providing support to 10,423 recipients at the end of August 2022. The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned reached pension age on 01 July 2022 and their application for State pension (contributory) was received on 26 July 2022. An interim decision has been made and the person concerned has been awarded State Pension (contributory) from 01 July 2022 at 85% of the maximum rate. They were notified of this decision in writing on 26...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, legally and habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record.  For the purposes of the means-test, at application stage and through the lifetime of a claim, an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory agency tasked with providing information, advocacy and advice to citizens. These important services are delivered by eight independent regional Citizen Information Service (CIS) companies.  CIB provides funding to eight CIS companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres.  It is important to note that, by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory agency tasked with providing information, advocacy and advice to citizens. These important services are delivered by eight independent regional Citizen Information Service (CIS) companies.  CIB provides funding to eight CIS companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres.  It is important to note that,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Yearly Average method of calculating State Pension Contributory payment rates has been used since the introduction of the contributory Old Age Pension (now State Pension contributory) in 1961. Under the Yearly Average approach, anomalies can arise because of the date of entry into insurable employment. A late date of entry into insurable employment can result in an unusually low divisor,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is a social insurance scheme provided by my Department to those who cannot work due to illness and who have the required number of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions.  The rate of Illness Benefit payable to a person is based on their average weekly earnings while in employment in the relevant tax year. For claims made in 2022, the relevant tax year is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There are a number of basic principles which underpin the Irish social insurance system, including the general principle of 'one person, one payment', which applies across the social welfare system.  Given the contingency-based nature of this system, it can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time, but generally, as these payments are to help...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. In this particular case, the decision was made on 26 May 2022 by a Deciding Officer that Carers Allowance was disallowed on the grounds that the appellant had been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (4 Oct 2022)

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. I confirm that my department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 24 May...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the Department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from the person concerned on 29 April 2022 Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that they were substantially restricted in taking up employment. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 28 June 2022 and was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments 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 the client’s own resources and are deemed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides two payment options for its customers: payment in cash at post offices or payment directly into customer accounts by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). A small number of ad hoc payments were also made by cheque. Customers are offered a choice of payment method for most Social Welfare schemes. In the case of jobseeker payments the default payment option is cash...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the pandemic unemployment payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work weekly payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. An application for WFP was received from the person concerned and was awarded on 27/09/2022. The first weekly payment will be lodged to the nominated bank account on 29/09/2022. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme.  Income and assets includes income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as property...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 434 and 435 together. Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). The rate of payment depends on the outcome of a means test. Carers for children under eighteen years of age may include guardians as well as parents. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The key role of the Department of Social Protection is that of income support. The Department is charged with identifying where a person has an income support need and providing that income support, for example in the form of a jobseeker’s payment, a disability allowance, or a carer's allowance.  The main income supports to carers provided by my Department are Carer’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need.  The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – such as disability, unemployment or caring.  This ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who...