Results 10,121-10,140 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: An application for state pension non-contributory was received from the person concerned on 22 November 2021.  On 27 November 2021, the case was referred to a Social Welfare Inspector  to investigate the means of the person concerned, so that their entitlement to the means-tested pension could be properly assessed.    The Inspector wrote...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1105, 1106, 1107 and 1108 together. 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.  An Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is a single payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In general, the criteria for the various secondary benefits schemes administered by my Department are designed to ensure that these benefits go to those who need them the most. Any decision to expand the qualifying criteria for these schemes would have wider budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of overall budget negotiations. Having said that, I am very...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 02 April 2022. In general, to qualify for the State pension (contributory) a person must have at least 520 paid contributions and satisfy a yearly average test (a yearly average of 48 contributions paid and/or credited is required for a maximum rate pension).   Section 110 (1) of The Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role.  Accordingly, the State Pension (Contributory) system already includes a comprehensive range of measures including PRSI Credits, Homemaker's Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods (of up to 20 years) outside of paid employment in the calculation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: An application for the State Pension Contributory (SPC) was received on 11th January 2021.  At that time, it was determined that the person concerned had a total or 1495 reckonable paid/credited contributions during the period 1971 to 2020 which resulted in a yearly average of 31.  Based on this information the person concerned was awarded SPC at the weekly rate of €223.20...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of income supports for full-time carers including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.   Eligibility for Carer’s Allowance is not contingent on a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 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.  The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21 April 2022.  It is a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66.  This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical examination, a means test and Habitual Residency conditions.  My Department is committed to making decisions on entitlement as quickly as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (14 Jun 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. There are no delays with processing CA claims at present.  The target processing time for CA is to process 75% of new...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Currently, five weeks Parent's Leave and Benefit is available to all eligible parents of children born or adopted from 1 November 2019.  The leave and benefit must be availed of within the first two years of the child’s life or adoption. In Budget 2022, the Government provided for the number of weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the largest in 14 years and provided for a €5 across the board increase to all weekly payments, as well as a number of other targeted measures intended to focus resources in the most effective way towards the most vulnerable social welfare recipients.  As energy prices were increasing, the €5 increase to the Fuel Allowance rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) 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.  Separate to the appeaI referred to by the Deputy, I am advised that a revised decision in favour of the person concerned was recently made by a Deciding...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.  The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to over 631,000 families in respect of almost 1.2 million children with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.  The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to over 631,000 families in respect of almost 1.2 million children with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.   The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment.  The terms of reference included a review of the situation in other countries, the changes they have planned or legislated for and the approaches taken.  The Commission was an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Externally contracted employment services have formed part of my Department's service provision since these services transferred from FÁS.  In delivering these services the Department shares data under strict conditions to these service providers.  The Department does not distinguish between providers such as JobPath or Local Employment Services or other providers when...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body with responsibility for the Citizens Information Service (CIS).  CIB receives an annual funding allocation from the Department of Social Protection and it, in turn, provides funding to eight CIS companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres.  Each CIS is a limited company overseen by a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability, the largest of which is the Disability Allowance scheme.  As at the end of April there were in excess of 155,600 people in receipt of this payment.   Following Budget 2022, the Disability Allowance personal weekly rate increased, in January, to €208 per...