Results 10,861-10,880 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is currently undertaking a significant expansion of public employment services.  In particular, specialised employment services for those farthest from the labour market - previously available in just twelve counties - will soon be available State-wide for the first time.   In the first phase of this procurement, contracts for Intreo Partners - Local Area...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The ‘liability to maintain family’ provisions, contained in social welfare legislation, are separate to, and do not negate or supersede parents’ obligations under Family Law.  Where a person is in receipt of One Parent Family Payment (OFP), the liability to maintain family provisions provide my Department with a legislative basis to carry out an assessment of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The issue of family maintenance payments is first and foremost a private matter for the people concerned. Social Welfare legislation provides that some or all of the cost of One-Parent Family (OFP) payments are recovered.  In every case where OFP is awarded, the Department seeks to ascertain whether the other parent (liable relative) is in a financial position to contribute towards the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability.  Expenditure on these supports is estimated to amount to some €4.8 billion in 2021. In general, medical or health related benefits fall within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE.  However, my Department administers the Treatment Benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022.  The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household.  It is not intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Expenditure on the Parent's Benefit scheme for 2021 was €36.65 million. The estimated cost for the scheme in 2022 is €63.95 million. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 Apr 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. 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: Social Welfare Payments (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (26 Apr 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 of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department currently has 58 Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each contracted Branch Office is operated and managed under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office Managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors. The contract...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned reached pension age on 1 November 2012. Their State pension (non-contributory) application was received on 5 November 2021 and their State pension (contributory) application on 28 February 2022. The person concerned was awarded State pension (contributory) with effect from 6 May 2021, six months from the date of receipt of their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment paid to people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or disability. It is based on a claimant's social insurance contributions and the personal rate of payment is not means tested. Expenditure on Invalidity Pension amounted to approximately €730 million in 2021. A qualifying condition for Invalidity Pension is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (26 Apr 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 February there were in excess of 155,000 people in receipt of this payment. The personal weekly rate increased in January to €208 per week. Increases are applied where there is a qualified adult...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes such as Disability Allowance, all income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable, are assessable for means assessment purposes. If a claimant is married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, the means of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a number of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. Invalidity Pension is paid to people who are “permanently incapable of work” because of illness or disability. It is based on a claimant's social insurance contributions and is not means tested. Increases are paid where there are adult or child dependants. People in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (26 Apr 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. Carer's Allowance acts as an income support for those who cannot earn adequate income in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not have the information requested by the Deputy on those enrolled in further or higher education courses leading to qualifications at levels 6 to 10. However, my Department can provide information relating to Jobseekers Transitional Payment (JST) recipients and those that closed their claim and self certified as having taken up educational, training or employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1037 and 1086 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the 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 the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent...