Results 1,241-1,260 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity Pension (IP) is payable to an insured person who satisfies certain Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions and who is permanently incapable of work due to an illness or incapacity and for no other reason. Claimants for IP must have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions (class A, E, H or S) since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There has always been an application process for the Old Age Pension since its introduction in Ireland in 1908. The first forms were only available from Post Offices with the Old Age Pension being subject to a means test and the claimant providing proof of age. Initially pensions were awarded by Revenue officers before the function was transferred to the newly established Department of Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Formed in July 2019 the Employment Status Investigation Unit (ESIU) has inspectors across the country with the aim of being a specialised unit with a focus on detecting, targeting and reducing the issue of misclassification of employment status. They are appointed to carry out this work under Section 250 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act. They are a ‘centre of excellence’...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

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 €382 million in 2024. 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 the limited resources...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions and management of the Appeals Office is the responsibility of the Chief Appeals Officer. In 2023 the average overall processing time...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the valuable 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 main income supports to carers provided by my department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. These include contributory payments based on PRSI contributions, such as Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension, and non-contributory payments based on a means test, such as Disability Allowance and Blind Pension. Invalidity Pension, a social insurance scheme, is a weekly...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The 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. The average number of weeks to award a Disability Allowance claim is currently 7 weeks. My Department understands the many pressures faced by people and always seeks to ensure that claims are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

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. My Department aims to process all applications in a timely and impartial manner in accordance with relevant legislation....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

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. The average timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for an IP claim is currently 5 weeks. The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality customer service. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) new claim processing activity, and processing reviews requested by customers, is prioritised on an ongoing basis with particular focus on processing times to ensure a timely...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 Jul 2024)

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 €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The Job Initiative scheme provides full-time employment for people 35 years of age...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is payable in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the level of care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of the child's disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2024 is €104 million. Firstly, Carers Allowance is already a qualifying payment for the Free Travel Scheme and a person in receipt of Carers Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing Domiciliary Care Allowance by €100 to €440 per month is €76.2 million. This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2024, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of payment by an additional €90.30, from €141.70 to €232 per week, is €73 million. This includes a proportionate increase for qualified adults and those on an age-reduced rate of Supplementary Welfare Allowance. This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2024, and is subject to change...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Relations (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Firstly, let me reiterate that I value and acknowledge the important services that the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) provides to adults with disabilities across the country. As you will be aware, NAS is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It is funded to provide services on behalf of the Citizens Information Board (CIB). CIB, in turn, is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Rent Supplement (RS) scheme administered by my Department, 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 accommodation available to them from any other source. The responsibility for the provision of rent support to those with a long-term housing need has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP), formerly Family Income Supplement, is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment the customer must have at least 1 qualified child who normally resides with them and be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment. An application for WFP...