Results 12,681-12,700 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Energy Prices (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department operates schemes to help people with energy costs. My Department may make a single exceptional need payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. In 2019, over 3,000 ENPs were made to assist with the payment of household...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. Phase One involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots where there is no existing local employment service. The core objective of this procurement is to delivery high quality services to the people who need them....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment is an in work, income tested family payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children. Once WFP is awarded, it is payable for 52 weeks at a fixed rate, while a claimant continues to be engaged in fulltime employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight, with the same employer. If the claimant ceases...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as an emergency payment for qualifying employees and self-employed people who lost employment as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. To date expenditure on the scheme is in excess of €8.9 billion. The PUP scheme evolved and arrangements were introduced for the self-employed so...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 22 September 2021. 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 26 October 2021 and was also notified of their right to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The measures announced by Government last week, including the introduction of an earlier closing time limit in the night time industry, do not represent an economic shutdown along the lines of those previously in place. Employers in this situation, many of which have adapted their trading hours, have been encouraged to avail of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to retain staff on their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to announce on Budget Day that a 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid in early December this year benefitting over 1.4 million people in recipient of long-term social welfare payments. The payment of the Bonus this year will cost €313 million. As we know, this payment is an additional help to people as we enter the Christmas period and much of this is spent locally,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The requested information is outlined in the table below and outlines the average performance of schemes for the previous twelve months, for which operational data is available, versus targets issued as part of the published Revised Estimates Volume. Scheme Revised Estimates Volume Target Average targets achieved (12 month average) State Pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The following means test based schemes are assessed in terms of operational performance: - State Pension (Non-Contributory) - Jobseeker's Allowance - One-Parent Family Payment - Supplementary Welfare Allowance Total - Carer's Allowance - Disability Allowance - Household Benefits The following schemes which are based on PRSI contributions are also assessed: - State Pension (Contributory) -...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make an exceptional needs payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. Government has provided €46 million for the exceptional and urgent needs scheme in 2021. The exceptional needs payment scheme is available to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Nov 2021)

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. When an appeal is assigned to an Appeals Officer for consideration the Appeals Officer makes a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to ensuring that State pension (contributory) claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. The operational target for State pension (contributory) claims is to have 90% of applications awarded (where qualified) by entitlement date, currently the applicant's 66th birthday. The State Pension Contributory Section in my Department processes pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Nov 2021)

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 Chief Appeals Officer that in 2020 a total of 23,664 appeals were registered and 26,790 were finalised. In the period January to October 2021 20,574...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Since the gradual lifting of restrictions the number of customers receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) has reduced dramatically to just over 57,100 compared to a peak of over 600,000 in May 2020 and 481,000 in February 2021. As the Live Register figures demonstrate, in the vast majority of cases, the decrease in PUP numbers is due to a return to work and not to a transfer to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department introduced Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds on 25 January 2021, to deliver on a Programme for Government commitment to address the position of people who are required to or chose to retire at age 65. This payment is for people aged 65 who have ceased employment or self-employment and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. To qualify, a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Unemployment (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, this country faced an unprecedented shock to the labour market as a result of the pandemic. Prior to Covid-19, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate for 2019 averaged approximately 12.5 percent. Following the onset of the pandemic, the CSO’s "COVID-19 adjusted" monthly youth unemployment rate, which includes all those in receipt of the PUP,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy, where available, is set out in the tables below. Table 1: Pensions Applications - State Pension (Contributory) Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension State Pension (Non-Contributory) Oct-20 2,637 700 649 Nov-20 3,646 639 851 Dec-20 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State Pension (Contributory) also being satisfied, the State pension system already provides significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role. This is provided through the award of credits and/or the application of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Registration of Births (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that the HSE is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of civil registration services. My Department, through the General Register Office, has made enquiries with the HSE who have advised that there are no backlogs in registering births with the exception of the Eastern Registration Areas. The HSE have advised that the time taken to register a birth in the Eastern...