Results 13,381-13,400 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department’s in-person services are provided through our network of Intreo Centres. All of our Intreo Centres have continued to operate a service for the public throughout the pandemic with the full range of services being provided. All of these centres are open 5 days per week, as are our branch offices. Offices are open for walk-in service each morning and appointment all day...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Registration Service (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can inform the Deputy that the HSE is responsible for the operation of civil registration offices. The HSE has informed the General Register Office that civil registration offices have reopened to the public. The office located in Dublin is operating an appointment-based service at present. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that I will be considering a range of options for Budget 2022 over the coming days, taking account of available resources. It is important to emphasise that the Government takes a range of data and research into account in formulating its budget. The last two Budgets have seen a series of evidence-based increases in some social welfare payments targeted to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine sustainability and eligibility issues with the State Pension and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment. As part of its Terms of Reference, the Commission was tasked with considering options to address issues including qualifying age, contribution rates, total contributions and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Oct 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. The time taken to process an appeal reflects all aspects of the appeal process including the time spent in the Department reviewing the decision in light of the appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that I will be considering a range of options for Budget 2022 over the coming days, taking account of available resources. It is important to emphasise that the Government takes a range of data and research into account in formulating its budget. The last two Budgets have seen a series of evidence-based increases in some social welfare payments targeted to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department at end-September 2021, there are 464,459 customers currently in receipt of State pension (contributory) Population projections indicate that Ireland will undergo significant demographic changes between 2020 and 2050. It is therefore envisaged that the number of State pension recipients will continue to rise. I hope this clarifies the position for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As of 3 October 2021, there were 120,411 individuals in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA). Details of JA recipients by month over the past two years are shown in the tabular statement. Between October 2019 and September 2021, there were an average of 132,185 individuals per month in receipt of JA. The minimum number of recipients over this period was recorded on October 3rd 2021....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As of 3rd October 2021, there were 86,254 recipients of long-term jobseeker's support (.i.e. in receipt of a jobseekers payment for 12 months or more).

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The table below shows the number of invalidity pension recipients at the end of each month over the past two years, from August 2019 to August 2021.During this period the number of recipients has fluctuated from a low of 57,997 in August 2019 to a high of 59,340 in January 2021. The most recently available number of recipients (Aug 2021) is 58,369. As Invalidity Pension is a demand-led...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Child benefit is the principal way the State assists families with the costs of raising children. It is paid in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years, or to the age of 18 in respect of children who are in full-time education or who have a disability. The total number of child benefit recipients for September 2021 was 633,270 in respect of 1.2 million children. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: At the end of September 2021, there were 95,290 state pension non-contributory (personal rate) recipients. The numbers of recipients over the past 2 years are provided in the table below. This has remained relatively consistent over the past number of years at around 95,000. Date Number of recipients of SPNC (personal rate) 31 December 2020 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Prisoner's Wife's Allowance was a means tested payment made to women under 66 years of age whose husband was in prison and who have no dependent children. The scheme was closed to new applicants with effect from 2 January 1997 when One Parent Family Payment was introduced.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

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 need...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 15,939 active recipients at the end of August 2021. The strategic goal of returning rent supplement to its original purpose - that of a short-term income support - has been primarily facilitated by the introduction of the Housing Assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Oct 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. The table below provides details of the number of appeals registered in respect of decisions regarding Jobseeker's Allowance, Disability Allowance and Illness Benefit in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Oct 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. The tables below provide details of the outcomes of all finalised appeals in respect of Invalidity Pension, Jobseeker's Allowance, Illness Benefit and Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy where available is set out in the table below. I am advised that there were no refused applications recorded for persons aged 100 or older in September. The numbers in the table below refer to the main recipient of the scheme and does not include any adult dependants who may be aged 100 or older. Persons Aged 100+ in Ireland in receipt of Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The table below sets out the amount of Rent Supplement paid out by the Department of Social Protection in each of the years 2019, 2020 and up to the end of September 2021. Rent Supplement Expenditure €m 2019 125.2 2020 133.1 Year to Date September 2021 98.7

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the different qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of...