Results 15,701-15,720 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Review Group for the Gender Recognition Act recommended extending legal gender recognition to non-binary people, while also recognising the complexity of the issue and acknowledging that a comprehensive impact analysis may be required. An interdepartmental group is being established to carry out this impact assessment and submit a report to Government for consideration. Preliminary work...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1145 and 1146 together. Self-employed workers who earn €5,000 or more in a contribution year, are liable to pay social insurance contributions at the class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500. Such contributors are currently covered for a wide range of social insurance benefits including State pension (contributory),...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) who lost their job as a consequence of the pandemic, must continue to satisfy the statutory qualifying conditions of the scheme to maintain their payment, which includes that they must be in a position to return to their employment. Persons in receipt of PUP who apply for part-timecourses can retain their payment as long as they continue...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Review Group for the Gender Recognition Act recommended extending legal gender recognition to non-binary people, while also recognising the complexity of the issue and acknowledging that a comprehensive impact analysis may be required. An interdepartmental group is being established to carry out this impact assessment and submit a report to Government for consideration. Preliminary work...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: There were two changes to pension eligibility and contribution rules introduced in 2012. In April 2012, the minimum number of paid contributions required to qualify for a State pension (contributory) increased from 260 to 520. This change did not impact on the person concerned as they have the required 520 contributions. In September 2012 new rate bands for State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 24 February 2021 and submitted an application for state pension non-contributory on 18 March 2021. State pension non-contributory has been awarded, with effect from 26 February 2021. The person concerned was notified of this decision on 14 April 2021. Payment of the pension arrears due will issue shortly. I trust this clarifies the matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Following receipt of recent correspondence from the person concerned, the overpayment assessed against him is being reviewed. A deciding officer will be in direct contact with the person concerned regarding the outcome of the review as soon as possible. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The State pension (contributory) is a PRSI-based pension, financed by contributions made by current workers and their employers, and paid to pensioners, at a rate based upon their PRSI record when working. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The minimum essential standard of living, MESL, is an assessment, developed by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, VPSJ, of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types. My Department has partly funded the excellent, detailed work of the VPSJ for a number of years, and I find it extremely useful. In...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of a €10 increase to all weekly social welfare payments, with a proportionate increase for qualified adults where relevant, is €780.5 million. This costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision on 2 March 2021. The appeal related to the decision of a Deciding Officer not to back-date the award of a late claim for Widower's Contributory Pension by more than six months beyond the date of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Enterprise Support Grant (ESG) is available to eligible self-employed recipients of small businesses who close their Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and re-start their business and who are not eligible for other grants available from other Government Departments. A once-off grant of up to €1,000, to assist with the costs associated with reopening, is available under this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 24 August 2018. His application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that he was substantially restricted in taking up employment. He was notified in writing of this decision on 9 January 2019. A further application for DA was received from the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A review of continued entitlement to disability allowance (DA) in the case of the person concerned was carried out by my Department. The person concerned failed to provide the social welfare inspector (SWI) with the information which was requested in order to confirm their continued entitlement. DA is a means tested scheme and the way means are assessed is laid down in social welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Social Welfare schemes that have rates and rules that are provided for in legislation, or by way of Ministerial order, are listed in the table below. The table contains end-year recipient numbers and annual expenditure for 2020 in respect of these schemes. Scheme Recipients End-2020 Expenditure 2020 (€000) State Pension (Non-Contributory)...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1164 and 1168 together. Under previous taxation law, the husband of a married couple was considered the assessable spouse and the wife was considered a dependant of the husband. Accordingly, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revenue) allocated the husband’s Revenue and Social Insurance (RSI) number to the wife and appended a “W”...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 8 April 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered with that office on 8 April 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Appointments to State Board positions, including those State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection, are managed directly by the State Boards Section at the Public Appointments Service (PAS). In line with the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards (2015), all vacancies in State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are published on the State...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (21 Apr 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A reduced rate of €112.70 generally applies for young Jobseeker's Allowance recipients aged 18-24 to protect them from welfare dependency by providing them with a strong financial incentive to participate in education or training to improve their chances of obtaining sustainable full time employment. Currently the weekly personal rate for jobseeker recipients aged 18-24 years is...