Results 16,001-16,020 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to ensuring that State pension claims are processed as quickly as possible. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. All claims processing is kept under active review. The operational target for State pension (contributory) claims is 90% of timely applications awarded (where qualified) by entitlement date, currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department's Back to Education Allowance provides income support for people who wish to pursue second or third level courses. In advance of commencing a course of education or training, either part-time or full-time, including springboard courses, a person must establish an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare weekly payment, generally a Jobseeker’s payment. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) 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 an increase for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 590, 595 and 600 together. 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 dependants. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Blind Person's Pension (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The current timeframe for a decision on an application for the Blind Pension is 4.5 weeks. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (10 Mar 2021)

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. At the end of February 2021 the average number of weeks to award new Carer's Allowance applications was 4 weeks. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is paid automatically to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attention are also eligible and can apply for the grant. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance has a target of deciding 90% of new claims within 10 weeks of receipt. The average processing time for new applications in 2020 was 8 weeks and this is still being achieved to date in 2021. Since April 2020, the monthly target of deciding 90% of claims within 10 weeks has been achieved every month, with the latest figures for February 2021 showing that 96% of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel Allowance is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is a contribution towards heating costs, it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made at the weekly rate of €28.00; or if preferred, by way of two lump sum payments; and is paid over the winter...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Household Benefits Package is a set of allowances aimed at assisting qualifying recipients with their household running costs. It includes an allowance towards their electricity or gas costs, as well as the cost of their television licence. The current average turnaround time for Household Benefit Package applications is one week. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (10 Mar 2021)

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 and reviews...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (10 Mar 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. Also, means-tested payments can require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Internships (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: There are two agencies under the aegis of my Department - the Citizens Information Board (CIB) and the Pensions Authority. Two students undertook unpaid work experience in The Pensions Authority in 2019. The work experience was for a period of two weeks in one case and for a period of one day in the other. The Pensions Authority have the capacity to provide unpaid work experience in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Registration of Deaths (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Section 37 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 was amended with effect from 20 November 2020 to allow additional persons, including cohabitants, to act as qualified informants for the purposes of registering the death of a loved one. This new provision sought to address the issue of cohabitants not being officially recognised for the purposes of registering the death. Previously, the duty to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Based on the evidence supplied in support of their application for disability allowance (DA), this person’s application was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied. They were notified in writing of this decision on 31 August 2020. The person concerned requested an appeal of the decision and submitted additional medical evidence for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Losses (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I received formal notification from this employer on 17 February 2021 of proposed collective redundancies at this site. I noted and welcomed the employer's commitment to engage in a consultation process with affected employees from the week beginning 21 February in order to identify solutions and reach agreement in relation to the proposed redundancies. I also noted the employer's commitment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a subsidy to this employer through the Wage Subsidy Scheme. The Wage Subsidy Scheme gives financial incentives to private sector employers to employ people with a disability. I received notification from this employer on 17 February 2021 of proposed collective redundancies at a place of business. I noted and welcomed the employer's commitment to engage in a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Based on the evidence supplied in support of their application for disability allowance (DA), this person’s application was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied and for having means in excess of the statutory limit for their circumstances. They were notified in writing of this decision on 22 October 2019. A review of this decision was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The customer concerned will receive arrears of €700 for the period 08/01/21 to 21/01/21 with his PUP payment on the 16/03/21.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (10 Mar 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 dependants. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as...