Results 16,241-16,260 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 491, 503 and 505 together. The Government will continue to keep all aspects of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) under review and future decisions will be informed by the trajectory of the pandemic and the evolving public health situation. Government intervention through the introduction of the PUP and other targeted supports has provided key financial...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned made an application for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) on 20/11/2020. This claim was disallowed on the basis that the person concerned failed to establish a need for assistance as her bank statement reflects lodgements being made by her former partner. A decision letter dated 07/12/2020 issued to the person concerned...

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 9 December 2020. The first payment will be made by her chosen payment method on 17 February 2021. Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments (if applicable). I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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

Heather Humphreys: The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory scheme payable to people aged between 18 and 66 years of age who have lost their employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is consistent with other social protection schemes payable to people of working age who have lost their employment. People aged 66 years and over are eligible to apply for State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (10 Feb 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. All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all...

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

Heather Humphreys: The COVID 19 pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) is a statutory scheme paid to people who have lost employment as a consequence of Covid-19 and are not being paid by their employer. PUP is not payable where a person leaves work to care for an elderly or sick relative. From the outset of Covid-19, many employers will have taken the initiative, in line with requests from the Government, to be...

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

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance (DA) is payment for persons between the ages of 16 and 66 with a disability which is expected to last at least one year, and who by reason of that disability, are substantially restricted in undertaking work suitable to their age, qualifications and experience. Applicants must also satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in the State. Entitlement to DA is not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (10 Feb 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. There are no delays in processing claims once the necessary information is provided. In January 2021 the average number of weeks to award new Carer's Allowance applications was 5 weeks and 4 weeks for new...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (10 Feb 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. The full-time care and attention requirement and the 18.5 hour limitation are contained in the legislative provisions of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is paid for a maximum of two years or 624 payable days. The person concerned was in receipt of an Illness Benefit payment from the 22nd December 2018 to the 25th December 2020, at which point his entitlement to an Illness Benefit payment exhausted. A letter issued to the person concerned on the 26th September 2020 informing him that his entitlement to Illness Benefit was due...

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

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is linked to a person's previous average weekly earnings. Last November, I secured Government approval to extend the 2020 earnings reference period for employees to September 2020. This change, which is effective from 2 October, meant that people who only commenced employment after February 2020 but were laid-off in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021. This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted on or after 1st November 2019. The period during which this leave can be taken will be extended from 12 to 24 months so it can be taken up to a child's second birthday...

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 18 August 2020. Their 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 also refused on failing to supply information which was required in order to assess his entitlement. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (10 Feb 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. I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 26 November 2020. The application...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (10 Feb 2021)

Heather Humphreys: It is important to distinguish between a process of legislative consolidation and the enacting of new legislation to modify or supplement existing law. Legislative consolidation is the process provided for when it is desired to consolidate all existing statute law on a particular subject matter from two or more existing Acts of the Oireachtas, into one replacement Act of the Oireachtas. The...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is payable to people between the ages of 18 and 66 which is consistent with other social protection schemes payable to people of working age who have lost their employment. In total, since the payment began, 1,785 people were in receipt of PUP until the week of their 66th birthday. It is important to note that people aged 66 years and over are...

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

Heather Humphreys: The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a statutory support which is available to support persons of working age - between 18 years and pensionable age, 66 years - who have lost their employment due to the pandemic and where they were not being paid by their employer. The age range provided for is consistent with other social protection schemes payable to people of working age. ...

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

Heather Humphreys: According to the information supplied to my Department by Revenue, earnings in 2019 for the person concerned amount to €20,751 with 52 Class S PRSI contributions giving average weekly earnings of €399.06. In line with Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme guidelines the correct weekly rate of payment for a person within the earnings band of €300-€399.99 is...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 516 together. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid. In order to ensure that the scheme was simple and accessible for the unprecedented number of applicants, a flat payment rate was introduced. This rate was the equivalent of...

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

Heather Humphreys: Blind Pension is a means tested payment paid to blind people and certain people with low vision, aged 18 and up to the age of 66 who are habitually resident in the State. Blind Pension is one of a range of means-tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse/partner, if applicable)...