Results 16,661-16,680 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Unfortunately, due to a technical problem, arrears did not issue to the person concerned on the date previously advised. According to my officials arrears totalling €8,057 for the period 03/04/2020 to 05/11/2020 will issue to the nominated bank account of the person concerned by Tuesday of next week. The Christmas Bonus payment of €203 will also issue to the person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a pension auto-enrolment system. The objective of this commitment is to address the low proportion of employees in Ireland with supplementary pension cover, which includes both occupational and personal pensions. In this regard, Ireland is the only OECD country without a mandatory or automatic enrolment supplementary pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to my officials on 20/11/2020. This application was refused as the person concerned had failed to provide all of the requested documentation. A decision letter dated 7/12/2020 issued to the person concerned advising her of the outcome and affording her the option to request a review of her case to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised that the person concerned is not currently in receipt of a payment from this Department. An application for Illness Benefit was received from the person concerned on 9 November 2020. One of the qualifying conditions for Illness Benefit is that a person must have 39 weeks of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year, of which 13 must be paid contributions at...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is not contingent on the nature of the illness/disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. In March of this year, under the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A review team has been set up in the Department to systematically review claims from Aer Lingus employees for the period between March and end-August when the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme was in payment. The Department is writing to individual employees of the company requesting that they contact their employer for the information that required to complete the review. The employer is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Local Employment Service (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, existing local employment services were recently notified that their contracts would be renewed until end-2021. There are many parts of the State, including County Galway, where there has never been a local employment service provision. I recently received the report from external consultants which reviewed my Department's entire Public Employment Services...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware my Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. These supports include the JobPath service, which assists people who are long-term unemployed to obtain and sustain paid employment. There are two phases to the JobPath...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Treatment Benefit Scheme (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has the required number of PRSI contributions paid to qualify for the treatment benefits scheme and is qualified for life. According to the Department's records, he received a free optical examination and a contribution towards the cost of Optical appliances in January 2020. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the Domiciliary Care Allowance to €320 per month is €5.9 million. The cost shown above is on a full year basis and based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021. 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: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Christmas Bonus is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income. In recognition of the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on employment levels and the sudden financial...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Local Employment Service (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together. The Local Employment Services (LES) provide a one-to-one career path planning and placement service, on a caseload basis, for the unemployed. The LES services are available to clients through a network of local contact points and may also be provided in outreach offices on a part-time basis. The number of persons who commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 436 together. While the vast majority of people receiving social welfare payments are claiming the correct entitlement due to them, my Department has a duty to ensure that it pays the right person the right amount of money at the right time. Therefore, it is important that all schemes operated by the Department – including the Pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has been assessed as having a moderate restriction on his capacity for work and as such will qualify for Partial Capacity Benefit at 50% of his current rate of Invalidity Pension. In order to award his Partial Capacity Benefit claim, his Invalidity Pension claim must be closed. The Partial Capacity Benefit section have requested the urgent closing of his Invalidity...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is due PUP arrears of €3475.00. The person concerned will receive 2 separate payments of €882.00 and €2593.00. The payment of €882.00 will be paid by next Tuesday. The second payment of €2593.00 will issue in January.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance payments, including Carer's Allowance. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs. The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons. The fuel allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 26 November 2020. 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 Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs. The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons. The fuel allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: An application for fuel allowance was received from the person concerned on 27 October 2020. The person concerned has been awarded fuel allowance with effect from 30 October 2020. A notification of the award issued to the person concerned on 29 October 2020. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.