Results 17,101-17,120 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Data (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 569 and 570 together. The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” sets out how the planned increase in the State pension age next year will be deferred and it will remain at 66 years pending the report of the Commission on Pensions. The Government confirmed as part of its Budget 2021 measures that the required amendment to primary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (24 Nov 2020)

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 department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 17 September 2020. The claim was refused on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker's Benefit is a weekly payment to people who have lost their employment and who satisfy the scheme's statutory conditions including the requirement to have paid sufficient social insurance contributions. This benefit is paid for 9 months (234 days) to people who have paid 260 or more PRSI contributions and for 6 months (156 days) to people who have paid less than 260 contributions....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 573, 574, 579 and 589 together. I have secured Government approval today to keep the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) open to new applicants until March 31st 2021. By keeping the PUP scheme open to new applicants until March 31st 2021, we are providing certainty to employees who may be returning to work in the run-up to the Christmas period. I have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Department operates 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) applying for the relevant scheme. For the purposes of the means assessment for Disability Allowance, as well as other social assistance schemes, redundancy payments are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: An application for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) was received from this lady on the 9th November 2020. In the interest of fairness to all customers, applications are processed in date of receipt order. Currently applications received in October 2020 are being finalised. This application will be considered by a deciding officer in due course and the decision notified to the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and in the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has allocated a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) to the individual referred to by the Deputy. A letter with details of the PPSN issued to the solicitor concerned on 20th November 2020. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Department’s Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and certain others in receipt of social welfare payments who pursue full-time courses of education at second or third level. The main focus of the allowance is to assist individuals in receipt of certain welfare payments to improve their educational qualifications and their prospects of gaining...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an online application for a Jobseeker's Allowance payment on 09/10/2020. A request for additional information in support of this application was made to the person concerned on 19/11/2020. When the requested information is submitted, a decision can be made on this claim. Should the person concerned be experiencing financial difficulties, it is open to her to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 28 February 2010. According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 1,106 qualifying full-rate paid contributions and 257 credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment on 18 April 1970 to end-December 2009. This equates to a yearly average of 33 contributions and gives them an entitlement to a standard...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 22 April 2020. The Appeals Officer's decision will issue to the person concerned in the very near future. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 13 July 2020. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I confirm that an application from this gentleman for disability allowance (DA) was received by the Department on 16 October 2020. The processing time for individual DA claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim. The application has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has allocated a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) to the individual referred to by the Deputy. A letter issued to the individual on 19th November 2020 with details of the PPSN. The SAFE registration process, which involves the authentication of a person's identity in a face-to-face interview, is the normal method of processing an application for a Personal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) is a weekly payment of €2.50. Approximately 133,000 customers are in receipt of the TSA payment. The estimated full year cost of the scheme is over €17 million. The primary objective of the TSA is to allow the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, access to personal alarms or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Collection (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is not a designated body with powers under Section 6 of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011. Provision was made in December 2014 for the secondment of a number of Gardaí to my Department. There are 20 Gardaí currently working as part of the Department’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) with a Sergeant also now part of the SIU Team. Gardaí...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a one-person family payment appeal by the person concerned was referred on 14 October 2020 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office cannot hold in-person oral hearings at the moment due to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Collection (24 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In the case of the person concerned, the information sought was to help establish the current means of the claimant. Information in relation to the relative’s own family was not sought and the family member was advised that they only needed to provide the information as it pertained to the claimant and all other information on the documentation could be deleted or blanked out. ...