Results 17,941-17,960 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (29 Sep 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 September 2020. The Appeals Officer dealing with this case will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required and if Covid-19 restrictions allow, hold an oral hearing.  The Social Welfare Appeals Office...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.  The payment continues until their 18th birthday in respect of children who are in full-time education, or who have a disability.  Child benefit is currently paid, as of end-August 2020, to over 638,200 families in respect of over 1.2 million children...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Sep 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 6 March 2020. Carer's allowance was awarded to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Officials from my Department have engaged with the company and an agreed process is in place to provide any outstanding information by the company to their employees to support their social welfare applications. It has been agreed that the UP80 letter generated by the company which contains all the information on the Department’s official UP80 form is acceptable in support of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Between 1974 and 1988 a number of legislative changes were introduced to extend social insurance coverage to members of religious orders. In 1974, a provision to allow religious congregations to apply to the Minister for Social Welfare for access to social insurance for their members was introduced.  While all religious authorities had the opportunity to apply, only the Church...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 24 September 2018.  According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 929 qualifying full-rate paid contributions and 674 credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment on 6 August 1969 to end-December 2017.  This equates to a yearly average of 33 contributions and gives them an entitlement to a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget Process (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for forwarding me the pre-budget submission from the EU SHAFE project in Louth.  Each year, my Department receives a large number of pre-budget submissions from a wide range of stakeholders, which I find very useful in helping to decide priorities in advance of the budget. This submission proposes to increase the Household Benefits Package by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: 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 the rate for a two-person household. From 26 June...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Sep 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. I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 6...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 569 and 570 together. Since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme in March, approximately 750,000 people have applied for payment and in some cases, they have done so on a number of occasions as they moved in and out of employment. Consequently, there are over 1 million applications to be examined to determine if arrears are due. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy may be aware, the Tax Strategy Group, chaired by the Department of Finance and comprising of senior officials from a number of Departments and Offices, is not a decision making body.  Papers produced by Departments and discussed by the Group are simply a list of options and issues to be considered in the budgetary process.    One of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Sep 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. I can confirm that the person concerned was in receipt of CA in respect of his spouse from 19 November 1998...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Benefit (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours  to care for a person in need of full-time care and attention.  An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. It is payable for a maximum of 104 weeks for each person being cared for.  The person concerned applied for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. Under social welfare legislation, CA for the care of a care recipient who is aged less than 16 years can only be successful where Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is awarded. DCA was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Advisers (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The appointment of Special Advisors is as provided under Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. Guidelines for the Appointment of Ministerial Staff of the 33rdDáil, including the relevant terms and conditions of appointment of Special Advisers, were approved by Government on 4th August 2020 and have been published by the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: JobPath provides employment service support to jobseekers. It is a payment by results model and all set-up and day-to-day operational costs are borne by the companies.  The companies are paid on the basis of performance and, with the exception of the initial registration fee, payments are made only when a client has achieved sustained employment.  The overall cost of JobPath will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 579 and 580 together. The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to employees and the self-employed who have lost their job on or after 13 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Where a person has returned to work and loses their employment due to the Covid-19 pandemic before the end of the year, they can re-apply for PUP. The quickest and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned applied for a Jobseeker’s Benefit payment on 15/09/2020.  In order to process the application, further documentation was sought from the person concerned on 15/09/2020.  To-date this information has not been provided and the claim remains pending.  The person concerned applied for a Covid-19 Pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme in March, approximately  750,000 people have applied for payment and in some cases, they have done so on a number of occasions as they moved in and out of employment.  Consequently, there are over 1 million applications to be examined to determine if arrears are due.   In order to address an issue of this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (29 Sep 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...