Results 1-20 of 1,791 for carers speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Allowance 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. On 13 June 2023, the person concerned was notified that they had no entitlement to Carer's Allowance. As the person had...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...Class D contributors are currently entitled to widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's (contributory) pension, guardian's payment (contributory), occupational injuries benefits, parent's benefit and carer's benefit. In contrast, civil and public servants recruited from 6 April 1995 pay a class A social insurance contribution of 4% on their weekly earnings and their employers pay...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years (1040 weeks). If the person concerned has been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years, she can apply for Long-Term Carers Contributions (LTCC). If the criteria are met, the equivalent of paid contributions may be attributed to cover gaps in her contribution record. The periods of care-giving do not need to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Leave (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports to carers provided by the Department of Social Protection are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.7 billion this year. The Carer’s Leave Act 2001 allows employees to leave work temporarily to provide full-time care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...increases to weekly payments. The measures introduced included the provision of once-off Cost-of-Living lump sums, to recipients of Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and the Carer's Support Grant. Recipients who are in receipt of one (or more) of these payments qualified for the Cost-of-Living lump sums. Both Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are means tested...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ..., in general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carers Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit. As part of Budget 2024, I was particularly pleased to extend access to Free Travel to people who are medically certified as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (30 Apr 2024)

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. Please find below the number of CA applications submitted in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ..., in general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carers Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit. Therefore, the free travel pass is a secondary benefit directly linked to the person being in receipt of Disability Allowance....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Long-Term Carers Contributions make it easier for a carer to qualify for the State Pension Contributory. Any period in which a carer is registered as providing full time care to an incapacitated person can be included in their social insurance (PRSI) record. Once a carer has reached a minimum of 1040 weeks (20 years) of Long-Term Carers Contributions, these contributions will be included in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...right. I also see that in my office. Much of the medical information is not put down. It is on the provision of further medical information that the payment is granted. We have done a lot for carers. A pension scheme has been introduced for long-term carers. The carer's support grant has been increased to its highest ever level. The weekly carer's payment has been increased by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: -----that from June a couple will be able to have weekly earnings of €900 and €50,000 in savings and still qualify for the full carer's allowance payment.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: An interdepartmental group has been set up to examine what further work we can do on the means test. I assure Deputies that I am committed to working with our carers to continue to give them support in carrying out the valuable work they do.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Carer’s Allowance scheme is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to carers in the community. In 2024 the expenditure on the Carer’s Allowance scheme is estimated to be over €1.1 billion. Means tests are an essential components of our social welfare system - they help to direct scarce reroutes to where they are needed most. In the absence...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I am committed to improving outcomes for people with a disability. In budget 2024 for example I provided for: A €400 once-off payment for Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and Carer’s Support Grant recipients in November 2023 to address the high cost of living. A €200 lump sum Living Alone Allowance payment. A €300 lump sum Fuel Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to supporting kinship carers in the valuable role they play in our society. A Guardians payment is made to a person caring for a child who satisfies the definition of an “orphan” under social welfare legislation. A child is considered an orphan if they are under 18 (or 22 if in full time education) and both parents are deceased; or one parent is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate. In January of this year I introduced the Long Term Carers Contributions which allowed for those who provided full time care to incapacitated individuals to receive reckonable contributions for the time spent giving that care, provided they cared...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: This Government acknowledges the vital role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system provides measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate. Despite...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: This Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the State Pension system currently gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period outside of paid employment, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role. Despite these measures, some long-term carers of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 31, 44 and 53 together. The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.7 billion this year. The Carer’s Allowance scheme is the main scheme by which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Bodies (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.7 billion this year. As part of Budget 2024, I announced my intention to establish an Interdepartmental Working Group with the Department of...