Results 1-14 of 14 for segment:8903703 in 'Dáil debates'
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: These are shocking figures. The Minister basically said that since she was elected, approximately 40,000 people with disabilities have applied for disability allowance, been refused, had to appeal the decision and were then successful. She is saying that, for the big chunk of those cases, the initial refusal of the application by the Department was incorrect. These are people with...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The figures were for a ten-year period during which 69% of appeals were subsequently allowed or partially allowed. We are not trying to block people from getting their payments. That is not what I am trying to do. That is not true. Look at the statistics. The number of people receiving disability allowance has increased massively in recent years. Slightly more than 100,000 people were...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: The Department is blocking people from getting assistance. That is what a refusal is. It is a block. Up to 40,000 people, which is equivalent to the populations of Athlone and Portlaoise combined, have been refused by the Department and then been granted the allowance subsequently. The Minister might blame the people for not having all the information first or not being able to fill the...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Catherine Connolly: Before the Minister responds, Deputy Bruton wants to contribute.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Richard Bruton: I have a good deal of experience of dealing with cases. What often happens is that the medical certification does not deal with the fact that a person must be unable to work for 12 months or more. Doctors often think that by listing illnesses, they have fulfilled their requirement. It would be useful if a message could clarify to medical professionals the exact form of certification...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Heather Humphreys: Deputy Bruton is absolutely 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...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: Yesterday.
- 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)
Peadar Tóibín: Scrap the means test.
- 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.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Social Welfare Appeals
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: 8. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who, having been refused the disability allowance, were successful in their appeals of her Department’s decision to refuse in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024. [17667/24]
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Peadar Tóibín: People with disabilities are among the people most discriminated against in Ireland. People with disabilities battle daily just to achieve basic services from the State. A few weeks ago this Government played the part of champions of carers and people with disabilities, but that zeal has disappeared for some reason after the referendum results. People with disabilities regularly tell me...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The social welfare appeals office is an office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions relating to social welfare payments. Appeals officers are independent in their decision-making functions. Between 2014 and the end of March 2024, 241,019 disability allowance claims were received by the Department. Those figures are for ten...