Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 624: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will publish information for jobseeker's on the full financial implications for them in terms of lost payments, secondary benefits and taxation and if they can break a jobseeker's allowance claim to take up temporary work as the current lack of information acts as a disincentive to taking up short periods of employment. [29360/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The primary objective of the Department's information policy is to ensure that all citizens are made aware of the wide range of schemes and services available and that they are kept informed of changes and improvements as they occur.

There are 130 Social Welfare offices throughout the country where customers can obtain information and guidance and where implications of a person taking up temporary employment can be explained in detail. In larger local offices there are also staff dedicated to information provision duties that are available to explain all our supports and services and to help and assist people in completing application forms and accessing their entitlements. In addition, the Department produces a comprehensive range of information leaflets covering each social welfare payment or scheme including jobseeker's allowance. These are available in a wide range of outlets across the country, including all Social Welfare Local Offices and Branch Offices, Citizens Information Centres, Post Offices and in other organisations such as local community centres.

The Department's website - www.welfare.ie - provides information on the range of schemes and services including jobseeker's allowance and benefit. A frequently asked questions page in relation to jobseeker's benefit and allowance is also available. Information on supplementary welfare allowance, revenue job assist, back to work, educational supports and PRSI can also be found on the site. The site has links to FÁS, MABs and other Government Departments and agencies.

The Citizens Information Board (CIB), which comes under the aegis of the Department, is the national information agency with responsibility for supporting the provision of independent information and advice on the broad range of social services including social welfare services. Information is provided through Citizen Information Centres and other offices throughout the country, through a phone service which operates from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and on the website at www.citizensinformation.ie. The CIB recently launched a new site www.losingyourjob.ie. It provides information on education, back to work, reduced hours, help with your rent and mortgage as well as tax matters.

The Department works closely with voluntary and community organisations involved in an information provision role. The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) receives funding from the Department towards running of its services aimed at ensuring that unemployed people have access to comprehensive Welfare to Work and Welfare Rights information and advocacy services. They provide free, confidential, impartial information and advise with issues such as jobseeker's and other social welfare payments and on tax, education and community employment schemes. The website www.redundancy.ie and the publication Working for Work are other sources of information to assist the unemployed. The 2008 edition of Working for Work was funded by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Department of Education and Science and FÁS and contains examples of tax and secondary benefits you may be entitled to depending on your circumstances.

The Department regularly reviews of the information that is made available to people, how its accessed and updates information accordingly. I am satisfied that there is a wide range of information available for jobseeker's from a number of sources.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 625: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason for the reduction in the electricity-gas allowance under the household benefit package to €41.70 per month from July 2009 and the way the value of the reduction has been determined. [29362/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The value of the electricity/gas allowance has been adjusted to reflect the reduction in the price of energy from May 2009 approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation. There is no change in the number of units of electricity (2,400) plus normal standing charges provided under the household benefits package.

For the majority of customers the allowance is paid direct to the utility each month on their behalf and offset against their bills. Other customers who are paid by cash will receive €41.70 per month from July 2009.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 626: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if they qualify for back to work allowance or alternative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29467/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has no record of having received an application for back to work allowance in respect of the person concerned.

To claim back to work enterprise allowance applicants must satisfy the qualifying conditions immediately prior to commencing self employment, and be setting up a self employment business which has been approved, in writing, in advance by a Partnership Company or one of the Department's Facilitators. Applicants are required to be 12 months on the Live Register and getting jobseeker's benefit or allowance or to be in receipt of one-parent family payment for at least 12 months. A person on jobseeker's benefit must have an underlying entitlement to jobseeker's allowance.

The person concerned claimed back to education allowance and a decision was made to disallow her claim on 1 July 2009. This claim is being reviewed and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome in the near future.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 627: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the correct revised rent support in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; when all payment and arrears are expected to be awarded up to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29469/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

The recent Supplementary Budget provided that the weekly minimum contribution which a person is required to pay towards their rent, be increased from €18 to €24 a week, with effect from 1 June 2009 and that payments currently being made to existing rent supplement tenants be further reduced by 8% from the same date. These measures account for the reduction in the rent supplement payment of the person concerned.

The Executive has advised that payment of rent supplement to the person concerned was suspended while a review of his entitlement was being carried out. The review is being finalised and arrangements made to issue payment of rent supplement to the person concerned, including any arrears due.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 628: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason for the delay in rent support which has been reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29470/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

The recent Supplementary Budget provided that the weekly minimum contribution which a person is required to pay towards their rent, be increased from €18 to €24 a week, with effect from 1 June 2009 and that payments currently being made to existing rent supplement tenants be further reduced by 8% from the same date. These measures account for the reduction in the rent supplement payment of the person concerned.

The Executive has advised that payment of rent supplement to the person concerned was suspended while a review of his entitlement was being carried out. The review is being finalised and arrangements made to issue payment of rent supplement to the person concerned, including any arrears due.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 629: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is eligible for illness benefit or alternative in lieu of maternity benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29471/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A claim for maternity benefit was received form the person concerned on 6th April 2009. She was advised by letter dated 26th June 2009 that she did not qualify for maternity benefit as she was not in insurable employment at the relevant time.

The records of the department show that the person concerned has only 63 reckonable PRSI contributions which are insufficient to satisfy the qualifying conditions for illness benefit. If the person concerned considers that she has more PRSI contributions than those indicated then she should advise the department accordingly and request to have her case re-examined. If the person concerned was ever employed in any other member state of the European Economic Area she should provide details of the dates and places of her employment and any social security reference numbers from the countries concerned.

A claim from the person concerned for a basic payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme was received by the Health Service Executive (HSE) on 6th April 2009. She was advised that, under the habitual residency conditions, she was not entitled to such a payment. However, the department has been advised that the HSE is undertaking a review of the person's case and they will be in contact with her shortly with a determination regarding her claim. The HSE has been in contact with the person concerned and advised her of the review.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 630: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when back to school allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29472/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of September each year. A person may qualify for payment of an allowance ifhe or she is in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment, is participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education or training course, and has household income at or below certain specified levels.

The HSE – Dublin Wicklow and Kildare area has advised that due to the large number of back to school clothing and footwear claims received to date they are unable to confirm at this time that a claim has been received from the person concerned.

It may take a number of weeks to determine entitlement to payment for all applicants in this HSE Region. Applicants will be notified of the decision on their application by the HSE in due course. The person concerned may call the HSE free-phone number 1800 201 698 to ascertain the status of her claim at a later date.

Further details relating to the BSCFA scheme, the qualifying criteria and administrative arrangements for processing claims for each HSE area is available on the Department and HSE/CWS websites at http://www.welfare.ie ttp://communitywelfareservice.ie/cws_public/

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 631: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the maximum rate of payment due to a person should they qualify for the back to work allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29474/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The back to work programme currently consists of two schemes designed to support people on welfare into self-employment. The back to work enterprise allowance (BTWEA) is a two year scheme available to unemployed people, lone parents, and sickness related welfare recipients who are starting their own business. Under this scheme, participants retain 100% of their existing social welfare payment for the first year and 75% in the second year. The maximum rate payable is based on their current payment.

The short term enterprise allowance (STEA) is available to those who qualify for jobseeker's benefit and who wish to start their own business. They are afforded immediate access provided they have 104 contributions paid or have established entitlement to statutory redundancy from their latest period of employment. It is payable at the same rate and for the same duration as their jobseeker's benefit. The maximum rate payable is the rate of jobseeker's benefit that they qualify for.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 632: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if rent support in the region of €880 will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29476/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. One of the conditions for entitlement to rent supplement is that the Health Service Executive is satisfied that the applicant is in need of accommodation and is unable to provide it from his or her own resources.

The Executive has advised that the person concerned has been refused rent supplement on the grounds that her current accommodation is sufficient to meet her accommodation needs.

It is open to the person concerned to appeal this decision to a HSE Appeals Officer.