James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 705: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding an application for jobseeker's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15191/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned submitted an application for Jobseeker's Allowance on 10 March 2010. The payment of Jobseeker's Allowance is subject to a means test and a file has been forwarded to a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation, who will be in touch in due course. The person concerned is currently in receipt of Supplementary Welfare Allowance from their local Community Welfare Officer.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 706: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding a continuation of illness benefit in respect of a person (details supplied in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15192/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Illness Benefit is a short-term income support payment made to insured people who are unable to work due to illness or incapacity and who satisfy certain Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) conditions. For rehabilitative and occupational therapy purposes, customers, who have been in receipt of Illness Benefit for at least six months, may be granted permission to work part-time (not more than 20 hours per week) or to participate in a Community Employment (C.E.) scheme or FAS training course. This permission is known as an exemption, the aim of which is to enable them, subsequently, to return to the workplace on a full-time basis.

The person concerned has been in receipt of Illness Benefit since 19th April 2007. In February 2008 an exemption was granted to engage in part-time work for an initial 6 month period which was later extended. Applications for exemptions are considered by one of the Department's Medical Assessors who considers the nature of the particular illness or incapacity, treatment received and prognosis. They assess the nature of the proposed employment or training and consider whether or not the work or training is appropriate in light of the person's incapacity and how, in the context of rehabilitation/occupational therapy, it would progress a return to full-time work.

Approval for an exemption is provided for a given period. If the employment or training is to continue beyond the period of the initial approval the person's continuing suitability for an exemption is reviewed by a Medical Assessor. When a point is reached at which it is considered that the rehabilitative and occupational therapy benefits of the work or training have been exhausted entitlement to an exemption ceases.

The case was reviewed by a Medical Assessor in October 2009 following which a further extension was not approved. The person concerned requested a review of this determination and on 26 th November 2009 the Chief Medical Advisor upheld the determination of the Medical Assessor. The person concerned was duly informed by letter on 9th December 2009, and advised to forward her P45 and related documentation to this Department to confirm that she had ceased work and would not commence any further employment or training without the Department's permission, in order to continue to receive payment of Illness Benefit. A reminder to return these documents issued on 14 th January 2010. On 21st January, a letter from the person concerned, stating that she did not wish to relinquish her job, was received together with a note from her doctor. As the person concerned no longer satisfies the conditions for receipt of Illness Benefit, payment was suspended from 2 nd February 2010.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 707: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will increase the carer's allowance awarded in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15194/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned was awarded half rate carer's allowance with effect from 27 November 2008. She was awarded half rate carer's allowance as she is also in receipt of the maximum rate of Illness Benefit. Under Social Welfare legislation, decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These Officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 708: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a farm assist claimant (details supplied) in County Mayo was assessed as earning income from REPS when they have not received a REPS payment in the past 18 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15206/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned applied for farm assist on 17 February, 2010. A Deciding Office has awarded him a farm assist payment at the weekly rate of €141.00, with weekly means of €55.00 from that date. His total means figure was a combination of €50.51 derived from net farm income and €4.42 from REPS rounded to the nearest euro.

Additional documentation relating to his means assessment was forwarded by him to his local Social Welfare office on 14 April, 2010. His means assessment will now be reviewed as soon as possible and he will be notified of the outcome.

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 709: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to any difficulties in a rent supplement payment being made directly to a property owner where this is specifically requested by the recipient; if his Department is considering or has issued any formal or informal instruction or advice to community welfare officers regarding making rent supplement payments directly when this is requested by the recipient; his views on the fact that making approved payments directly is more cost effective for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15214/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, 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 Service (CWS) of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.

Under the relevant legislative provisions, the Department's relationship is with the tenant; the tenant makes the application for rent supplement and payment is made to the tenant. Rent supplement is specifically for the benefit of tenants to assist them with their accommodation needs. Legislation does, however, provide for the making of a rent supplement payment to another person on behalf of the recipient, at the tenant's request and subject to the consent of the HSE. Almost 19,800 (21%) rent supplement payments are made to a person other than the rent supplemented tenant, for example to a relative, a landlord or landlord's agent.

It is open to the landlord to bring to the attention of the HSE any instance where a tenant is receiving rent supplement but is not paying their rent. Where a Community Welfare Officer becomes aware that a person receiving rent supplement is not using that supplement to meet housing costs, payment of the supplement is suspended and the matter investigated. Any overpayment of rent supplement incurred in circumstances of this kind may be recoverable from the tenant.

Where a landlord has a grievance in relation to the non-payment of rent by a tenant, s/he may apply to the Private Residential Tenancies Board to have the dispute resolved through the Board's dispute resolution process. The CWS Training Units maintain a 'Best Practice Manual' which contains specific guidance for Community Welfare Officers in relation to nominated payments. It is used as a store of knowledge on how to process claims for supplementary welfare allowance in a manner that is effective in meeting clients' needs, efficient in administration and economic in the use of public funds.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 710: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated number of persons working in the public sector in receipt of family income supplement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15258/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Family Income Supplement is designed to provide support for people with families who are on low earnings. This preserves the incentive for them to remain in employment in circumstances where they might only be marginally better off than if they were claiming other social welfare payments. FIS is a central element of a programme of reforms targeted specifically at addressing child poverty.

FIS is calculated on the basis of 60% of the difference between the income limit for the family size and the net income of the person(s) raising the child(ren). Net income for FIS purposes comprises total family income less tax, employee PRSI, health contribution, income levy, and superannuation contribution. The public service pension levy is also deductible from income when calculating the eligibility to FIS. There are currently some 25,956 people in receipt of a weekly FIS payment of which over 11% are public servants.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 711: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will investigate the reason moneys awarded in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 was reduced by almost 50%. [15496/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The person in question is in receipt of Back to Work Allowance. This is paid on the basis of:75 % of the weekly social welfare payment for the first year, 50% for the second year, and 25% for the third year. The person commenced the Back to Work allowance on 8 September 2008. For the first year, he received 75% of the weekly social welfare payment. After the first year, this payment was then reduced to 50% and is currently receiving a weekly payment o f €282.30.