Written answers

Thursday, 21 October 2010

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Benefits

5:00 pm

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if, in considering deductions to the carer's allowance, he has taken account of the additional costs to the Exchequer which would follow from persons, currently in the care of their families, transferring to institutional care and if he will put an estimate on the amount [38231/10]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In considering any changes to social welfare schemes, full consideration is given to the impact of any proposals on the recipients involved.

Government policy is to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. In the case of persons being cared for at home, the care they receive is usually a balance of support from family and professional help. The Department of Social Protection provides income supports for family carers while the Department of Health and Children provides professional support.

The Government is acutely aware and appreciative of the contribution made by carers. It was for that reason, that when resources were available, we invested heavily in improving social welfare rates and services for carers.

Following this year's Budget, the carer's allowance rate for carers over 66 years of age has not changed and remains at €239. The rate of carer's allowance for someone under 66 is €212.

Since the introduction of the carer's allowance in 1990 payments to carers have been increased and expanded. Carer's allowance was increased in 2007, 2008 and 2009 by 12.1%, 6.5% and 3.3%, respectively. As a result, even with the reduction announced in the last Budget for carers under 66, the weekly rate of payment for the carers allowance is still almost 20% higher this year than in 2006 and more than 147% higher than in 1997.

The means test for carer's allowance has been significantly eased over the years, and is now one of the most generous means tests in the social welfare system, most notably with regard to spouse's earnings. Since April 2008, the income disregard has been €332.50 per week for a single person and €665 per week for a couple. This means that a couple with two children can earn in the region of €37,200 and qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance as well as the associated free travel and household benefits. A couple with an income in the region of €60,400 can still qualify for a minimum payment, as well as the associated free travel and household benefits package.

These levels surpass the 'Towards 2016' commitment to ensure those on average industrial earnings continue to qualify for a full carer's allowance.

From June 2005, the annual respite care grant was extended to all carers who are providing full time care to a person who needs such care, regardless of their income. The rate of the respite care grant has also been increased to €1,700 per year in respect of each care recipient since June 2008.

The professional support provided for people at home is delivered through a range of community services such as home-help, home care packages, meals-on-wheels, and day/respite care. Such supports have the added objectives of reducing inappropriate admissions by older people to acute hospital or long-term residential care.

The importance attached to these services is highlighted by the fact that over €200m additional funding has been provided in recent years for these services. The HSE has responsibility for the delivery of home care services, in line with its National Service Plan 2010. This commits the Executive to provide 12 million home-help hours nationally this year to over 54,000 people. The target for 2010 for home-help hours is unchanged over the 2009 figure. In addition to the mainstream home-help provision, the current plan is designed to deliver home care packages to around 9,600 people at any one time, or to some 13,000 clients over the course of the year, and to cater for the provision of around 21,300 day/respite Care places.

In the period 2006 to 2008, over €425m was provided to the HSE under the National Disability Strategy Multi Annual Investment Programme for the provision of additional specialist health and personal social services for people with a disability. In 2009, the HSE provided 3.2 million hours of personal assistant / home care services to people with a disability.

In Budget 2010 additional funding of €19.5m was provided to the Executive to respond to demographic growth in demand for emergency residential placements, additional day places, and personal assistant/home support hours. The current HSE Service Plan commits the Executive to providing the same level of service as in 2009, in other words, 3.2 million hours, and an additional 140,000 hours of personal assistant / home care services for people with a disability.

The Government will continue to support carers and the people they care for within the resources available.

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38238/10]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received on the 1st June 2010 from the person in question. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that her child was not medically eligible for DCA.

A letter issued to the person in question on the 27th July 2010 where she was advised of the decision to refuse DCA. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds, the applicant may submit additional information and/or ask for the case to be reviewed or they may appeal the decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office within 21 days.

To date no appeal or request for review has been received.

Photo of Joe BehanJoe Behan (Wicklow, Independent)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the long queues at Bray social welfare office; the staffing complement at the Bray social welfare office and the waiting times for each category of social welfare claim at the present time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38289/10]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Long queues seldom exist at Bray social welfare local office and local management are continually monitoring the flow of people in and out of the office to ensure that delay is kept to a minimum.

The staff complement at the office is 23.4.

The latest available average processing times for claims at Bray social welfare local office are as follows:

Jobseeker's Allowance6.5 weeks
Jobseeker's Benefit3.4 weeks
One Parent Family Payment17.25 weeks

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the pre-budget submission of Irish Business and Employers Confederation which highlighted the fact that companies are prevented from providing top-up payments to interns who are in receipt of a jobseekers payment to help them meet the cost of participation in the internship; and his plans to address this issue [38295/10]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The IBEC submission raises a number of issues relating to activation policy, including issues in relation to graduate internship programmes. The Government is currently examining ways of providing further support to graduate retention in the economy, with policy matters in this area being primarily the responsibility of the Minister for Education and Skills.

The main existing employment support mechanism for graduates is the work placement programme administered by FÁS. A key element of the programme is that the customer retains their social welfare entitlement. This facility has also been extended to the IBEC gradlink programme. While on either programme, a person must be genuinely seeking work and must take up an offer of paid employment if one arises.

In this way, participants may continue to satisfy the social welfare criteria of being available for and genuinely seeking work. However, if a participant is paid a top-up by their employer this constitutes reckonable earnings from employment. On this basis, they can no longer be considered unemployed. Additionally, in relation to those in receipt of a means tested social welfare payment, such income would fall to be assessed as means.

The distinction between employed and unemployed is of crucial importance in the design and administration of any such scheme. Design of a scheme that permits retention of social welfare benefits while a person is in receipt of wages or non-pecuniary emoluments must have cognisance of substitution and replacement effects, while remaining attractive to both interns and hosts. On this basis careful control and demarcation is essential in schemes of this nature.

Payments by employers also raise fundamental issues in relation to employment rights, taxation and social insurance. These matters are informing ongoing policy discussions in relation to internships.

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