Written answers

Wednesday, 8 June 2011

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Benefits

9:00 pm

Photo of Paul ConnaughtonPaul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason a domiciliary care allowance was not granted in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14571/11]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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An application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 11th May 2010. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 14th July 2010 advising the person concerned of the decision to refuse the allowance. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision. She was informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 25th January 2011 that the appeal had been disallowed.

The decision/appeal process for this application is now complete. All the available information was provided to the appeals officer before the appeal was considered.

Photo of John O'MahonyJohn O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision regarding their supplementary welfare application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14574/11]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme an exceptional needs payment may be made by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources.

The HSE has advised that an application from the person concerned for an exceptional needs payment has been approved and payment will issue in due course.

Photo of Catherine ByrneCatherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount of money spent in 2010 and to date in 2011 on rent supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14575/11]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Rent Supplement expenditure in 2010 was some €516 million. Expenditure up to end April 2011 was some €167 million.

Photo of Catherine ByrneCatherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount of money spent in 2010 and to date in 2011 on exceptional needs payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14576/11]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The amount spent on exceptional needs payments in 2010 was some €69.9 million. Expenditure up to end April 2011 was some €23.2 million.

Photo of Catherine ByrneCatherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Social Protection how entitlement to the exceptional needs payment is determined; the person responsible for administering the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14577/11]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the HSE based on the particular circumstances of the case. Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or HSE payment. The payment is administered by Community Welfare Officers at local offices of the HSE.

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for domiciliary care allowance received by her in the past year; the number that have been refused; the number for children with autism spectrum disorders and Asperger's syndrome that have been refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14614/11]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department has been accepting new claims for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) since the 1st April 2009. Statistics relating to the period prior to April 2009 are not held by this Department and are a matter for the HSE, the previous administrator of the scheme.

Table 1 - Domiciliary Care Allowance applications received

Applications receivedApplications fully processedApplications allowed *Applications refused
2009 (From 1st April)3389282312201603
20105457533325762757
2011 (to 31st May)2457222710291198

In the period 1st April 2010 to 31st March 2011 a total of 481 domiciliary care allowance applications were processed with a medical condition within the autism spectrum. Of these, 289 (60%) were deemed to satisfy the qualifying criteria, with 192 (40%) not satisfying the criteria.

In the period 1st April 2010 to 31st March 2011 a total of 287 domiciliary care allowance applications were processed with a medical condition of Asperger's syndrome. Of these, 82 (29%) were deemed to satisfy the qualifying criteria, with 205 (71%) not satisfying the criteria.

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