Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason claims for lone parents were stopped in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11; the persons concerned were of the belief that income from working for the Health Service Executive as a home help is not taken into account in the means test for one parent family payment. [36490/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The estimate for my Department in 2011 provides for expenditure of over €1.1 billion on the one-parent family payment (OFP). For the purposes of one-parent family payment, there is no entitlement where earnings exceed a threshold of €425 gross per week. Where earnings are less than €425, the first €146.50 is disregarded and half of the balance is assessed as means. The rate of payment is then reduced accordingly.

Each year, a review form is automatically posted to OFP clients to see if the client still meets all the conditions of the payment. Both clients were issued with the review form, and both reported that their gross weekly earnings were greater than €425. Their payments were then suspended. However, where a person has income from employment with the Health Service Executive (HSE), or by a person approved by the HSE, as a home help, all such earnings are disregarded. This disregard was not applied in these cases.

Arrangements have now been made for the restoration of payment to both of the persons concerned. The Department apologises for the upset caused as a result of the suspension of the payments concerned. In order to avoid any future misinterpretation of the conditions of income as a home help, the guidelines for the scheme will shortly be updated and all relevant staff informed.