Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of Social Protection

Carer's Allowance Payments

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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137. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a matter in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [35805/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department is required to review the ongoing entitlement of people who are in receipt of social welfare payments. These reviews may take place at any time(s) throughout the duration of a claim and recipients of social welfare payments are statutorily obliged to co-operate with these reviews. The Department uses information available to it from any appropriate source to enable better targeting of eligibility reviews. However, such information is treated by the Department as unsubstantiated and is used to indicate which claims might benefit from a review.

In 2013 following information received from the Revenue Commissioners, the Department commenced a series of reviews of customers, including carer’s allowance recipients, who may have significant amounts of capital and investments which could affect their means.

The review of the carer’s allowance entitlement of the person concerned was initiated based on information later proven to be incorrect. However, it is very important to emphasise that the payment to the person concerned was not stopped on foot of this unsubstantiated information. The Department made every effort to establish the position regarding the means of the person concerned and adequate time was allowed for the person in question to obtain and provide the information requested by the Department as part of the review. Suspension of the carer’s allowance payment to the person concerned occurred as a direct result of the failure of the person concerned to provide the information requested within a reasonable timeframe.

Payment was subsequently reinstated as quickly as possible once the person in question provided the Department with the required information so that the review could be completed.

Notwithstanding the above, the Department has acknowledged that upset had been caused to the person concerned. In view of this, I am informed that a letter has issued directly to the person concerned apologising unreservedly for any upset caused to her by the Department’s review process in this case.

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