Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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59. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of payments to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46577/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The recent Budget was designed to improve the lives and living standards of every person and every family in the country. The 2016 Budget package I introduced had four key aims, as follows:

- To increase supports for pensioners aged 66 and over;

- To strengthen supports for families with children;

- To increase the momentum to date in helping jobseekers back to work; and

- To provide targeted assistance for vulnerable groups.

While recipients of Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension did not benefit from a weekly rate increase, they will benefit from a number of other Budget 2016 measures.

In Budget 2015, I reintroduced a Christmas Bonus payable at 25% of the weekly rate. The Bonus had been abolished by the previous Government in 2009. In Budget 2016, I was pleased to be in a position to provide a 75% Christmas Bonus payment for all welfare recipients, including recipients of both Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension. A single person in receipt of Disability Allowance received a bonus payment of €141 and a couple, with a qualified adult and no children received a bonus of €234.60. A couple in receipt of Invalidity Pension with a qualified adult and two qualified children received a bonus payment of €293.40.

In addition, those eligible for the Fuel Allowance will gain from the increase in January of €2.50 per week, from €20 to €22.50 per week over the fuel season.

Funding for the Free Travel scheme, which benefits a large number of both Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension recipients, is being increased by €3m, from €77m to €80m, to meet increased numbers eligible for the scheme and therefore fully protect entitlements under the scheme.

Recipients of Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension who have children will also benefit from the €5 increase in the monthly rate of Child Benefit.

The Respite Care Grant, now renamed the Carer’s Support Grant to better reflect the usage of the grant, is being increased by €325, from €1,375 to €1,700 per annum. Furthermore, payment of Carer’s Allowance will be extended by 6 weeks, from 6 weeks to 12 weeks, after the death of the care recipient. These measures will benefit the carers of those Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension recipients who are relying on another person to provide full time care.

It should also be noted that as a result of Budget 2015, recipients of Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension who live alone gained from the €1.30 increase in the weekly rate of the Living Alone Allowance.

The key achievement of this Government has been to stabilise the nation’s finances, to increase employment and to achieve economic growth. This endeavour is well underway and we are already reaping the benefits of these policies, including, the ability to invest in the improvements I have announced over the last two years in welfare supports.