John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1282. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) has had illness benefit payments cut from €198 to €155 per week; and the reason the household benefits package has been refused in view of the fact that the only income to the family is social welfare. [13517/19]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The person concerned is currently in receipt of Illness Benefit at a rate of €155.10 per week. She was previously in receipt of an increase for her spouse on her Illness Benefit claim at a rate of €44.60, making her total weekly amount €199.70. The payment of this increase ceased from the 15th December 2018 as her spouse began claiming State Pension (Contributory) in his own right.

The Department has no record of receiving an application for the Household Benefits Package from the person concerned. An application was received from her spouse on the 18th January 2019 and he was asked to provide information relating to her means on 1st February 2019. When this information was not provided, the application was refused on 18th February 2019.

The request for information has re-issued to the spouse of the person concerned and on receipt of a reply, his entitlement to the Household Benefits Package will be re-examined.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.