Written answers

Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Payments Administration

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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513. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 672 of 8 September 2020, if she will discuss with NPHET the possibility of reverting social welfare payments to a weekly payment (details supplied). [24899/20]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Fortnightly payments were introduced by my Department to assist with social distancing measures in accordance with public health guidelines.

While some welfare schemes have reverted to a weekly payment pattern, fortnightly payments have been retained for a number of schemes, including Disability, Pensions and Carers’ payments. These schemes mainly involve payments to people who are more likely to be medically vulnerable, including those who are over the age of 70 or their care-givers.

Within any particular scheme, it is not possible to introduce different payment cycles for different individuals or for different categories of individual. All payments on each scheme, whether by collecting cash at the post office or depositing money directly into someone’s bank account, have to be processed in the same way.

The frequency of payments which are remaining on a fortnightly pattern will continue to be reviewed by the Department in line with the best available health advice.

I would emphasise that, where a person encounters financial difficulty, they can contact the local community welfare service for assistance or can seek advice and support from the Money Advice and Budgeting Service.

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