Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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287. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to increase the basic rate of the old age pension or provide a special Covid-19 top up for the duration of the pandemic in view of the additional costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic such as purchasing personal protective equipment, PPE. [30020/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Government has been seeking to implement and operate supports during the COVID-19 emergency that are targeted where most needed to ensure continued economic activity and reduce the risk of poverty.

The State Pension is the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland. It is extremely effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty. The Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case. This Government is also acutely conscious of the need to consider the sustainability of the State’s finances. Accordingly, any changes to State Pension payment rates would need to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.

Recipients of State pension payments may already have access to a range of additional supports, subject to satisfying eligibility conditions. These supports include the living alone increase, household benefits, telephone support allowance, free travel and fuel allowance. In this context, in March of this year, as part of Government COVID-19 response measures, the Fuel Allowance scheme was extended by four weeks until Friday, 8th May 2020. At a cost of €31.5 million, the extension of the fuel season for over 352,000 existing eligible households was put in place, to ensure that the most vulnerable groups, particularly older people in receipt of State pensions, were provided with additional targeted financial supports. This extension meant that the 2019/2020 Fuel Season ran to the latest end date of any season in the last 30 years.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department also operates both Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people of any age, who have an exceptional or urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources. Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case. The scheme is administered by the Community Welfare Service of the Department.

While I fully understand that these are difficult times for many people, any further economic measures can only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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288. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to increase the basic rate of the carer's allowance or provide a special Covid-19 top-up for the duration of the pandemic in view of the additional costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic (details supplied). [30021/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.

My Department provides income supports to carers such as Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on all these payments to family carers in 2020 is expected to exceed €1.3 billion.

Carer's Allowance is a means-tested payment for carers who, on a full-time basis, look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention, where the carer's income falls below certain limits. At the end of September 2020, there were 88,156 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance. The provisional outturn on Carer’s Allowance for 2020 is estimated at €916 million.

In addition, a carer whose work ceases as a result of COVID-19 and whose situation qualifies them for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, is able to receive that payment along with their current carer income support, whether Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit.

Furthermore, despite the substantial extra financial demands due to the COVID-19 crisis, I announced that the Carer’s Support Grant would continue to be paid to carers this year at an estimated cost of over €230.84 million. The annual grant of €1,700 is available to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of their means or social insurance contributions. This grant can be used for any purpose at the discretion of the carer and it is not taxed. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attention to someone who requires that level of care are also eligible and can apply for a grant.

At the end of June 2020, almost 127,000 grants were paid to carers receiving the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance and to other full-time carers who are not receiving any of these payments. Applications for the 2020 grant can be submitted up until 31 December 2021, and it is expected that further applications will be received before the closing date.

Apart from these income supports specifically in place for family carers, my Department also provides support under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. The Department may make an exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. ENPs are administered by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) of the Department. ENPs are payable at the discretion of the CWS officer taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

The provision of medical supplies such as PPE is a matter for the HSE and the Department of Health.

The Deputy will be aware that payments made by my Department to carers are set out under legislation. There is no provision to make the type of top-up payment outlined by the Deputy.

Finally, I can assure the Deputy that I am very aware of the key role carers play in society and the particular challenges they face in light of Covid-19 and I will continue to keep the range of supports available to carers under review. Any improvements or additions to these supports, including rate changes, can only be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of available financial resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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289. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to increase the basic rate of jobseeker's allowance or provide a special Covid-19 top-up for the duration of the pandemic in view of the additional costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic (details supplied). [30022/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Any changes to the rates of social welfare schemes, including jobseeker's allowance, will be considered in a budgetary context, having regard to all available resources.

Any person who is experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for financial supports under the means-tested supplementary welfare allowance scheme including an Exceptional or Urgent Needs Payment.

I trust that this clarifies the position.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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290. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to increase the basic rate of all disability and illness payments or provide a special Covid-19 top-up for the duration of the pandemic in view of the additional costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic (details supplied). [30023/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is not contingent on the nature of the illness/disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.

Apart from these income supports, my Department also provides a support under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. The Department may make an exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income.

ENPs are administered by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) of the Department and are payable at the discretion of a CWS officer taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

As the Deputy will be aware, changes to the various disability and illness income supports provided , including rate increases, can only be considered in an overall budgetary context and in the light of available financial resources.

The provision of medical supplies such as PPE is a matter for the HSE and the Department of Health.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.