Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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119. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who have had their adult dependent payment reduced or lost in the past year due to audits; the age range of those who have lost their adult dependent payment or had it reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26142/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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An Increase for qualified adult (IQA) is a means-tested payment, payable to social welfare claimants whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them.  As part of my Department’s commitment to ensuring that claimants are receiving their full and correct entitlements, ongoing reviews of means-tested payments are carried out across all schemes. 

As the IQA payment is a means-tested payment, changes in circumstances may affect the rate of IQA payable.  There is a responsibility on claimants to notify my Department immediately of any changes in circumstances.

Currently there are 56, 452 beneficiaries of an IQA payment on State pension (contributory).  For IQA reviews on State pension (contributory), the primary claimant is contacted by my Department, to notify them that their entitlement to the means-tested IQA payment is being examined, and details of the qualified adult’s means are requested.   

Only the means of the qualified adult are taken into account for this payment.  Half the value of jointly-held assets is also assessable.  The assessment does not include the family home.

Where a qualified adult has assessable weekly means of less than €100, the maximum rate of IQA is payable.  Where their assessable weekly means are between €100 and €310, a reduced rate of IQA is payable.  If the qualified adult has means of more than €310 per week, this exceeds the means limit and no IQA payment is due. 

According to the records of my Department, 2,500 IQA reviews were carried out on the State pension (contributory) scheme in 2020.  Out of these 285 IQA payments ceased due to failure to satisfy the means test, 315 IQA payments were reduced due to an increase in assessable means, and 125 payments ceased as claimants failed to reply to my Department’s correspondence.  Breakdown of these figures by age is not readily available as individual claimant information is not retained for control savings and reviews reports.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.