Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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142. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount paid out in supplementary welfare for 2020 and to date in 2021; and the areas of payment per county in tabular form. [35359/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The data requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. Total expenditure for Supplementary Welfare Allowance in 2020 was an estimated €115 million, while the estimated expenditure to May 2021 is €38.5 million. The 2020 accounts of my Department are not yet complete and are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General; accordingly, these figures should be considered provisional. Expenditure by county figures provided here are estimated, based on recipient numbers.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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143. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which her Department continues to respond expeditiously to applications for various social welfare payments some of which may be Covid-related and some otherwise; if she will ensure that the response is in line with the urgency of the particular case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35279/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement for all payments including those that are Covid- related, are made as quickly as possible.

Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the different qualification criteria. Means-tested payments can require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision-making process. Delays can occur if a claim is submitted and all the necessary supporting documentation is not included. If information is required from a social security organisation in another jurisdiction, this can also affect processing times.

To help my Department to make timely and fair decisions on all applications, applicants should ensure that they complete the application forms fully, providing all the supporting documentation required as per the checklist provided on the application forms. In cases where there is an urgent need for assistance a person may make an application for supplementary welfare allowance while waiting for a decision on their claim for another social welfare payment.

I wish to reassure the Deputy that claim processing is kept under active review, with all possible steps taken to improve processing times and customer service. This includes the assignment of additional resources, where available, and the review of business processes, to ensure the efficient processing of applications.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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144. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she plans changing the system in which there is a euro per euro deduction in relation to payments of jobseeker’s allowance for those with self-employment outside of farming and fishing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34174/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency, such as disability, unemployment or caring. This ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.

Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person, and spouse/partner if applicable, applying for the relevant scheme. This reflects the expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or property are in a position to use that income, or to realise the value of the property, to support themselves without having to rely solely on a means-tested welfare payment.

In general, earnings from employment are assessed as income across all of the Department's schemes. In the case of jobseekers allowance, a certain amount of income from employment or other sources is not assessed. This is known as an income disregard.

Jobseekers allowance is a means tested income support which is available to people who are fully unemployed and to employees who are unemployed for at least 4 in every 7 days. It is also available to self-employed people who satisfy a means test. In the case of self-employed people there is an extensive list of expenses that can be offset against income from self-employment. Any changes to the means test is kept under review in a budgetary context.

There are no plans to change the means test along the lines suggested by the Deputy.

I trust that this clarifies the position.