Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

45. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on whether persons on illness benefit should be included in the fuel allowance scheme. [48535/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

The Fuel Allowance payment is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income.

The reason Illness Benefit is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance is that, in the majority of cases, Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment due to illness.

People who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for the non-means-tested Invalidity Pension, subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria. Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means-tested Disability Allowance, subject to meeting the relevant medical criteria. Both of these payments are qualifying payments for Fuel Allowance.

Any decision to extend the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance to include people in receipt of Illness Benefit or other short term schemes would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

46. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on whether including PhD stipends and scholarship awards for a PhD from the means test for the one family payment is an active barrier facing students who are parenting alone or heading one parent families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48688/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The social protection system includes a variety of social assistance payments with different rules in relation to means testing, reflecting the different contingencies under which payments are made. The means assessment reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use these resources to support themselves so that social welfare expenditure can be directed towards those who need it most.

My Department encourages social welfare recipients to avail of education and training through the Back to Education scheme, as well as by referrals to Education and Training Board courses through the Department's Intreo service. In addition, income received from the SUSI grant is disregarded in the means test for most social welfare schemes.

In addition, there are a number of scholarships, such as those awarded by certain charitable organisations, which are not assessed as part of the means test for social welfare payments.

These include payments under the 1916 Bursary Fund and under Higher Educational Scholarships for Adult Learners from Uversity to a maximum of €7,000 per annum. Uversity is a registered charity that has been awarding Higher Education Scholarships to adult learners since 2018. For disability allowance, the disregard includes any amount of a bursary, scholarship or stipend awarded for completion of Doctoral Degree studies at an approved institution up to a maximum of €20,000 per year.

Disregards across all of the Department's schemes are kept under constant review and any changes will be considered in a budgetary context.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

48. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the income threshold for the fuel allowance for persons with disabilities can be raised in order to reflect the additional cost of living with a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48671/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance under the household benefits scheme at an estimated cost of €195 million in 2021.

The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. All recipients of non-contributory payments are accepted as satisfying the means-test for fuel. People who are in receipt of a qualifying contributory payment must also satisfy a means test.

Any decision to raising the income threshold for fuel allowance for persons with disabilities would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

My Department does provide additional support to people with disabilities through the household benefits package (HHB). The HHB package comprises the electricity or gas allowance (€35 a month) and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years and over and is also available to people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments including Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, a heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances that have special heating needs. If a recipient of a social protection or HSE payment has exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition which he/she is unable to meet out of household income, that person may apply for a heating supplement. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. Heating supplements are payable 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 in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

Exceptional needs payments are also available under the SWA scheme. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

The Programme for Government commits the Government to use the research into the cost of disability to individuals and families to properly inform the direction of future policy. My Department commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland. The report has been received and my Department is considering it in detail.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

49. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if further consideration has been given to examination of the thresholds for earning in relation to the qualification for the carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48265/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

The main income supports provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. Over 135,000 carers benefit from regular income supports and spending on these payments in 2021 is expected to be in the region of €1.5 billion. The value of income transfers to family carers has increased by over 50% since 2015.

Carer's Allowance acts as an income support for those who cannot earn adequate income due to their caring responsibilities. This allowance is part of the system of social assistance supports that provide 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. In August 2021, there were 90,207 recipients of Carer's Allowance. The estimated expenditure for the payment this year is in the region of €953 million.

The means test for Carer’s Allowance is one of the most generous in the social protection system, most notably with regard to a spouse's earnings. Currently, €332.50 of gross weekly income is disregarded in the calculation of means for a single person; the equivalent for someone who is married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting is €665 of combined gross weekly income.

By comparison, the income disregard applied to Disability Allowance is €140 per week, with income between €140 and €350 assessed at 50%.. For Jobseeker's Allowance, it is €20 per day up to a maximum of €60, and the balance is assessed at 60%. For Jobseeker's Transitional Payment, the weekly income disregard is €165 with 50% of the balance assessed as means.

In the case of a couple, a carer may retain a full-rate payment of €219.00 per week while having an annual income of €37,500 from employment, retain a payment of (just under half rate) €109.00 per week while having an annual income from employment of €49,750, and retain the minimum payment of €4 per week while having an annual income of €61,000.

In the case of a single person, a carer may retain a full-rate payment of €219.00 while having an annual income of just under €19,000, retain a payment of €109.00 per week (just under half rate) while having an annual income of €25,400, or retain the minimum payment of €4 per week while having an annual income of €31,100.

In recognition of the vital role that carers provide in our society, the Carers Support Grant was increased by €150 as part of Budget 2021. It is now payable at the highest rate paid since its introduction.

I can assure the Deputy that I am very aware of the key role carers play in society and I will continue to keep the range of supports available to carers under review. Changes to schemes are considered in an overall expenditure and policy context and from an evidence-based perspective. Any improvements or additions to these supports can only be considered in that context and in the light of available financial resources.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.