Written answers

Wednesday, 15 December 2021

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Departmental Policies

Photo of Christopher O'SullivanChristopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the main policy achievements and initiatives undertaken by her Department during 2021; and her main priorities for 2022. [62202/21]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In 2021, thanks to the efforts of my Department's staff, we have continued to provide vital income supports through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and the enhanced Illness Benefit scheme - alongside all of the existing suite of social protection schemes for our pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, one-parent families and others.

Research undertaken by the ESRI estimated that, because of the policy response to the pandemic in the form of the PUP and the wage subsidy schemes, the average income loss due to COVID-related job losses was more than halved, to 3 per cent. In addition, the bottom income quintile actually gained, on average, experiencing a rise in income of nearly 2 per cent. The ESRI found that the PUP and wage subsidy measures were particularly effective in cushioning families at the lower end of the income distribution from losses.

Notwithstanding the enormous strain on the national finances caused by the pandemic, I was pleased to be able to secure the largest social welfare package in 14 years in Budget 2022. The Social Protection Budget package is worth €558 million in 2022. Budget measures include:

- €5 increase in the maximum rate of all core weekly payments, e.g., pensioners, widows(ers), loneparents, jobseekers, carers, people with disabilities, and people on employmentprogrammes (e.g. Community Employment, Tús and the Rural Social Scheme), with proportionate increases for qualified adults (formerly known as adult dependants);

- €3 increase in the Living Alone Allowance from €19 to €22 per week to people with disabilities and people aged 66 and over who are living alone. This will benefit over 230,000 pensioners, widows/widowers and people with disabilities;

- €3 increase for qualified child dependants aged 12 and over, bringing the rate to €40 per week;

- €2 increase for qualified child dependants under age 12, bringing the rate to €48 per week;

- Parent’s Benefit – increase from five to seven weeks for parents of children under two years of age.

Most of these are included in the Social Welfare Bill which is proceeding through the Oireachtas this week.

I was particularly pleased that we were able to establish a protocol with Tusla which ensures that victims of domestic violence are now able to access rent supplement as seamlessly and as quickly as possible.

In fulfilment of a commitment under the Programme for Government, I was glad to be able to introduce a benefit payment for people aged 65 who are no longer engaged in employment or self-employment. A person in receipt of this payment is not required to be available for full-time work or to be genuinely seeking work and they are not be required to sign on the Live Register.

These are some of the key achievements which my Department, through the enormous efforts of all of its staff, was able to deliver over the past year.

My priority in 2022 is to assist those on PUP and the Live Register back to employment and continue to target resources to those most in need.

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