Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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554. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports that are in place for persons aged over 66 years, who are still working and have to isolate due to Covid-19 symptoms as recommended by HSE guidelines, but due to their age do not qualify for enhanced illness benefit, but are still paying PAYE, PRSI and USC and will also not qualify for community welfare support. [4628/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It is important to note that the primary state income support in respect of people who are aged 66 years or over is the State Pension – either the contributory state pension or the non-contributory pension, which is means tested.

Currently, where a person aged 66 and over is in employment, no employee social insurance contributions are payable and either a nil liability, or reduced rate, applies to their employer.

Recipients of State pension payments may, subject to satisfying eligibility conditions, also have access to a range of additional supports:

A pensioner who is living alone can receive the living-alone increase, which was increased from €19 per week to €22 per week at the start of 2022.

The Household Benefits package (HHB) is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on HHB. It consists of the gas / electricity element of the package (€35 a month) and the free TV licence element.

The Fuel Allowance which was increased by €5 in Budget 2022 is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 for the fuel season) from October to April at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying households with their energy costs.

The telephone support allowance (TSA) is a weekly payment of €2.50. The estimated full year cost of the scheme is over €18.1 million. To receive the allowance a customer of my Department must be in receipt of a qualifying payment such as the State pension and also in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance and the scheme supports recipients by assisting with the cost of communications and/or home security solutions.

The provision for Illness Benefit is paid only to people below State pension age, which is currently 66. This is set out in the legislative provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 governing entitlement to the benefit.

The rules governing eligibility for the enhanced Illness Benefit payment for people diagnosed with Covid-19 are the same as for the standard Illness Benefit payment in respect of age.

My Department may also 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. This is administered by this Department's Community Welfare Service and can be accessed by customers through their local Intreo Office.

While I fully understand that these are difficult and distressing times for many people, especially for the vulnerable and the elderly, 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.