Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1118. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the up-to-date position in relation to parents' benefit; when the next extension is due to come into place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29721/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Currently, five weeks Parent's Leave and Benefit is available to all eligible parents of children born or adopted from 1 November 2019.  The leave and benefit must be availed of within the first two years of the child’s life or adoption.

In Budget 2022, the Government provided for the number of weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents to be increased from five weeks to seven weeks from July 2022.  The additional two weeks leave and benefit will apply to parents of children who are under age two in July 2022 or, in the case of adoption, where less than two years have passed since the child's placement.  

I understand that the regulation to implement the the changes to Parent's Leave is currently being finalised by the Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth.  My Department is responsible for the associated changes to Parent's Benefit for the extended leave period.  Section 8 of the Social Welfare Act 2021 provides for the extension of Parent's Benefit by two weeks.  It requires a Commencement Order which will be brought forward shortly.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1119. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the dates of the introduction of changes and increases for the various social welfare payments as announced in Budget 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29729/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the largest in 14 years and provided for a €5 across the board increase to all weekly payments, as well as a number of other targeted measures intended to focus resources in the most effective way towards the most vulnerable social welfare recipients. 

As energy prices were increasing, the €5 increase to the Fuel Allowance rate was implemented from October 2021.  At the same time, the income threshold for qualifying for the Fuel Allowance was increased by €20 per week.

The following measures were introduced inJanuary 2022:

- Core social welfare rates were increased by €5 per week, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates of payment;

- The Living Alone Allowance was increased by €3, from €19 to €22 per week;

- The weekly rate of the qualified child increase for children aged 12 and over was increased by €3, from €45 to €48 per week, while the rate for children aged under 12 was increased by €2, from €38 to €40 per week;

- The rate of Wage Subsidy Scheme for people with disabilities was increased by €1 per hour.

- Eligibility for the disregard of PhD scholarship income in the means test was extended to recipients of Blind Pension;

- The period during which Domiciliary Care Allowance can be paid for children in hospital was extended from 3 months to 6 months.

In April:

- The income threshold for Working Family Payment increased by €10 for all families.  The implementation date for this measure was brought forward from June, as part of the package of measures introduced by Government to help mitigate the impacts of the increase in the cost of living.

In June:

- Under the Treatment Benefit scheme, a grant of up to €500 towards the cost of wigs/hairpieces/hair replacement systems due to illness was introduced;

- The number of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions required by younger contributors to qualify for Treatment Benefit has been reduced;

- The list of agri-environmental schemes that attract a disregard under the Farm Assist scheme is being expanded.  The implementation date for this measure has been brought forward from October 2022;

- The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance income thresholds will be equalised for one and two parent households;

- The rate of Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be increased by €10.  This will bring the rate for each child aged 4-11 years to €160 and for each child aged 12 and over to €285;

- The income disregard for Carer's Allowance has increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person and from €665 to €750 for a couple, while the capital disregard has increased from €20,000 to €50,000;

- The earnings threshold above which means is fully assessed increased by €25, from €350 to €375 per week, for both the Disability Allowance and Blind Pension.  In addition, the general weekly means disregard increased from €2.50 to €7.60 for Disability Allowance.

In July:

- The duration of Parent's Benefit will be extended from 5 weeks to 7 weeks. 

In September:

- Jobseeker's Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients will be able to access Fuel Allowance after 12 months duration on their payment, instead of the current 15 months. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.