Written answers

Thursday, 14 July 2022

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Eligibility

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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541. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she intends on removing the cap on total credited contributions for home caring periods and the age cap on foster children for eligibility for caring contributions by foster parents given the major and necessary contribution they make to society and to vulnerable persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39043/22]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla.  

More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role.  Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system includes a range of measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods (of up to 20 years) outside of paid employment in the calculation of a State Pension payment. 

The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment to examine options for a pension solution for carers, the majority of whom are women, particularly those of incapacitated children, in recognition of the enormous value of the work carried out by them.  The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund.  The Commission’s terms of reference included consideration of how people who have provided long-term care for incapacitated dependants can be accommodated within the State Pension system.

The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The report set out a wide range of recommendations, including enhanced pension provision for long-term carers (defined as caring for more than 20 years). It recommended that long-term carers should be given access to the State Pension (Contributory) by having retrospective contributions paid for them by the Exchequer for any gaps in their contribution history arising from that caring.  The Commission also recommended that relevant Departments should examine, in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, options for the creation of a statutory "Family Carer Register" which could, in time, facilitate the identification of long-term carers for State Pension (Contributory) purposes as well as assisting in the planning and delivery of services for family carers.

In the interests both of older people and future generations of older people, the comprehensive and far-reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report need to be considered very carefully and holistically. My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system.  The views of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare will be considered as part of these deliberations.  Once we have considered all of these matters in detail and taken on board the views of my Ministerial colleagues, I intend bringing a recommended response and implementation plan to Government. 

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Photo of Michael CollinsMichael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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542. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if foster care children will be included in the back-to-school allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39144/22]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year.

The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid. 

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is not payable in respect of foster children as the financial support available to foster parents from Tusla, the foster care allowance, includes assistance with the cost of clothing and footwear for the foster child.

Any changes to the eligibility criteria for the scheme would have to be considered in a budgetary context and within the scope of the overall resources available for welfare improvements.

Applications which fall outside the normal rules of the scheme may be considered for an additional needs payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme by the Community Welfare Service.  

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local Community Welfare Service.  There is a National CWS Contact Centre in place – 0818-607080 – which will direct callers to the appropriate office.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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