Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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454. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the specific weeks in which the additional payments from her Department outlined in the cost-of-living package (details supplied) will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48610/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, as part of Budget 2023, I secured €1.2 billion in funding to provide for a wide range of lump-sum payments to assist individuals and families.

My Department is currently working on putting in place the necessary IT systems to administer the various lump sum payments and I intend to publish a timetable in the coming days so that people will have certainty as to when each payment will issue.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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455. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a working family payment renewal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48637/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with qualified children. 

Once WFP is granted, it is payable for 52 weeks at the same rate, as long as the customer continues to be engaged in full-time paid employment as an employee for at least 38 hours every fortnight.The previous application for WFP for the person concerned expired at the end of the 52 week period on 28/09/2022.

A WFP renewal application was received by the Department from the person concerned and further information was requested. A reply was received and a Deciding Officer reviewed the renewal application. WFP was awarded to the person concerned. The first weekly payment and all arrears owing have issued to their selected financial account. The person concerned was notified on 29/09/2022 of this decision.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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456. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the once-off cost-of-living double week’s payment scheduled for October 2022 includes recipients of the widow’s pension. [48639/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, my Department will spend approximately €1.2 billion in one-off measures during the coming months to help individuals and families through this difficult period. 

The Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment will be paid to those schemes which are eligible to receive the Christmas Bonus, with one addition - the removal of the 12 month duration requirement for certain schemes - allowing short-term jobseekers and Supplementary Welfare Allowance customers to qualify for the October support.

As both the Contributory and Non-Contributory Widow, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension are eligible for the Christmas Bonus, recipients of these payments will receive the Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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457. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the €500 announced for invalidity recipients in budget 2023 applies to partial capacity payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48648/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, my Department will spend approximately €1.2 billion in one-off measures during the coming months to help individuals and families through this difficult period. 

Provision of the once-off grant payment of €500, for persons in receipt of the Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and the Carer’s Support Grant is in response to the particular challenges faced by these groups at this time.

The Partial Capacity Benefit scheme has been designed to allow persons in receipt of this payment to continue to receive a percentage of their previous payment (i.e. 50%, 75% or 100%) while in employment. The scheme has also been designed so there are no restrictions on the number of hours a person in receipt of the payment can work, and there are no restrictions on earnings / earnings limits.  People who have moved on to Partial Capacity Benefit, from an Invalidity Pension payment, retain their Partial Capacity payment while in employment for three years (156 weeks).

As those in receipt of Partial Capacity Benefit are in employment without any restriction on earnings, they will not be eligible for the €500 grant.  However, they will be eligible for the Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment later this month, and the Christmas Bonus in December. Those with children may also be eligible for the Double Payment of Child Benefit in November.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.