Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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265. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason that the correct payment option was not applied to a fuel allowance claim for a person (details supplied); and if the matter is to be rectified [52504/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April.

The fuel allowance application in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 11 April 2022 with the payment awarded from 14 January 2022. The person concerned received arrears totaling €554 covering the period 14 January to the end of the fuel season 2022.

Unfortunately, the payment frequency was not updated on the system to reflect the customers preference of a lump sum payment. Weekly payments of fuel allowance issued from 30 September 2022 and will continue to 5 January 2023. From 06 January 2023, they will receive the lump sum payment of €462 covering payment from 6 January to the end of the fuel season 2023. They were notified in writing of this change on 07 October 2022.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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266. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a full carer’s allowance will be approved immediately for a person (details supplied) who is in receipt of payment of half of the carer's payment and whose financial circumstances have changed. [52517/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

If a person is in receipt of another social welfare payment (other than unemployment payments or supplementary welfare allowance) or is being claimed as a qualified adult on their spouse / partner's payment, a half-rate CA can be paid too as long as all the normal conditions for receipt of CA are satisfied.

The person concerned has been in receipt of CA at half-rate from 4 July 2019, as they are also in receipt of One Parent Family Payment (OFP). The person's entitlement to OFP is due to cease on 9 November 2022 and it has been decided that the person concerned is entitled to full rate CA from 10 November 2022.

The person concerned was notified on 18 October 2022 of this outcome and of their right of review and appeal.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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267. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if either person can apply for farm assist in cases in which two names are on a herd number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52529/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Farm Assist is a means-tested income support scheme for farmers. To qualify for the payment, a person must be actively farming land in the State, aged between 18 and 66 and satisfy a means test

A single herd number can be used to support only one Farm Assist application, where applicable, at a time.

Where two or more people farm what may originally have been a single unit, but is now claimed to be made up of separate units and is being managed as separate entities/businesses, they may qualify for Farm Assist in their own right, subject to satisfying all the conditions for the scheme.

I trust that this clarifies the matter.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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268. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a supplementary welfare allowance application by a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in making a decision on the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52535/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that the Department received an application for Disability Allowance (DA) from the person concerned on 14 September 2022.

The person concerned has been awarded DA with effect from 14 September 2022 and the first payment will be made by their chosen payment method on 19 October 2022.

Arrears of payment due from 14 September 2022 to 18 October 2022 have been issued to the person concerned.

The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 11 October 2022.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.