Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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456. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide an update on an appeal by a person (detail supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53103/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 28 July 2022. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 17 October 2022.

The case was referred to an Appeals Officer on 19 October 2022, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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457. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if illness benefit recipients will the receive the November 2022 cost-of-living double payment; and if not, if she will outline the rationale behind that decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53120/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Autumn Cost of Living double payment is part of a range of measures in Budget 2023 to mitigate the effects of the increased cost of living.

The Autumn Cost of Living double payment will be paid to recipients of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disablement Benefit and Partial Capacity Benefit.

Qualifying payments for the autumn double payment are those payments that are considered long-term payments. People on long-term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to being at risk of poverty. It is for this reason that the Department allocates additional payments, supports and resources to help this cohort of claimants.

Illness Benefit is not a qualifying payment for the Autumn double payment. In the vast majority of cases, Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment. This means there is a constant daily churn in terms of Illness Benefit recipients as people take time off/return to work. In addition, in many cases Illness Benefit is paid directly to the employer where sick pay is paid.

Most recipients of Illness Benefit still have an attachment to the labour force and there is an expectation that they will return to work.

Long-term Illness Benefit recipients who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for Invalidity Pension (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria and social insurance contributions). Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means-tested Disability Allowance (subject to the relevant medical criteria). All recipients of both of these payments are eligible for additional benefits including free travel and the household benefits package.

This Department provides Additional Needs Payments under our Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. This includes exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.

Illness Benefit recipients will benefit from the €12 increase in the maximum weekly rate of this payment from January 2023.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.