Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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267. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if and when a decision to refuse carer’s allowance may be reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56028/22]

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.

An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 30 June 2022.

It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention.

This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.

It is also a condition for receipt of CA that every claimant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information and evidence as may be required for the purposes of deciding the claim and attend at such office or place as an officer may direct.

As the person concerned has failed to provide such documents and the evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied, the Deciding Officer (DO) has decided that the person concerned is not entitled to CA.

The person concerned was notified on 19 August 2022 of this decision, the reasons for it and of the right to review and appeal.

On 7 September 2022, the applicant submitted additional evidence in support of a review of the application.  Upon examination of the additional documents, the DO has decided that there is insufficient medical evidence to support this claim.

The person concerned was notified on 20 October 2022 of this decision, the reason for it and of the right of further review and appeal.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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268. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent, if any, to which an application for working family payment may be reconsidered in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56033/22]

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

An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 27th September 2022.  Further information was requested by the Department.  The person concerned submitted this information, and it was received by the Department. A Deciding Officer reviewed the application, and the WFP claim was disallowed on 11th October 2022 as the income of the person concerned exceeded the prescribed income limit for a family of their size. 

A Deciding Officer has reviewed the WFP decision and unfortunately the decision cannot be revised. The person concerned earns consistent incomes from their two employments and the figures used for the WFP income assessment were correct.

The person concerned has also been advised that they have a right to appeal this decision directly to the Chief Appeals Office at: Social Welfare Appeals Office, FREEPOST, D'Olier House, D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, DO2 XY31 or by email to: swappeals@welfare.ie.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.