David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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916. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her Department’s plans, if any, to extend the living alone allowance to those under the age of 66 years who are in receipt of a widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner’s pension and are living alone; the estimated cost of extending the allowance to those in such circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1911/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is a weekly payment of €22 in addition to the primary social welfare payment to:

- people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including State pensions, and who are living alone.

- people who are less than 66 years of age, living alone and in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension.

The payment types that allow a person under age 66 to receive the LAI are payments to people who have a long-term illness or disability. 

There are currently over 30,250 recipients of the Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s pension aged under 66.  The Department does not hold records on how many of those in receipt of such payments live alone.  As a result, it is not possible to provide a cost for the measure proposed by the Deputy.

Any decision to extend the LAI to those in receipt of the Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s pension aged under 66 would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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917. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made for the disability allowance review of a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1912/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions

I can confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance from the person concerned on 01 February 2022.

A means assessment has determined that the means of the person concerned exceed the statutory maximum allowed under the DA scheme. A letter notifying the person concerned issued on 23 March 2022.

An appeal was lodged with the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) on 04 May 2022. This was subsequently withdrawn as the claim of the person concerned was reviewed on 05 May 2022. Following a successful review outcome, the person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 02 February 2022.

The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 05 May 2022. The first payment was made by their chosen payment method on 11 May 2022 which included Arrears of Payment due from 02 February 2022 to 10 May 2022.

The DA section of my Department received a notification on 25 May 2022 that the person concerned was not living alone. On foot of this notification, the person's Living Alone Allowance (LAA) was stopped from 07 June 2022. Due to a departmental error, a letter of communication notifying the person concerned did not issue to him at that time.

I can confirm that a letter issued to the home address of the person concerned on 16 January 2023 advising him of this decision and of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

The person concerned did not receive any payment from 07 June 2022, as his net weekly means were assessed at €236.67. His means on 07 June 2022 are in excess of the statutory limit of €230 (Personal Rate of €208.00 plus increase for living on an island allowance of €22.00). This was a consequence of the person in question LAA being stopped.

All disability allowance claims are subject to reviews. The DA claim of the person concerned was referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) on 24 October 2022 for a report on the person’s means and circumstances.

The SWI is currently carrying out an Urgent assessment on the claim. An information request letter issued to the person concerned on 12 January 2023 from the SWI as part of a means review into his continued entitlement to DA.

Once the SWI has submitted his/her report, a decision will be made on the application as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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918. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if participants on CE schemes and rural social schemes qualify for the €500 cost-of-living grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1938/23]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Department of Social Protection operates a number of employment support schemes, including Community Employment (CE) and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS), for long term unemployed persons which also assist communities across the country in the provision of vital services. 

Budget 2023 was designed to assist recipients of Social Protection payments with Cost-of-Living increases through a mix of lump sum payments, increases to weekly payment rates and an expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme.  

CE and RSS participant wage rates are determined by their underlying social welfare payment (called the scheduled rate) at the time of commencement, subject to a minimum payment. The minimum payment on CE and RSS increased as part of Budget 2023 from €230.50 to €247.50 per week, from January 2023.  Those in receipt of an Increase for a Qualified Child also benefitted from a €2 weekly increase, while those in receipt of an Increase for a Qualified Adult benefitted from an additional €8 weekly increase.

In addition, a number of once off bonus payments were announced in Budget 2023, which benefitted eligible Community Employment and RSS participants, including a once off payment of €400 for those in receipt of the Fuel Allowance and a €200 lump sum payment for those in receipt of a Living Alone Allowance. These are in addition to the Autumn Cost of Living double week payment, the double payment of Child Benefit in November and the Christmas double payment made in December 2022. 

However, the cost of living disability support grant (€500) was not payable to CE or RSS participants who came from a disability payment.  It was paid to people in receipt of a disability allowance, invalidity pension and blind persons pension.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.