Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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101. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a recent application for fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) can be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51160/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long term social welfare payments with their heating needs.

The current weekly threshold for the fuel allowance means test for a single person under age 70 years is €465.30.

It was decided on 1st November 2023 that the person concerned was not entitled to a fuel allowance as her income, derived from a private pension, was in excess of the current income threshold. The person concerned was notified of the decision in writing.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Additional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must have at least 1 qualified child who normally resides with them and the customer must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment.

A review of WFP for the person concerned has been completed and the claim has been awarded from 9^thNovember 2023.

Arrears due to the person concerned from the date of renewal have been issued.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a review of eligibility to the back to education allowance will be undertaken in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51298/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Back to Education Allowance scheme (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for customers in receipt of certain social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education, subject to meeting the qualifying conditions. The objective is to raise educational and skills levels to enable them to better access the labour market.

In certain limited circumstances BTEA can be approved where the customer proposes to undertake a course of study leading to a qualification at either QQI Levels 5 or 6 where the customer already holds qualification at the same level or lesser level, including a requirement that the customer worked for a period of at least three years and has paid PRSI contributions, including S contributions, (156 cons).

The person concerned made an application for BTEA dated 16/08/2023 and this was disallowed on 11/10/2023 on the grounds that the person holds a qualification at the same level and did not work for a period of up to three years and did not pay the required PRSI contributions.

The person concerned has been notified of the decision and has been offered support to meet with a member of the employment services team to explore options.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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104. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of making the entitlement to fuel allowance automatic for persons aged over 80 years. [51342/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €412 million in 2023. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household.

It is not possible for my Department to provide an estimate of the cost of the measure outlined by the Deputy. The additional cost to the scheme will depend on a number of factors including if it was intended to award Fuel Allowance to all persons aged over 80 years, irrespective of whether Fuel Allowance is already in payment in a household or that the person aged over 80 years is resident in a dwelling such as a nursing home where their heating needs are provided for.

Any estimate will also need to take account of the significant expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme announced in Budget 2023 and in particular those measures extending the Fuel Allowance to the over 70s.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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105. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for the one-parent family payment; the number of applications rejected; the number of families receiving the payment, broken down per month, over the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51359/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy on the One-Parent Family Payment is shown in the attached tabular statement. "Recipients" is the number of families receiving the payment at the end of a month; "Registered" is the number of new applications registered during a month; and "Rejected" is the number of claims decided during a month that have a rejected outcome.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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106. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made on a domiciliary care allowance application (details supplied) which has been processing for a number of months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51393/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months.

As part of the decision process, all applications for DCA are referred on receipt to a departmental Medical Assessor (MA) for their professional opinion. In cases where an applicant subsequently requests a review of a deciding officer's decision and / or appeals the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO), and where the applicant provides further new or additional (medical) evidence that is relevant, this further evidence is also referred for a departmental MA opinion. The deciding officer has regard to the MA opinion in the decision process.

An application for DCA in respect of their child was received by my Department from the person concerned on 1 June 2023.

A deciding officer disallowed the applicant's claim as per decision dated 3 July 2023. Based on the information provided, their child was not considered to satisfy the conditions for DCA. This determination also considered the supporting documentary (medical) evidence that was provided by the person concerned in their application.

A request for a review of the decision was received on behalf of the applicant. Following a review of their application in respect of their child, including all information and evidence available at the time of the original decision and the further additional information provided in support of their review request, a Deciding Officer decided not to revise the original decision as per review decision dated 18 July 2023.

A request for a further review of entitlement to DCA in respect of the relevant child was received on behalf of the person concerned. Following a re-examination of their application, including the further new evidence that was provided in support of their review request, a deciding officer decided not to revise the original decision, as per further decision dated 26 July 2023.

The applicant subsequently requested a further review and submitted further new evidence and information for consideration. As part of the review process, the further new (medical) evidence and information provided was referred to a MA for an opinion on 17 August 2023 and a response is currently awaited.

The person concerned also appealed the Department's decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

On receipt of the MA opinion, a further review of their entitlement to DCA in respect of their child will be completed by a deciding officer and the person concerned will be notified of the decision in writing.

If the original decision remains unchanged following the further review, the applicant's appeal file will be submitted to the SWAO for consideration by an appeals officer.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.