John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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455.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if carer’s allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied). [24949/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention.

To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.

An application for CARB was received from the person concerned on the 12 May 2023. The claim was awarded for the period 27 April 2023 to 25 October 2023.

The person concerned requested an extension of this claim on the 17 October 2023 and this was awarded on the 20November 2023 for the period 26 October 2023 to 24 April 2024. The extension award letter advised the person concerned to submit up to date medical information seven weeks in advance of the 24 April 2024. Additionally, the person concerned was requested to submit confirmation of new leave dates from their employer five weeks prior to 24 April 2024.

A request for an extension was received from the person concerned on the 01 May 2024, medical information was received on the 10 and 16 May 2024 and confirmation from their employer was received on the 17 May 2024.

The claim was examined by a Deciding Officer and has been extended for the period 27 April 2024 to 23 October 2024. At the end of this period the person concerned will have used 78 weeks of their maximum 104 weeks entitlement.

The CARB payment and any arrears owing were paid via the nominated payment method to the person concerned on the 06 June 2024.

I hope this clarifies the current situation for the Deputy.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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456.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to a previous Parliamentary Question regarding the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied) if particular details were considered. [24971/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned applied for State Pension (contributory) on 26 July 2022.

The person concerned has a total of 1027 reckonable contributions and 77 credits from their date of entry into insurable employment in 1973 to 2022 which equates to a yearly average of 23 contributions. This gave entitlement to a reduced State Pension (contributory) of €236.10, which is approximately 85% of the maximum rate. A yearly average of 48 contributions is required to receive the maximum rate State Pension (contributory).

According to the records of my department the person concerned has one contribution paid as a farm labourer in 1973. My department does not hold information on the employers at this time. If the person concerned was not employed at this time, it is open to them to provide information to my Department.

Credited contributions (credits) are social insurance contributions designed to protect the social insurance entitlement record of insured workers who are not in a position to make PRSI contributions and are awarded in circumstances such as proven unemployment or illness. To qualify for credits, a person must first have entered insurable employment - he or she must have paid at least one PRSI contribution at Class A, B, C, D, E, H or P. In general credits can only be awarded where an individual has had a recent attachment to the workforce, i.e. within the last 2 years.

The person concerned was in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance from August 2013 to August 2016. There was no entitlement to credited contributions for this period as the person concerned did not have an attachment to workforce in the previous two years.

4 credited contributions were awarded for the period the person concerned received Jobseekers Allowance from August to September 2017. The person concerned received the maximum credits/contributions in 2017, 48 paid contributions and 4 credits.

There is no entitlement to credited contributions for the Disablement Gratuity scheme which was paid to the person concerned from May 1995 to October 1997.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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457.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision has been made on the review of a decision on an application for an exceptional needs payment by a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25024/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary. ANPs are administered by Designated Persons in the Community Welfare Service considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

According to the records of the Department, the person concerned applied for an ANP to assist with the purchase of a car. This claim was disallowed on the basis that the replacement and repair/maintenance of a car is an ongoing expense that a person is expected to budget for from their own resources. The person was advised of the outcome of their application in writing on 30/04/2024 and afforded the option of seeking a review of the Designated Person’s decision.

Determinations made in relation to claims made under Sections 200, 201 and 202 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation Act) 2005, namely allowances-in-kind, ENPs and UNPs, can be reviewed by a SWA Reviewing Officer under Section 323 of that Act.

Following a request from the person concerned, a SWA Reviewing Officer reviewed the claim and considering the circumstances of the case, upheld the original decision made by the Designated Person, on the basis that the purchase of a car, service, repairs and maintenance should be budgeted for on an ongoing basis. Correspondence issued to the person concerned on 05/06/2024 advising them of the outcome of the review.

If the person is experiencing financial difficulties with other essential expenses, it is open to them to make a new application for assistance by completing a SWA1 form. This form is available in all Intreo Centres and can also be requested by calling the National CWS freephone line at 0818 60 70 80 or at www.eforms.gov.ie/en/forms/5.

Alternatively, if the person concerned has a verified MyGovID account they can apply for an ANP at www.MyWelfare.ie.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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458.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 29 May 2024, the number of persons who qualified for an invalidity pension on the basis of a mental health illness in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024 [25028/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.

Applicants must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months (a person may have been getting Illness Benefit or Disability Allowance during that time) or be permanently incapable of work (in certain cases of very serious illness or disability, a person can transfer directly from another social welfare payment or from their job to Invalidity Pension).

Applicants must have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions class (A, E, H or S) since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last or second last complete contribution year before the relevant date of their Invalidity Pension claim.

The Department does not report on data relating to the underlying medical conditions outlined by the Deputy for recipients of welfare payments.

I trust that clarifies the position to the Deputy.