Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

643. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to respond to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39106/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Guardian’s payment (contributory) and Guardian’s payment (non-contributory) are respectively social insurance and social assistance (means tested) payments made to a person caring for a child who satisfies the definition of an “orphan” under social welfare legislation. The purpose of the guardian's payment scheme is to provide income support in respect of those children whose parents are unable to provide for them, through death or other circumstances. It is not payable to a parent or step parent of a child.

It was decided on the 11th March 2025 that the person concerned was not entitled to a guardians payment, in respect of her son as he does not satisfy the definition of an "orphan" under social welfare legislation.

The person concerned appealed the decision of the Deciding Officer to the Chief Appeals Officer, and her claim has been forwarded to the Appeals Office for consideration. The Appeals Office will contact the person concerned directly, regarding the outcome of her appeal. The Chief Appeals Officer operates independently of my department.

In addition to the universal monthly payment of child benefit of €140 per child, my department has a number of other payments available to assist families with children, including –

• Working Family Payment which is a means-tested income support payment for families where one or more adult is working.
• Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance which is an annual payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn.
• Supplementary Welfare Allowance includes payments to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.