Vol. 513 No. 2
16 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the way in which he is responding to the complaints from family carers in view of the way in which the carer's allowance is being severed from recipients on the advice of Department doctors whom they have never met; and if he will accept the certification of the family doctor who knows the family circumstances best when applications are being made for this allowance. [1865/00]
The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment made to people who are providing full time care and attention to elderly people or people with disabilities whose income falls below certain limits. The principal condition for receipt of the allowance is that full time care and attention is required and being provided.
On receipt of an application for carer's allowance, a comprehensive medical report form must be completed in respect of the person being cared for. This report is completed by the person's own doctor and is subsequently examined by one of my Department's medical assessors to determine if the medical criteria for the receipt of carer's allowance are satisfied.
The medical assessors, who are all qualified and experienced medical practitioners, assess each case having regard to the report submitted by the applicant's general practitioner and other available medical evidence. For example, if the care recipient is already in receipt of a disability allowance or invalidity pension from the Department, the relevant medical evidence will be taken into account. The medical assessor evaluates each case on its merits and advises a deciding officer who then decides whether or not the necessary medical and other criteria are satisfied.
In all my Department's schemes there is a review mechanism to ensure that entitlement conditions continue to be satisfied. In the case of carer's allowance these reviews are selective and are undertaken in a small number of appropriate cases, to ensure that the medical criteria continue to be fulfilled. During 1999 14 carer's allowance recipients had their claims disallowed on the basis that they did not satisfy the full time care attention condition, of which six were reinstated following appeal.
As the Deputy will be aware I am introducing from next October a new social insurance carer's benefit scheme which will provide a non-means tested payment to employed persons who give up employment to undertake caring duties. I have furthermore now secured Government agreement to an extension of the duration of payment of the benefit from 12 months, as announced in the budget, to 15 months.
In the context of the introduction of that scheme my Department is reviewing the medical assessment procedures as they apply to carer's allowance. I think it is appropriate, however, that my Department's medical assessors would continue to have a role in the determination of entitlement under the scheme.
17 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the percentage of rent supplements paid direct to landlord bank accounts; the plans, if any, he has to introduce this measure in the context of providing greater accountability in the operation of the supplementary welfare allowance rent supplement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1868/00]
The supplementary welfare allowance, scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent to any persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs.
The purpose of rent supplements is to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible persons living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source.
Entitlement to the supplement is determined by the health board in the light of the circumstances of each individual case and the cost of the accommodation. Payment is normally calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of the rent has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to their circumstances, less £6. This £6 represents the minimum contribution which applicants are required to pay from their own resources.
The payment arrangements are a matter for the health board and their customer, the tenant. There is no contractual relationship between the landlord and the health board. Payments are normally made directly to the tenant but a tenant can nominate another person to receive the payment. In some cases, tenants will nominate the landlord. At present, some 20% to 25% of rent supplement payments are paid directly to landlords and about one third of these are paid directly into landlords' bank accounts.
With regard to improving accountability, the supplementary welfare allowance scheme was computerised in a major project completed in June 1999. This provided integration with my Department's other short-term schemes. It has thus improved administration, reduced the potential for fraud or abuse and provides greater control of payments, for example through automated reviews. In addition, targeted control work is carried out periodically in each health board. This includes reviewing rent supplements to ensure that the recipient still resides at the address and that there are no changes in circumstances which would affect entitlement.
