Tony Gregory
Question:135 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans he has to increase the diabetic allowance from the current level of £6.20; and the last time there was any such increase. [12678/01]
Vol. 535 No. 3
135 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans he has to increase the diabetic allowance from the current level of £6.20; and the last time there was any such increase. [12678/01]
Recipients of social welfare or health board payments who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition and whose means are insufficient to meet their needs, may qualify for a diet supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
Entitlement to a diet supplement is determined by the health boards in accordance with the legislative provisions which specify the medical conditions in respect of which a diet supplement may be paid and the means test which must be applied. The amount of supplement payable depends on which of two categories of diet has been prescribed by the applicant's medical adviser, the age of the person and on the income of the individual and his-her dependants.
The present basis for calculating the amount of diet supplement payable in any individual case was put in place in 1996. The various types of prescribed diets are grouped into two categories, one comprising lower cost diets and the other comprising higher cost diets.
Diet supplements are paid subject to a means test and applicants are required to contribute any excess assessable means towards their food costs.
For the purposes of calculating the rate of diet supplement payable, the lower cost diets were deemed to cost £27 per week and the higher cost diets were deemed to cost £35 per week. In the case of single people, the amount payable was calculated on the basis that one-third of their income is spent on food.
Where the applicant is one of a couple, the amount payable was calculated on the basis that one-sixth of the couple's joint income is spent on the diet supplement applicant's food.
136 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if and when rent allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12682/01]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and neither I nor my Department have any function in deciding entitlement in individual cases.
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.
The South-Western Area Health Board was contacted and has advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If he wishes to make an application for rent supplement he should contact the community welfare officer at his local health centre.