224 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 is entitled to the back to school allowance. [12980/01]
Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.
The back to school clothing and footwear, BSCF, allowance scheme is designed to assist certain recipients of social welfare and health board payments with the cost of children's school uniforms and footwear. The scheme operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and neither I nor my Department has any function in deciding individual cases.
A person may qualify for payment of the BSCF allowance if he or she is in receipt of a social welfare or health board payment or participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income at or below certain prescribed levels.
The person concerned is a widow with one child dependent and the income limit that would normally apply in such circumstances is £124 per week.
However, there are special conditions in place which allow people participating in an approved employment scheme such as community employment, CE, to retain their entitlement to secondary benefits including the BSCF allowance as long as their household income is less than £250 per week.
Under the scheme an allowance of £63 is payable in respect of qualified children from two to 11 years and an allowance of £78 is payable in respect of qualified children from 12 to 22 years.
Pádraic McCormack
Question:225 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if recipients of the family income supplement automatically qualify for special needs payments such as back to school grants, confirmation and first communion grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12995/01]
The back to school clothing and footwear, BSCF, allowance scheme is designed to assist certain recipients of social welfare and health board payments with the cost of children's school uniforms and footwear. The scheme operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and neither I nor my Department has any function in deciding individual cases.
There is no automatic entitlement to the BSCF allowance. A person may qualify for payment of the BSCF allowance if he or she is in receipt of a social welfare, including family income support, FIS, or health board payment or participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income at or below certain prescribed levels. These income levels vary depending on the composition of the household and they are increased each year in line with budgetary increases in weekly social welfare payments. Details of the income limits for 2001 are shown in the following tabular statement.
There are special conditions in place which allow people participating in an approved employment scheme to retain their entitlement to the BSCF allowance as long as their household income is less than £250 per week. Under the scheme an allowance of £63 is payable in respect of qualified children from two to 11 years and an allowance of £78 is payable in respect of qualified children from 12 to 22 years. An estimated 2,500 families in receipt of FIS qualified for the BSCF allowance in 2000.
The Deputy may also be interested to know that I have established a working group to undertake a review of the back to school clothing and footwear scheme as part of my Department's series of programme evaluations. The review is examining all aspects of the scheme including the rates of payment as well as the income limits, the means test, time of payment, the eligibility criteria and other issues. I expect to have the working group's report in the near future.
Household size |
Income Limit |
Couple with 1 child |
£194.40 per week |
Couple with 2 children |
£209.60 per week |
Couple with 3 children |
£224.80 per week |
Couple with 4 children |
£240.00 per week |
Lone Parent with 1 child |
£124.00 per week |
Lone Parent with 2 children |
£141.00 per week |
Lone Parent with 3 children |
£158.00 per week |
Lone Parent with 4 children |
£175.00 per week |
Nora Owen
Question:226 Mrs Owen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he has apologised to the 80 year old man who was recently awarded £73,875 by his Department as a result of intervention by the Ombudsman; if he has offered any compensation for the effort this man expended and the frustration he endured over the years to secure this result; if he will commence an investigation into the way in which this injustice occurred and to establish beyond all doubt whether there are other people who have had to suffer as a result of similar incorrect decisions by his Department; if he will publish the results of this investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12996/01]
The person in question claimed old age contributory pension in November 1986. At that time the Department's central records section showed that he had an average of 16 contributions a year since he first became insurably employed whereas a yearly average of at least 20 contributions was required to qualify for pension. His claim was accordingly refused. He did not appeal that decision.