Vol. 546 No. 3
284 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the level and percentage of increase for social welfare recipients over the years 1998 to 2001; the comparative figures for 1994 to 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31377/01]
The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table.
In last week's budget we announced increases which were at least as large as those given in 2001. These will take effect from the first week in January, rather than, as was the case in 1997, the second week in June.
Table 1 shows the actual rate and percentage increase in the period from 1994 to 2002.
Table 1: DSW/DSCFA Rate and Percentage Increases 1994-2002
|
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
|
2.5% |
3% |
4% |
6.4% |
7.2% |
7.8% |
10.4% |
9.4% |
||
|
CP/RP |
£71.00 |
£72.80 |
£75.00 |
£78.00 |
£83.00 |
£89.00 |
£96.00 |
£106.00 |
£116.01 |
|
2.4% |
3.2% |
4.6% |
7.4% |
8.2% |
8.9% |
11.7% |
10.5% |
||
|
OANCP |
£61.00 |
£62.50 |
£64.50 |
£67.50 |
£72.50 |
£78.50 |
£85.50 |
£95.50 |
£105.53 |
|
2.4% |
3% |
4.4% |
4.2% |
4% |
5.2% |
9.9% |
9% |
||
|
WCP/DWD |
£64.50 |
£66.10 |
£68.10 |
£71.10 |
£74.10 |
£77.10 |
£81.10 |
£89.10 |
£97.11 |
|
2.4% |
3.2% |
4.6% |
4.4% |
4.2% |
5.4% |
10.3% |
9.4% |
||
|
DWA/LP/OFP |
£61.00 |
£62.50 |
£64.50 |
£67.50 |
£70.50 |
£73.50 |
£77.50 |
£85.50 |
£93.56 |
|
2.5% |
3.1% |
4.5% |
4.3% |
4.1% |
7.8% |
9.9% |
9% |
||
|
*Invalidity. |
£62.60 |
£64.20 |
£66.20 |
£69.20 |
£72.20 |
£75.20 |
£81.10 |
£89.10 |
£97.11 |
|
2.4% |
8% |
4.4% |
4.2% |
4.1% |
5.2% |
6.2% |
9.1% |
||
|
Carers |
£61.00 |
£62.50 |
£67.50 |
£70.50 |
£73.50 |
£76.50 |
£80.50 |
£85.50 |
£96.56 |
|
2.4% |
3.2% |
4.6% |
4.4% |
4.2% |
5.4% |
10.3% |
9.4% |
||
|
UB |
£61.00 |
£62.50 |
£64.50 |
£67.50 |
£70.50 |
£73.50 |
£77.50 |
£85.50 |
£93.56 |
|
2.5% |
3.2% |
4.8% |
4.6% |
5.3% |
5.5% |
10.5% |
11.4% |
||
|
STUA |
£58.90 |
£60.40 |
£62.40 |
£65.40 |
£68.40 |
£72.00 |
£76.00 |
£84.00 |
£93.56 |
|
2.4% |
3.2% |
4.6% |
4.4% |
4.2% |
5.4% |
10.3% |
9.4% |
||
|
LTUA |
£61.00 |
£62.50 |
£64.50 |
£67.50 |
£70.50 |
£73.50 |
£77.50 |
£85.50 |
£93.56 |
|
Payment |
Total % Increase |
Total % Increase |
|
1994-1997 |
1998-2002 |
|
|
CP/RP |
9.8% |
48.7% |
|
OANCP |
10.6% |
56.3% |
|
WCP/DWB |
10.7% |
36.5% |
|
DWA/LP/OFP |
10.6% |
38.6% |
|
Inv. |
10.5% |
40.3% |
|
Carers |
15.6% |
37.0% |
|
UB |
70.6% |
38.6% |
|
STUA |
11.0% |
43.0% |
|
LTUA |
10.6% |
38.6% |
285 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of additional persons who qualify for the free schemes due to the relaxation of the criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31378/01]
In the past five years I have made a number of improvements to the free schemes which have added very significantly to the numbers benefiting under these schemes. The number of households benefiting from the electricity-gas allowance has increased from 211,000 in 1997 to 283,000 at present. The number of households benefiting from the TV licence scheme has increased from 206,000 1997 to 220,000 at end 2000. The number of households benefiting from the telephone allowance has increased from 165,000 in 1997 to almost 244,000 at present and this is expected to increase by a further 13,600 from May next year as a result of improvements announced in the recent budget.
The 2002 budget provides for a new household benefits scheme from May 2002 which is designed to align the eligibility criteria for the telephone allowance with those for the existing electricity/gas and TV licence schemes. This will bring these schemes into one combined package which will make it easier for people to claim their entitlements and, as already indicated, will entitle up to 13,600 additional people to telephone allowance. The budget also provided for an increase of 300 in the number of units under the free electricity/gas scheme with effect from February 2002. It is estimated that this will benefit around 280,000 households. In addition, from May 2002 the free travel companion pass will be extended to people in receipt of invalidity pension who are unable to travel alone which will benefit around 2,000 people.
Earlier budgets provided for improvements as follows: extension of the companion free travel pass to all persons aged 75 or over who are unable to travel alone, 1998; extension of the telephone allowance to all persons in receipt of a carer's allowance, benefiting 10,000 carers, 1999; extension of the electricity/gas allowance and free television licence to all persons in receipt of a carer's allowance, benefiting 10,000 households, 2000; extension of the electricity/gas allowance, telephone allowance and free television licence to all persons aged 75 or over benefiting 16,000 households, 2000; extension of all the free schemes to all persons aged 70 or over, benefiting 40,000 households, 2001.
286 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the increase in social welfare child benefit payments for the years 1998 to 2001; the comparative figures for 1994 to 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31379/01]
The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table.
In last week's budget, we announced further increases of £25.04, 31.00, representing increases of 37.1% and 34.9%, respectively. The table contains the actual and percentage increases in child benefit for the 1994-2002 period.
|
1st and 2nd child |
% increase |
3rd child + |
% increase |
|
|
1994 |
£0.00 |
0.0% |
£2.00 |
8.7% |
|
1995 |
£7.00 |
35.0% |
£7.00 |
28.0% |
|
1996 |
£2.00 |
7.4% |
£2.00 |
6.3% |
|
1997 |
£1.00 |
3.4% |
£5.00 |
14.7% |
|
1998 |
£1.50 |
5.0% |
£3.00 |
7.7% |
|
1999 |
£3.50 |
9.5% |
£4.00 |
9.5% |
|
2000 |
£8.00 |
23.2% |
£10.00 |
21.7% |
|
2001 |
£25.00 |
58.8% |
£30.00 |
53.6% |
|
2002 |
£25.04 |
37.1% |
£30.01 |
34.9% |
