asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that a widow in the County Dublin who was receiving a contributory widow's pension of 16/- per week on attaining the age of 70 years had her widow's and orphan's pension stopped and substituted by the old age pension of 12/6, and if he will take steps to remedy this position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Stoppage of Widow's Pension.
I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers, and the facts are as stated by him. A widow's contributory pension (non-agricultural) is at the rate of 10/- per week, the same as the rate of old age pension, but the cash supplement payable under the Social Welfare Schemes (Cash Supplements) Orders, 1947, is different. The cash supplement payable to a widow resident in a rural area (that is an area where the food voucher scheme was not in operation) is 6/- per week, whereas the cash supplement payable to an old age pensioner in a rural area is only 2/6 per week. In the latter case, however, a weekly supplemental allowance not exceeding 2/6 may be paid by the public assistance authority to a person who is a member of a necessitous household, 75 per cent. of the expenditure so incurred being repayable by the State. I am informed by the Balrothery public assistance authority, which is concerned in this case, that no application for such supplemental allowance has been received from the widow referred to by the Deputy. Provision will be included in the legislation relating to old age pensions that is at present being prepared, which will have the effect of remedying the position revealed in this case.