asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give the reason for that social welfare regulation which prohibits an increase in sickness benefit to those who are in receipt of 100 per cent. disablement allowance from the Department of Defence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Regulations: Army Pensioners' Sickness Benefit.
1.
Army pensioners in receipt of 100 per cent. pension or allowance are disqualified from receiving disability benefit and any increase thereof in respect of adult of child dependants unless since discharge they have requalified for benefit of limited duration by the payment of 26 contributions or for benefit of unlimited duration by payment of 156 contributions. Persons who have requalified are not, however, entitled to an increase of benefit in respect of a wife or children unless the allowance for dependents in the Army pension is less than the corresponding increases under the disability benefit code, in which event the difference is payable.
As the persons concerned were already in receipt of maximum payments for themselves and their dependants from the Department of Defence in respect of their disability, it was intended that disability benefit should not be paid under the provisions of the Social Welfare Act, 1952. This was in accordance with the principle that not more than one payment should be made from State funds in respect of any contingency.
As a concession, however, it was decided that the personal rate of disability benefit, together with the difference between the rate of increase for dependants payable with the benefit and the rate of increase applicable to the 100 per cent. pension, should be paid in the case of insured persons who have requalified.
The present personal rate of disability benefit is 32s. 6d. a week; the increase for a wife is 20s. a week and for each of the first two children 10s. a week. The 100 per cent pension rate is £3. 17s. 6d. a week; the addition for a wife 11s. 7d. a week and for two children 12s. 3d. a week. Thus, a pensioner who has requalified for a disability benefit and has a wife and two children is entitled to a pension at the rate of £5. 1s. 4d. a week plus disability benefit at the rate of £2. 8s. 8d. a week, making a total of £7. 10s. 0d. a week.