asked the Minister for Health if he will direct the health authorities throughout the country to desist in future from taking into account increases extended to old age, blind, and widows and orphans pensioners, and unemployed when extending relief and assistance to recipients.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Authorities: Relief and Assistance to Pensioners.
41.
I assume that the benefits to which the Deputy refers are the allowances payable under the Infectious Diseases (Maintenance) Regulations and under the Disabled Persons (Maintenance Allowances) Regulations.
The rates of allowances specified in the Infectious Diseases (Maintenance) regulations are maximum rates and the amount payable in any particular instance is at the discretion of the health authority within the specified maximum applicable to the circumstances of the case. Income from other sources, including social welfare benefits, is ordinarily taken into account but where in exceptional cases, a health authority considers that undue hardship would be caused by adhering strictly to this policy, they have discretion to disregard such income in whole or in part and, accordingly, it is possible, in cases where hardship would otherwise result, to allow recipients of maintenance allowances the benefit of social welfare increases. Apart from hardship cases, I advised health authorities, when social welfare benefits were increased in January, 1961, to disregard these increases in the cases of persons who were recipients of both Infectious Diseases (Maintenance) Allowances and social welfare benefits at the time of the increases.
In determining the amount of an allowance under the Disabled Persons (Maintenance Allowances) Regulations, 1960, a health authority must, in accordance with the regulations, have regard to the applicant's means, other than income from public assistance. Having regard to their nature as a residual form of assistance, Disabled Persons Allowances would not ordinarily be payable to a person in receipt of social welfare benefits, but a health authority may, in exceptional circumstances, pay an allowance in such a case and may, if they consider that hardship would otherwise result, disregard any increase in social welfare benefits when reviewing the allowance.
Did the Minister say he had sent an advisory circular to the local authorities?
To disregard the increases granted in 1961 in cases of persons who were recipients of both Infectious Diseases (Maintenance) Allowances and social welfare benefits at the time of the increases.
Why does that advice not extend to persons in receipt of disabled persons allowances and the other benefit?
I pointed that out in the first part of the reply.
It was rather long.
I pointed out that Disabled Persons (Maintenance) Allowances are residual allowances. They are designed merely to help out a family in which there is a disabled person. They are not entitled to provide for his full maintenance.