asked the Minister for Health if he will amend the Health Act so as to ensure that benefits for an applicant with an adult dependant be comparable to the maximum amount paid to a married couple in receipt of the old age pension, and that a pro rata amount be paid for each child.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Act Allowances.
42.
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 maximum domiciliary allowance payable under the Infectious Diseases (Maintenance) Regulations to an eligible person with dependent spouse is £3 8s. 0d. per week where such person is resident in a county borough and £3 3s. 0d. per week where resident elsewhere. In addition, allowances for other dependants, including children, and, in appropriate cases, domestic help and rent allowances are also payable. I do not consider that these allowances compare unfavourably with the maximum amount paid to a married couple in receipt of the old age pension which is £3 10s. 0d. at the contributory rate and £3 at the non-contributory rate.
The allowance payable under the Disabled Persons (Maintenance Allowances) Regulations is a personal allowance which was introduced to provide some measure of relief for certain disabled persons who do not qualify for social welfare benefits. Expenditure on these allowances now exceeds £700,000 per annum and I would not be prepared at this stage to vary this allowance in such a manner as to impose an additional burden on the taxpayers and ratepayers. The maximum rate was increased from 20s. to 22s. 6d. per week on 1st January, 1961.