asked the Minister for Social Welfare (a) if the increase of 5/- weekly was to be given to all old age pensioners; if not, if he will state precisely what conditions are applied to exclude many from receipt of the increase; and (b) what items count as income in computing an applicant's means.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pension Increase.
21.
Mr. O'Malley
As announced in the Budget in March, 1966, and as the House has been informed a number of times since, the increase of 5/- was to be given to old age non-contributory pensioners with no assessable means. The power enabling the Minister to make such increases is section 2 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1966.
The rules for calculating means are set out in the Seventh Schedule to the Social Welfare Act, 1952.
Is it not a fact that the Minister's original statement was widely interpreted by old age pensioners to mean that those in receipt of the full pension would receive the increase of 5/- and has it not transpired that, in fact, one out of every ten old age pensioners has qualified to receive it, and does the Minister not think that this was a mean fraud on the body of people who are entitled so to interpret the explicit statement?
That is a statement, not a question.
It is not a statement; it is a question. Is it not a mean fraud to have so misled these people?
That is not a question within the meaning of Standing Orders.
If an old age pensioner has no other source of income except a home assistance allowance, is that assessed as income to disqualify him from getting the increase?
Mr. O'Malley
In reply to Deputy Dillon, the Minister for Finance, in his Financial Statement on 9th March, was very clear in what he said. He said:
The £¼ million, which is all I have available, will, however, finance an increase of 5/- a week, from 1st November next, for persons with no means——
That is interpreted to mean anybody getting the full old age pension.
Mr. O'Malley
——in non-contributory old age, blind and widows' pensions and in the personal and adult dependant rates of unemployment assistance.
He made it very clear there—"people with no means"—and up to date 10,100 old age pensioners have received the increase.
Out of 110,000.
Mr. O'Malley
These comprise pensioners whose means were assessed at nil on the investigation of their claims at the latest re-investigation and those who consider that they are entitled are free to apply for re-assessment, as so many may have done at the time these figures were compiled. Arising out of Deputy Norton's supplementary question as to whether home assistance counts as means, I cannot give him a definite answer but it appears to me that home assistance is given if people are destitute, more or less, and have not any means. It is a type of post factum assistance.
I have a case where a person whose only source of income is 10/- home assistance has been refused the increase. I take it that if I communicate with the Minister, this matter will be put right?
Mr. O'Malley
Yes.
Thank you.