asked the Minister for Defence if he will review the means test for the granting of special allowances in respect of holders of service medals for the 1916-21 period as the present system is now much too rigid.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Special Allowances.
54.
The purpose of special allowances is to supplement the income of former members of prescribed national organisations who, by reason of age or permanent infirmity, are unable to support themselves. The means test has been progressively relaxed and is at present far from severe. Social welfare benefits are only partially assessed as means and budgetary increases in these benefits are disregarded entirely or substantially.
The purpose of a means test is to ensure that maximum benefit is directed to the persons whose need is greatest. Any relaxation of the means test would benefit only those special allowance holders who have means and it would not effect any improvement in the most necessitous cases.
I do not agree with the Minister that they are not too rigid. Would he agree to get rid of the free maintenance clause under which it is incumbent on a son or daughter to support the father and mother and it is left to the discretion of the pension officer and he assesses it as such? Would the Minister be so kind as to get rid of that clause? It can be assessed at £100, £500 or £600. It is a very rigid and strict clause.
It is not rigid or strict. There is a long list here which I will be glad to send to the Deputy of all the relaxations that have been granted over the years. There were still 10,575 special allowances on pay on 28th February of this year and the cost in the financial year is estimated at £1,792,000.
Would the Minister get rid of the free maintenance clause? That is the one that causes all the trouble to applicants for special allowances.
A special allowance, as distinct from a military service pension, is meant to help necessitous people. It would be better, if there were to be an improvement, that the really necessitous people would be helped by giving them more. It would not be a very good step forward to change a position whereby we exclude people who have means from this really good scheme.
The free maintenance clause is completely archaic particularly in view of the cost of living. Would the Minister not also consider that the investigations carried out by social welfare officers who regard money given by a son or daughter for their own food as profit are unjust? If a son is giving £5 or £6 a week to an applicant for a special allowance who is providing him with food and bedding this is regarded as profit.
I have yet to find a case where that is so.
We meet them every day.
I raised a case last week in the House and it has been in the Minister's office for the past fortnight so he will find a case if he would look it up.
That may be what the Deputy said the case was.
Is the Minister not aware that in the case of differential rents and where necessitous cases are concerned with regard to rates waivers——
Which Fianna Fáil brought in.
——and so on, the total income of the home is what is considered?
No. That is not correct.
That is not correct.
(Interruptions.)