andMr. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will review social welfare legislation so as to ensure that people, whose circumstances have not changed, do not suffer a reduction in their income from social welfare benefits solely because they have reached the old age pension age.
Written Answers. - Old Age Pension Age.
375.
Because the pension rates are higher than other benefit rates, a person receiving a benefit would normally get an increased payment on qualifying for old age contributory pension or retirement pension. However, due in the main to concessions which allow payment of more than one benefit to persons below pensionable age, cases can occur where a person may, before reaching that age, have been receiving more in the aggregate than his subsequent pension entitlement.
I am anxious to see the elimination of anomalies in the operation of the various social welfare schemes and I will keep this particular aspect in mind.
376.
andMr. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that, as a result of the different means used for calculating the notional return on capital for old age and widows' pension purposes a widow on reaching the age of 66 can find her pension drastically reduced; and if he will amend the regulations to remedy this situation.
As promised in the Fianna Fáil election manifesto I established a working party to inquire into the operation of the means test in the field of social welfare. The situation referred to by the Deputies was one of the matters examined in the course of the inquiry and I am considering the report of the working party at present. Any modifications in the system of assessing the yearly value of capital in this regard would require amending legislation.