asked the Minister for Social Welfare the social benefit or allowance being received by a person (details supplied) and his wife, the amount of that allowance, the number of social insurance stamps held by him and if there are any other allowances or benefits to which he or his wife are entitled.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
363.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance at the rate of £3.85 per week. His wife is receiving disability benefit and pay-related benefit at the rate of £19.80 per week. The combined total, namely £23.65, is equal to the current weekly rate of supplementary welfare allowance payable in respect of a man and his wife.
He has a total of 455 contributions paid under the Social Welfare Act from 5 January 1953 to 1970, inclusive. He had no contributions in the years 1971 to 1978 as he was self-employed as a brick-layer during these years. He has a total of 24 paid contributions in respect of the period from 1 March 1979 to 10 August 1979. He was in receipt of unemployment assistance from 19 August to 24 September 1979 from which date he has been submitting medical evidence of incapacity for work.
As more than two years have elapsed since this man last had contributions to his credit in 1970 he cannot qualify for benefit or credited contributions until he has a total of 26 weeks of insurable employment since his re-entry into insurance in March 1979.
In addition in order to qualify for payment he would require a total of at least 26 contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year which in the case of his present claim is the 1978 contribution year. As he had no contributions paid or credited in that year and as he has less than 26 paid contributions since his re-entry into insurance he cannot qualify for payment of benefit until after June 1980 at the earliest.
On recovery from his present illness he will be entitled to payment of unemployment assistance in respect of himself and his wife. The latter could continue to receive payment of disability benefit provided that she remains incapable of work and submits medical evidence of incapacity. If, however, her husband continues to be incapable of work she could qualify for an increased personal rate of benefit and also for an increase of benefit in respect of him as a dependent spouse.
364.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the annual cost of increasing (a) disability, (b) unemployment, and (c) pay-related benefits by 20 per cent on their present rates.
The estimated total annual cost of increasing by 20 per cent the current rates of disability benefit and unemployment benefit is as follows: disability benefit, £16,969,000; unemployment benefit, £9,570,000.
Pay-related benefit is calculated on the basis of an individual's earnings, and accordingly the rates of payment made vary in each individual case. Based on current expenditure, the annual cost of an increase of 20 per cent in pay-related benefit would be approximately £4,500,000.
365.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly which exists in regard to social welfare allowances which are paid on a monthly basis as payment sometimes occurs at five-week intervals and if he will arrange for payment at regular four-week intervals.
I take it the Deputy is referring to children's allowances. These allowances are paid on the first Tuesday of every month and this has been the position since 1952. So far as I am aware this long-standing arrangement is satisfactory to the general public and I do not propose to change it.