asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the increase in allowance due to a deserted wife (details supplied) in Dublin city will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Written Answers. - Deserted Wife Allowance Payment.
291.
A supplementary deserted wife's allowance order book for £4.20, payable from 4 April 1980 in respect of the budget increase, has issued recently to the designated post office for the person concerned. It has been confirmed that she has collected the book and cashed the orders to date. She is therefore in receipt of her full entitlement.
As I have already intimated in the replies to Questions on 23 April 1980 and on 13 May 1980, it was not possible, because of the short interval between the date of this year's budget and the dates from which the increases in the rates of pension had effect, to have pension order books at the increased rates printed and issued to the pensionsers before their existing books expired at the end of March 1980. In order to avoid a situation where the pensioners would have no books on which to receive payment from the beginning of April 1980 it was necessary this year to have two issues of pension books prepared for the 330,000 pensioners in the country. Recipients of social assistance allowances, deserted wives and so on, are included in this figure.
The first issue of books, at the prebudget rates, was made in March and were in the hands of the pensioners to enable them to receive payment at these rates from the first week in April. All supplementary books, which provided for the budget increases, have been issued to post offices for collection by pensioners.