asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will provide free colour television licences for those entitled to free television licences.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
212.
The free television licence scheme provides for payment by the Department of the full cost of television licences in respect of monochrome television sets. Pensioners with colour sets receive credit for the full cost of a monochrome set licence and are only required to pay the difference of £18 a year in licence fees. Extension of the free televison licence scheme to cover the full cost of colour television licences would have significant cost implications and would not be a priority matter in present economic circumstances.
213.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware of the anomaly affecting mature students that they may not qualify for social welfare payments while attending full-time education.
The unemployment benefit and assistance schemes are designed to provide income maintenance for people who are involuntarily unemployed and it is a statutory condition for entitlement that the person concerned must be available for work. This is a fundamental criterion which must be applied and determined in the particular circumstances of each case. In the normal course students, including mature students, following full-time education courses could not be considered to be available for employment and accordingly would not satisfy the qualifying conditions for entitlement to benefit.
214.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the non-payment of children's allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Payment of children's allowance in respect of the child in question, who reached aged 16 in March 1983, was disallowed from 1 June 1983 after she left school.
In September 1983, continuation of children's allowance was claimed in respect of the child on the grounds that she was incapable of self-support and likely to remain so for a prolonged period. The claim was disallowed by a deciding officer on the grounds that the incapacity was not likely to be prolonged and this decision was upheld by an appeals officer on 27 March 1984.
Childen's allowance in respect of the child in question was cashed subsequent to her leaving school and the resulting overpayment is being recovered by deduction from the allowance currently due. The full allowance of £60.25 a month will be restored in November 1984 after the overpayment is recovered.
215.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will allow widows under sixty-six years of age the benefit of retaining their free electricity allowance, which, under the present regulations is removed on the death of their husbands.
Extension of the scheme in the manner proposed by the Deputy would introduce a new category which is not at present covered by the scheme. It would also have implications for other schemes administered by the Department which overall could result in significant additional costs. It is not proposed in present circumstances to extend the scheme in the manner suggested.
216.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of unmarried mother's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim.
A payable order for arrears of unmarried mother's allowance for the period from 24 November 1983 to 4 April 1984 was sent to the person concerned on 8 May 1984.
217.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that the Eastern Health Board paid out more than £20 million in supplementary allowances in the past year; if he will give the reasons for the increase in expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Eastern Health Board's estimate, prepared towards the end of last year, of gross expenditure on supplementary welfare allowances in 1984 is £20.34 million. This figure represents an increase of approximately £3 million over actual expenditure in 1983 due partly to the full year cost of the 1983 budget increases but also to the increased level of demand for assistance under the scheme. The budget increases effective from July 1984 will add a further £0.545 million to this estimated expenditure.
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides an essential income maintenance for people who are not catered for under other social welfare schemes or who need special payments in addition to social welfare payments or other income. It is therefore a scheme of fundamental importance and expenditure on it is inevitably reflected by prevailing economic circumstances.
218.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has any plans to change the method of administration of the supplementary allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The administration of the supplementary welfare allowances scheme will be examined as part of the general review of the social welfare code which is being carried out at present by the Commission on Social Welfare. When I have the report of the commission I will consider what alterations to the administration of the supplementary welfare allowances scheme may be desirable.
219.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a small-holders' allowance will be restored in full to a person (details supplied) in Kilrush, County Clare.
The person concerned is no longer a smallholder having been transferred his land by deed of transfer to his son. He was assessed with means of £2,840.88 per annum derived from the value of board and lodging on his son's holding and from capital and as this sum exceeded the statutory limit applicable to him, £2,587 per annum, his unemployment assistance claim was disallowed with effect from 14 March 1984.
He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and his case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. The appeals officer also assessed him with means in excess of the statutory limit and he was notified accordingly.
220.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the date on which a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan had his small farmers' unemployment assistance withdrawn; the reason for the withdrawal; when his appeal will be processed; and if it is intended to restore his assistance.
During the course of a review of his unemployment assistance claim the person concerned refused to co-operate with the social welfare officer investigating his case. His claim was subsequently disallowed with effect from 1 September 1982 on the grounds that by failing to give details of his means he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit.
He appealed against the disallowance of his unemployment assistance claim but due to documents going astray in transit to headquarters the processing of his appeal was delayed until April 1984. His case was then referred to a social welfare officer for further inquiries in the light of contentions made by him in support of his appeals.
Inquiries are still being made in the matter and when they are completed his case will be determined by an appeals officer and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.