asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will examine the discriminatory working of means testing in rural areas in relation to the single woman's allowance for caring for the elderly which is based on the value of the property in which such persons live regardless of whether they have any right to it or not.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
15.
The legislation governing the assessment of means under the single woman's allowance scheme provides that the value of any benefit or privilege enjoyed by her must be taken into account. Accordingly, the value of board and lodgings to the applicant must be taken into account in assessing her means. In assessing the value of board and lodgings in the case of an applicant who is living on a farm, it is the income derived from the holding, and not the value of the farm itself, which is taken into account. The value of the property in which the applicant is living is not relevant in the assessment of means. What is done is such cases, is to estimate the net yearly profit of the farm and to attribute a certain proportion of that profit to the applicant as means by reference to the number of persons in the household. The requirement to take account of the value of board and lodgings is designed so as to achieve a degree of equity between applicants living in good circumstances and those in poor circumstances.
16.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that a survey carried out by the St. Vincent de Paul Society has shown that 60 per cent of eligible families are reluctant to apply for supplementary payments because they find the process degrading; and the action he intends to take in this matter.
The survey in question was carried out in 1984 and is at present being considered by the Commission on Social Welfare. The statement made by the Deputy does not, however, correctly interpret the results of the survey. The survey in fact indicated that 81 per cent of the households surveyed would be willing to approach the local community welfare officer for assistance. Those who were reluctant to seek assistance gave a number of reasons and 19.5 per cent such families that is 3.7 per cent of the total number surveyed, expressed the view that it would be degrading to do so. While I would be concerned that any person would consider it degrading to have to resort to the supplementary welfare allowances scheme I consider that the attitude evinced would have been far more common some years ago.
Community welfare officers are under considerable pressure in the administration of the scheme but I know that they are anxious to provide a caring service and that persons in genuine need are treated by them with sympathy and understanding.
18.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is proposed to introduce free electricity and free telephone allowances for those in receipt of widows' pensions.
The benefits to which the Deputy refers are intended to provide additional assistance, subject to certain qualifying conditions, to persons aged 66 years and over and to persons under that age who are permanently incapacitated. Persons aged 66 years or over who are receiving a widow's pension from my Department can qualify for these allowances. The grant of these allowances to all widows irrespective of age would have wide ranging cost implications and there are no proposals for such a change at this time.
19.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will increase the farm income allowance for a person claiming unemployment benefit or assistance from the meagre £2 per day at the moment to a realistic figure; the reasons that this figure has not been increased heretofore; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Generally speaking where a person is at work there is no entitlement to unemployment benefit. An exception to this is where a person is engaged in a subsidiary occupation. A subsidiary occupation is one which can ordinarily be followed in addition to the usual employment outside the ordinary working hours of that employment. Under the regulations a person engaged in a subsidiary occupation can be entitled to unemployment benefit provided that the remuneration from that occupation does not exceed £2 a day. An alternative test is that the person has had not less than 78 contributions paid in respect of the previous three years.
The £2 a day limit applies to all applicants for unemployment benefit who may find themselves in that situation and is not restricted to farm income. It does not apply to unemployment assistance. The £2 limit is not a means test. Its purpose, and that of the alternative test, is to ensure that the claimant has been engaged in, and is available for, full time employment. I will, however, have the operation of the limit examined.