asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will clarify the equal treatment of social welfare provisions for women recipients; and if she will explain how some married women such as a person (details supplied) in County Wexford have had a reduction rather than an increase in their rate of payments.
Written Answers. - Women Recipients of Social Welfare.
77.
The Social Welfare Act (No. 2), 1985, provided for the changes necessary to introduce equality of treatment in accordance with the EC Directive on the subject.
The first phase of the equality measures was brought into force by order with effect from 15 May 1986 and involved: (a) the abolition of the reduced rates of benefit for certain married women who had previously received lower rates of payment but now receive the standard rates of benefit as beneficiaries generally, (b) the extension of duration of unemployment benefit payments to married women to 390 days; unemployment benefit was previously paid to married women for a duration of 312 days only as against 390 days generally.
The person concerned does benefit from the implementation of the first phase of the equality provisions in that her personal flat rate was increased from £34.70 to £39.50 from 15 May 1986 and the duration for which she is entitled to payment was increased from 312 to 390 days. However, she had drawn 156 days benefit on 16 May 1986 and, as in the case of all claimants who do not satisfy the special contribution condition of having 280 contributions paid in the seven year period prior to the claim, her personal flat rate was reduced to £32.75 a week. According to the records of the Department she had only 48 contributions paid in the relevant period. The reduction in the personal rate took effect from 17 May 1986. Also with effect from that date she entered the second phase of pay-related benefit and her weekly entitlement to this benefit was reduced from 23p to 19p.