asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has any proposals to deal with the discrimination whereby payment of a child dependant allowance up to the age of 19 years is made for widows, unmarried mothers and deserted wives but a married couple whose child reaches 19, while still in full-time education, will lose their child dependant payment plus their monthly child benefit payment.
Written Answers. - Child Dependant Allowance.
168.
In the case of widows, deserted wives, prisoners' wives and unmarried mothers, who are receiving a social welfare pension or allowance, increases are awarded in respect of children up to the age of 21 years provided that they are in full time education at either second or third level. This arrangement also applies to widows who are claiming invalidity, retirement or old age contributory pension and to the new social assistance schemes for widowers and deserted husbands with dependent children.
Up to this year, increases in other social welfare payments were generally payable in respect of child dependants up to the age of 18 years only. However, from September this year I extended child dependant increases for long-term recipients to children aged up to 19 years where they continue in full-time education. This represents a first step towards extending child dependant increases in all such cases to age 21 where the child is in full-time education.
Child benefit in all cases is paid in respect of a child aged less than 16 years or aged between 16 and 18 where the child is in full-time education.