Vol. 394 No. 8
251 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will re-examine an application for a free fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and whether the reason for refusing this application is just, given that the person concerned does not have heating provided for him by his local authority or any authority.
252 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will re-examine an application for a free fuel allowance with a view to granting this benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the reason for refusing same is unjust, given that the person concerned does not have heating provided for him by his local authority or any other authority.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together.
One of the conditions for receipt of free fuel allowance is that the claimant must not be living in a local authority house where heating is provided.
The application for free fuel allowance of the person concerned was rejected as he indicated on his application form that he was living in a centrally heated local authority house.
On foot of the Deputy's representations, further investigations have been made in the case, which have confirmed that the person concerned does not benefit from subsidised heating.
A deciding officer held on 24 January 1990 that the person concerned is entitled to free fuel allowance payable from 20 October 1989. A payable order book payable from 26 January 1990 will issue to his local post office shortly and arrears of £70 covering the period 20 October 1989 to 19 January 1990 will issue in due course.
253 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons are being refused the supplementary welfare allowance if they return to full time education; and if he will deal with this by way of new educational opportunities regulations.
Under present legislation, supplementary welfare allowance is not payable to persons in full time education. There is provision, however, enabling health boards to waive this disqualification where there are exceptional circumstances.
Under regulations which I recently made, long term unemployed persons aged 21 years and over may continue to receive unemployment assistance while participating in full time courses of second level education. I will be contacting the health boards to ensure a consistent approach in this regard in so far as persons in receipt of supplementary welfare allowances are concerned.
254 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider making an unmarried father's allowance available on grounds of equality; and, in particular, if he will consider the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare.
I am reviewing all current social welfare provisions for lone parents and will take account of the needs of unmarried fathers supporting children on their own in the context of that review.
In the meantime, the person concerned continues to receive welfare support through unemployment assistance and child benefit.
255 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the cost of extending the free telephone rental allowance scheme to all elderly couples in receipt of social welfare payments over 66 regardless of the incapacity condition.
The annual cost of extending the free telephone rental allowance scheme to all elderly couples aged 66 or over in receipt of social welfare payments is approximately £4 million.
256 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is entitled to blind pension payments for six weeks after her late husband's death; if she has received such payments; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The payment of six weeks' pension following the death of a pensioner is only payable where the deceased was receiving an increase in pension in respect of a dependent spouse.
As the person concerned was in receipt of a maximum rate non-contributory pension in her own right at the time of her husband's death, she is not entitled to the six weeks' payment after death.
257 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be awarded a retirement pension; if so, when; and the rate.
One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of retirement pension under the Social Welfare Acts requires a person to have a yearly average of at least 24 reckonable contributions over the period from the beginning of the 1953 contribution year or from his year of entry into insurance, whichever is the later, to the end of the last complete contribution year before reaching pension age.
The Department's records show that the person concerned has a total of 475 reckonable contributions in the relevant period which, in this case, is from 1953 to April 1989. This total is equivalent to a yearly average of 13 and is, therefore, not sufficient to qualify him for a retirement pension; contributions paid prior to 1953 cannot be taken into account in determining the yearly average.
258 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Social Welfare the outcome of the application by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny for a free fuel allowance.
A search has been made of the records of my Department and the person concerned does not appear to have lodged an application for free fuel allowance.
An application form issued to the person concerned on 22 January 1990. On receipt of the completed application form, the case will be forwarded to a deciding officer for determination and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
259 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make arrangements to pay maternity benefit to adoptive mothers for the ten week period following the adoption of a child.
The purpose of the maternity allowance is to provide a weekly benefit to a mother in the period immediately before and after childbirth. It is thus aimed at safeguarding the health of mother and child by enabling the mother to take leave from her employment during these periods. To extend the scheme to cover situations other than childbirth would have wider implications which would have to be considered before any such extension might be contemplated.
260 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he has any plans to extend to widowers and deserted fathers the contributory benefits which are at present available to widows and deserted wives on either their own or their spouses' insurance records; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
261 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has any plans to remove the discrimination against men in the social welfare system by providing for the introduction of a deserted husbands/widowers benefit; and the cost of introducing such a scheme.
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 260 and 261 together.
In October last year I introduced a new social assistance scheme for widowers and deserted husbands. Under this scheme widowers and deserted husbands with dependent children may qualify for non-contributory means-tested payments on the same basis as women in similar circumstances.
The question of extending to widowers and deserted husbands entitlement to the contributory pensions at present available to widowers and deserted wives will be considered in the context of, inter alia, any further EC Directives on equal treatment in social security and the advice of the National Pensions Board which is preparing a report for me on future policy in relation to pensions generally.
It is estimated that the cost of introducing contributory widower's pension and deserted husband's benefit schemes on the same basis as the existing contributory schemes for widows and deserted wives would be £50 million in a full year.
262 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of a pension will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Arrears in the sum of £49.50, covering the period 7 April 1989 to 21 April 1989 will issue to the person concerned within fourteen days.
263 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason payment in respect of a child dependant has been discontinued in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
A dependant child allowance was in payment to a person concerned in respect of his daughter. The allowance ceased when she reached 18 years of age on the 6 October 1989.
There is no record of an application to have the recent changes governing the payment of dependent child allowance applied in this case. Under the improved rules, an old age or blind pensioner can claim a child dependant allowance for a child who is over 18 years and under 19 years if he-she is in full-time education by day.
An application form for this allowance issued to the person concerned on 29 January 1990. Upon receipt of the completed form, his case will be sent to a deciding officer for determination and he will be notified of the outcome in due course.
264 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in determining the outcome of an old age pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned lodged an application for old age non-contributory pension in my Department on 28 June 1989. Following investigation, it was decided by a deciding officer on 8 August 1989 that the applicant was not entitled to pension as his means, derived from his spouse's wages and from his holding, exceeded the statutory limit of £54 per week.
The person concerned appealed this decision in November 1989 and the case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. By decision of 4 January 1990, the appeals officer upheld the original decision on the grounds that means as assessed exceeded the statutory limit.
265 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of an over 80 allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned reached 80 years of age on 11 September 1987. Due to an oversight the over 80 allowance was not put into payment at that time. Arrears of £434.10—covering the period 11 September 1987 to 17 November 1987 — issued to the person concerned on 12 January 1990.
