Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 May 1990

Vol. 398 No. 10

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payment Arrangements.

Ivan Yates

Question:

139 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if there are any circumstances whereby a spouse of a person who is eligible for family income supplement payments can make a claim for the family income supplement without the signature of her husband and in the same way as social welfare payments can be made to the spouse of an applicant; and if he will consider such an option in cases of family difficulties.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

Under current legislative provisions an application for family income supplement must be made by the claimant, i.e. the employed person, before payment of the supplement can be made. Where the claimant is unable to make the application on his/her own behalf, however, it is possible, as in the case of other social welfare payments, to appoint some other person to apply on behalf of such a claimant.

A person entitled to a social welfare payment may also nominate his spouse to receive the payment on his behalf. I have been concerned for some time, however, about the position of families dependent on social welfare payments where the claimant does not provide the spouse with sufficient money for ordinary household expenditure because of personal problems such as gambling, alcoholism or drug addiction. Under the `separate payments' arrangements the adult and child dependant portions of the payment may be paid directly to the dependent spouse of the claimant. I will shortly be introducing arrangements which will enable a greater proportion of the overall social welfare payment to be made to the dependent spouse in these circumstances. In this context, I am also examining the possibility of paying a portion of the overall FIS payment directly to the spouse.