Colm M. Hilliard
Question:102 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the increase in Vote 41 subhead O in the 1991 Book of Estimates (Abridged Version); and the way in which the £9.7 million is estimated.
Written Answers. - Book of Estimates.
Subhead O of the Vote for Social Welfare refers to the family income supplement scheme. Significant improvements have been made in this scheme in recent years and these are reflected in the increased allocation being made in the abridged version of the 1991 Book of Estimates. The 1991 allocation of £9.7 million, which shows a 14 per cent increase on the 1990 allocation, includes provision for the full year cost of the major improvements to the scheme granted from July of this year. These included: (1) Introduction of a minimum payment of £5; (2) Receipt of FIS no longer affects entitlement to a medical card; (3) Increases in the income limit and the maximum rate of payment increased to £77; (4) Workers who expect to be employed for at least six months, as against 12 months previously, can now qualify.
Colm M. Hilliard
Question:103 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for Social Welfare the way in which the £116.1 million provided for in Vote 41 subhead L in the 1991 Book of Estimates (Abridged Version) is estimated; and if there is a corresponding figure for 1990.
Subhead L of the Vote for Social Welfare refers to the new lone parents scheme implemented from 22 November 1990. The scheme brings together under one subhead all means-tested schemes which cater for parents bringing up children on their own. It also brings in for the first time other categories of lone parents, namely, separated spouses, unmarried fathers and prisoners' husbands.
In addition to the new categories, the allocation of £116.1 million for 1991 provides for non-contributory pensions to widows and widowers with dependent children and for social assistance allowances to unmarried mothers, deserted wives and husbands and prisoners' wives.
In 1990, provision for lone parents, other than the new categories mentioned in the first paragraph, is included in subheads I (£49.1 million) and J (£93.05 million). These subheads also provide for widows without dependent children, orphans, single women, deserted wives without children and prisoners' wives without children. Since the new categories became eligible to apply only within the past few weeks, payments to them in 1990 are not likely to be significant.
Colm M. Hilliard
Question:104 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for Social Welfare the way in which the £9.7 million provided for in Vote 41 subhead M in the 1991 Book of Estimates (Abridged Version) is estimated.
Subhead M of the Vote for Social Welfare refers to the new carers allowance scheme which I introduced on 1 November this year. For the first time the new scheme provides a personal allowance, on a means-tested basis, to be paid directly to carers who are looking after elderly or invalided social welfare pensioners. It also provides for payment of child dependent allowances in cases where children are dependent on the carer. It is expected that some 10,000 carers will qualify for the new allowance. The estimate for 1991 assumes a gradual build-up to that number over the year.