Bernard Allen
Question:15 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people in receipt of unemployment benefit and assistance at (a) 31 January 1990, (b) 31 December 1990 and (c) 31 January 1991 in Cork city.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The figures are available only in respect of the last Friday of the month which is the day on which the live register is compiled.
The numbers of claims in payment in Cork city on the last Friday of the months in question were as follows for unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance respectively: 3,914 and 8,096 on 26th January 1990; 3,710 and 8,440 on 28th December 1990 and 3,974 and 9,601 on 25th January 1991.
Roger T. Garland
Question:18 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make a statement on the problems which arise where a single unemployed man who is in receipt of long-term unemployment benefit, living in a rent assisted bedsit and suffering from depression was invited to use a spare bedroom in a flat rented by his sister and her friend, both of whom were working and this man then lost most of his benefits and his sister was unable to claim any tax allowance; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that cases such as outlined above are not unusual; and if he will outline the measures he intends to take to aid such cases.
I am not in a position to comment on the specific case the Deputy has in mind because information relating to the person concerned was not provided by the Deputy.
Generally speaking, however, in assessing entitlement to a rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, account is taken of the household circumstances of the applicant.
In cases such as that mentioned by the Deputy, the accommodation costs of the household are attributed equally between the tenants, and the applicant would be assessed on his portion of the rent. In addition, the person's entitlement to unemployment assistance would normally fall to be reviewed to take account of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by him from residing with a family member.
If the Deputy would provide details to enable the person in question to be identified, I will arrange to have the case examined to ensure that it has been fully assessed.
The issue of tax allowances referred to by the Deputy is a matter for the Minister for Finance.
John Connor
Question:19 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will establish a free phone service for inquiries for old age pensioners to his Department's old age and retirement pension section, now based in Sligo.
Members of the public, including old age pensioners, who wish to make inquiries at the pensions services office of my Department in Sligo can do so in a number of ways.
They can telephone that office directly or ring the Department's headquarters buildings in Dublin or Letterkenny and they will be transferred, free of charge, to the Sligo Office.
Alternatively, members of the public can contact a local information office of my Department where much of the information concerning social welfare claims and payments is available via the Department's computer network.
I am satisfied that these arrangements provide a very satisfactory level of service to the public throughout the country.
Dick Spring
Question:21 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many tenants on low incomes are now paying rents of £35 to £40 per week for private accommodation in the town of Tralee, County Kerry; and if he will outline the financial assistance which is available to these tenants.
Under the provisions of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, health boards may pay a weekly supplement towards the rent costs of recipients of social welfare or health board payments where their accommodation expenses exceed £3.50 per week.
The amount payable is determined by the Health Board having regard to the circumstances of the case, provided that the rent charged is reasonable for the area in which the applicant resides. I understand that the rents quoted by the Deputy are considered by the health board as average for the Tralee area.
As a general guideline, a person will not be left with an after-rent income below the basic rate of supplementary welfare allowance, less £3.50. It should be noted that the personal rate of supplementary welfare allowance has been increased in the recent budget by 11 per cent to £50 per week. From July next, the rate for a husband, wife and three children will be £119 per week.
Michael Bell
Question:23 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason it takes on average three weeks to claim and be paid unemployment benefit; if he will consider making a regulation which would enable local managers to make a temporary payment on the same basis as the community welfare officers of the health board; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The time taken to process claims to unemployment benefit is closely monitored by my Department. In the three month period September to November 1990 the average time which elapsed between the date of claim to benefit and the commencement date of payment was 14 days. Every effort is made to ensure that payment of unemployment benefit is made to claimants without undue delay. The computerisation of employment exchanges has improved the processing time for claims to unemployment benefit. The enhancement and extension of this computerisation will help to improve the processing system further.
Claimants to unemployment benefit who are affected by delays may avail of interim payments of supplementary welfare allowance from the health boards.
Gay Mitchell
Question:24 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an old age pensioner (details supplied) in Dublin 12 with an adult dependant over 66 years was penalised in the 1991 budget by not being granted the full 4 per cent increase for his dependant, as was granted to other pensioners in the same budget.
The personal rate of old age contributory pension is the highest social welfare payment and is above the main basic rate recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare. The personal rate was increased in the 1991 budget by just over 4 per cent from £61.50 to £64 per week. There are currently two adult dependant rates payable with old age contributory pension depending on whether the dependant is under or over 66 years of age. These are currently £39.20 and £45.70 for under and over 66 respectively. The adult dependant rates are currently some 64 per cent and 74 per cent of the personal rate, which is above the 60 per cent recommended by the commission. These are also now the only rates of adult dependant increases which are age differentiated.
As a first step towards streamlining these rates the over 66 adult dependant rate was increased to £46, which still means that this rate is 72 per cent of the new increased personal rate. The under 66 rate was increased to £40.80 and this still represents some 64 per cent of the new personal rate.
A recipient of an old age contributory pension may have other income, for example, an occupational pension, which will not affect his/her social welfare entitlement. In addition, an adult dependant over 66 years may qualify for an old age non-contributory pension in his/her own right, depending on the means of the couple.
The person concerned will receive an increase in his old age contributory pension of £2.80 giving him a total payment of £110.
I would like to assure the House that I am very concerned about the position of the elderly, which is indicated, for example, by the Government's decision to award pro rata pensions to those who had no entitlement to pension because of their mixed insurance record. This improvement will benefit up to 2,500 persons, and will cost some £3 million in a full year.
The National Pensions Board are currently preparing their final report on pension provision and, as indicated in theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress, the Government will consider their recommendations and discuss these with the appropriate interests.
Mary Flaherty
Question:25 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will undertake, having regard to the fact that the heat output from smokeless fuel is approximately half that of the conventional fuels and that the same amount of expenditure produces half the amount of heat, to radically improve the free fuel allowance.
The additional fuel allowance of £3 per week which I introduced at the start of the 1990-91 heating season is designed to help low income households in the built up areas of Dublin meet the additional costs arising from the ban on bituminous coal. Some 74,000 households are in receipt of this allowance at present at an estimated cost of £5.8 million in 1991. This is in addition to the provision of £29.1 million for the national fuel scheme.
The new allowance is payable to all households in the designated areas qualifying for assistance under the national fuel scheme. Such households now receive an allowance of £8 per week. The new allowance is also payable to people on short-term unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit, disability benefit for more than three months and to recipients of family income supplement, subject to the conditions applying in the national fuel scheme.
Scientific studies suggest that the Deputy is incorrect in stating that the heat output from smokeless fuels is half that of conventional fuels and that the same amount of expenditure produced half the amount of heat. Studies carried out by EOLAS on behalf of the Department of the Environment indicate that while some smokeless fuels do not produce the same heat output as conventional fuels, other smokeless fuels produce a higher heat output.
The EOLAS report highlights a number of factors which must be taken into account in comparing the heat output from conventional fuels with smokeless fuels. For example, it is necessary to take account of the relative cost of fuels and the speed with which they burn.
The fuel and light component of the consumer price index has not increased substantially in recent years. For that reason I have concentrated on improving the national fuel scheme by extending its coverage. The scheme was extended at the start of the present heating season to include smallholders receiving long term unemployment assistance and recipients of long term payments residing with a person receiving short term unemployment assistance. An additional 9,000 people benefited from this extension.
The amount of the smokeless fuel allowance, £3 per week, was set having regard to the increased costs to households arising from the ban on the sale of bituminous coal in the greater Dublin area. My main concern is to assist low income households meet these additional costs. I am satisfied that the measures introduced at the start of the 1990-91 heating season achieve this aim.