Vol. 412 No. 3
137 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Cork has been refused supplementary welfare allowance whilst awaiting her appeal against the decision to reject her application for unemployment assistance in view of the fact that she is living alone and has had no income for the last eight weeks.
It is understood from the Southern Health Board, who are responsible for the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme in Cork, that the person in question has failed to supply the details necessary to enable her claim for supplementary welfare allowance to be determined. The person claims to be living alone at the address supplied by the Deputy but investigations carried out by the board indicate that this is not the case. The person has been asked to supply evidence of her tenancy or occupation but has not yet done so.
I am assured by the board that the person's application will be speedily processed on receipt of the information requested.
138 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline (1) the number of people receiving a grant under the national fuel scheme in 1991 and (2) the numbers who were in receipt of this benefit in (a) 1988, (b) 1989, (c) 1990 and (d) the projected numbers for 1992.
The national fuel scheme is intended to assist households who are dependent on long term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs.
I have made a number of improvements to the national fuel scheme since 1988 which have extended the categories of recipients eligible for the scheme.
The number of recipients of an allowance under the national fuel scheme for the years 1988 to 1990 together with the estimated number of recipients in 1991 and 1992 are set out in the following table:
National Fuel Scheme.
|
Year |
Number of Recipients |
|
1988 |
201,700 |
|
1989 |
207,500 |
|
1990 |
221,800 |
|
1991* |
223,800 |
|
1992* |
226,400 |
