Written Answers. - Commission on Social Welfare.
Patrick D. Harte
Question:
139
Mr. Harte
asked the
Minister for Social Welfare
if he will outline the way he is implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the Commission on Social Welfare; if he will further outline the progress which he has made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There were four main recommendations in the report of the Commission on Social Welfare and action has been taken on all of these. These are improvement in basic payments; improved child income support; broadening the insurance base; and improvement in delivery of service.
Since last July, all long term rates of social welfare payments either reach or exceed the Commission on Social Welfare's priority rate which is £54.60 in 1991 terms. People who are receiving old age non-contributory pensions, long term unemployment assistance, pre-retirement allowance and disabled person's maintenance allowance now have a new weekly personal rate of £55.
Short term payments such as disability benefit, unemployment benefit, short term unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowance were increased to a new personal weekly rate of £50. This represents increases of between 4.2 per cent and 11.1 per cent and is a major step towards achieving the commission's priority rate by 1993 for these short term payments.
Under theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress the Government are committed to the achievement of the Commission on Social Welfare's priority rate for all by 1993. Thereafter, social welfare rates will be increased in accordance with the commission's recommendations as the resources of the economy grow. The extra cost of achieving the commission's main rates is £327 million in 1990 terms.
In 1987, there were 36 child dependant rates with a minimum rate of £6. In the 1991 budget, the minimum child dependant rate was increased to £12 representing a 100 per cent increase. The number of rates was streamlined to there. Also, child dependant allowances were extended to age 21 in respect of the child dependants of all long term recipients where the child remains in full-time education. Other improvements in child-related payments were the payment of the higher child benefit of £22.90 in respect of the fourth child onwards; substantial improvements in the family income supplement scheme including an increase in the income limits and the abolition of the maximum payments. This latter improvement will be of significant help to low earners; the introduction of a back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance scheme providing for families on social welfare, up to £25 each for children in primary school and £40 for children in second level schools for back-to-school costs.
Under theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress, the Government are also committed to providing the resources needed to implement the additional child income support measures recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare — some £69 million in 1990 terms — over the ten year period of the programme. The particular measures taken will be decided in the light of up-to-date information on child and family circumstances and taking account of available resources.
Another major development, in line with the commission's recommendations, was the extension by me with effect from April 1988 of social insurance cover for pensions to the self-employed, including farmers.
The major and ongoing improvements which I have made in the quality, efficiency and delivery of social welfare services are in line with recommendations made by the commission in this area. The Social Welfare Act which I introduced in 1990 provided,inter alia, for significant and wide-ranging changes to the appeals system. Appeals are now made directly to an independent social welfare appeals office. This office has its own director and chief appeals officer who also has the power to refer questions to the High Court. In addition, unsuccessful appellants receive full details as to why their appeal was disallowed.
I have set up eight regional management centres throughout the country and local officers are being converted into one stop shops for all social welfare services in these areas. This amounts to a major and fundamental re-organisation in the way these services are administered and delivered. This restructuring is resulting in a more local customer oriented service. The local emphasis on social welfare services will transform employment exchanges from dealing solely with unemployment payments into new style centres where pensioners, lone parents and those unemployed through illness can get all the social welfare services, advice and information they need. The new local service means less frequent signing on for people who are unemployed and a speedier service for customers.
There has been unparalleled progress in the various aspects of my Department's work since 1987. TheProgramme for Economic and Social Progress has set the agenda for further progress and action on the recommendations of the report of the Commission on Social Welfare.
