Vol. 412 No. 5
138 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a single person of 35 years of age who lives at home with parents whose sole source of income is a contributory old age pension, has benefit assessed against him for board and lodgings, despite the fact that the social welfare incomes only provide the bare support for the pensioners themselves.
The requirement to take account of free board and lodgings has been a feature of the unemployment assistance scheme since its inception. Its purpose is to achieve a degree of equity as between applicants in different family and financial circumstances.
The value of the benefit of free board and lodgings is assessed by reference to the net income of the people providing the free board and lodgings divided by the number of non-earning members of the household. In establishing the value of free board and lodgings a disregard of up to £105 per week is allowed on the parental income. This means that where the parents only source of income is a contributory old age pension the free board and lodgings assessment will be very low.
Last July I introduced a minimum payment of unemployment assistance of £5.00 per week to those who would be entitled to less than this because of a high means assessment from board and lodgings. Further improvements in this area will be considered as resources permit.
139 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that if persons in receipt of long term unemployment assistance become unavailable for work through illness and claim disability benefit, they incur a loss of £5 per week because disability benefit is payable at a lower rate than long term unemployment assistance, and a further loss of £5 per week if the illness occurs while the free fuel scheme is in operation; if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that the long term unemployed will not be further disadvantaged in this way when they fall ill; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
A person on long term unemployment assistance who falls sick and is incapable of work may qualify for disability benefit provided he satisfies the contribution conditions. The fact that additional increases and extra benefits have been given to the long term unemployed in recent years in recognition of their special needs has meant that people transferring from long term unemployment assistance to short term disability benefit may suffer a reduction in incomes.
I am reviewing the arrangements for unemployed people who fall temporarily ill. The provision of additional benefits to disability benefit recipients would, however, have financial implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
140 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an application by a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary for unemployment assistance can be assessed under section 146 (1) (e) of the Social Welfare Act, 1985 as having her benefit and privilege at £40 per week while living in her father's home as he is a PAYE worker; the reason the person moved to rented accommodation and was not re-assessed; and the reason she was expected to prove her means when she had no income during the period November 1990 to the date of her marriage in August 1991; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance from 28 November 1990. Following an investigation by a social welfare officer a deciding officer assessed her with means of £40 per week from 28 November 1990 to 18 March 1991, based on the benefit of board and lodging enjoyed by her while residing in the family home. Section 146 (1) (e) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, as amended by section 13 (1) (e) of the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1985, states that in calculating the means of a person claiming unemployment assistance the yearly value of any benefit or privilege enjoyed by him/her shall be deemed to constitute the means of the person.
Her claim was further considered from 19 March 1991, the date she ceased to live in the family home, and was disallowed as she failed to prove that her means did not exceed the statutory limit for receipt of unemployment assistance.
She appealed to the independent social welfare appeals office and her case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. On the basis of the evidence available the appeals officer upheld the decision of the deciding officer in the matter. The decision of the appeals officer is final and may only be revised in the light of fresh facts. It is, of course, open to the appellant to submit any new facts that she wished to be considered.
141 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will review the case of the person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 who is in receipt of only £8.50 per week unemployment assistance and who has great difficulty managing on this meagre income; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
When the person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 22 November 1990 his entitlement was investigated and a deciding officer assessed means of £41.50 per week against him which represents his benefit from the household income. This assessment entitles him to a weekly payment of £8.50. If the person's circumstances have changed in the meantime, he should apply at his local office for a review and his case will be re-examined.
142 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline the number of applicants in receipt of pension/benefit/allowance from his Department who qualified for a carer's allowance and who were refused due to the fact that they are already in receipt of a social welfare payment; his views on whether this is a fair procedure; if he intends to either rectify this situation or inform people that there is no point in applying for the carer's allowance in the above circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The carer's allowance, which I introduced in 1990, provides an allowance for the first time direct to people caring for elderly and incapacitated pensioners. Eligibility for the allowance was extended to a much broader range of people than were catered for under the former prescribed relative allowance scheme and since July 1991 it has been extended to persons caring for recipients of disabled person's maintenance allowance.
Carer's allowance may not be paid in addition to another social welfare payment. However, it has always been my Department's practice to advise recipients of a social welfare payment to claim an alternative payment where there is a possibility that they may be better off as a result. Similarly, recipients are advised to retain their existing payment where this would be to their advantage. The information leaflet on the carer's allowance clearly states that the new allowance may be paid instead of an existing payment provided the conditions are statisfied.
