Vol. 414 No. 4
127 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline (1) the basis on which the benefit of board and lodgings with parents is assessed against applicants for unemployment assistance purposes (2) when he last revised the thresholds used in this assessment and (3) the provision which is made where a parent declines to reveal their income; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Social Welfare legislation provides for the assessment of any benefit or privilege enjoyed by an applicant for unemployment assistance. In practice this generally means the value of free board and lodging and most often arises in the case of applicants living in the family home with their parents. The assessment of free board and lodging has been a feature of the unemployment assistance scheme since its inception. Its purpose is to achieve a degree of equity between applicants in different family circumstances.
The value of free board and lodging enjoyed by an applicant is determined by reference to the parental income, for example, after deductions for tax, PRSI, union subscriptions, rent or mortgage payments and a parental allowance. This is then allocated equally among the non-earning members of the household and becomes the assessment applied to any son or daughter who claims assistance. The maximum assessment that can be applied to any applicant is limited to 17 per cent of net parental income. In the absence of any limit many applicants from families on average incomes with a low number of non-earners would not be entitled to any payment.
The only thresholds as such which apply in the assessment of free board and lodging are those relating to parental allowances and the maximum limit on assessments. The operation of the parental allowances was reviewed and revised in 1986 and in 1989, and the maximum limit was revised in 1989.
128 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 did not receive 70 per cent of his normal weekly payment this week as a Christmas bonus.
The Social Welfare (Temporary Provisions) Regulations, 1991 provide that long term unemployment assistance recipients who quality for payment in respect of the week commencing 27 November 1991 and ending 3 December 1991 will qualify for a bonus of 70 per cent of the amount due to them in that week.
The person concerned is in receipt of long term unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £55. During the week 27 November to 3 December he was employed for two days. Accordingly, he was paid £36.70 unemployment assistance for the four days on which he was unemployed plus the Christmas bonus of £25.70 being 70 per cent of the amount of unemployment assistance due to him for that week.
129 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on the restoration of a widow's non-contributory pension to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned was in receipt of a lone parent's allowance of £55 per week until 31 October 1991. The amount payable comprised a personal rate of £27 per week and child dependant allowance of £28 in respect of her two dependent children.
The elder of these two children is no longer in full time education. As a result, her rate of lone parent allowance had to be reduced by £14, which is the amount of the dependant allowance payable in respect of the child concerned. This reduction was made with effect from 1 November 1991. However, an administrative error occurred in making this reduction, which resulted in her being issued with a payment book at the rate of £13 per week in total. Arrangements to correct this error have now been made. A replacement book for £41 has been issued to her local post office for collection, and payment, in Friday, 13 December.
The person concerned is due arrears of £187.60 and arrangements have been made to have this cheque issued to her immediately.
