Vol. 415 No. 7
243 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether it is the policy of his Department to assess people living in rent-free accommodation as if they were paying rent, on the accommodation, but not receiving a rent allowance, which they would in fact receive if they were paying rent and if this is intended as an incentive to choose rented accommodation.
One of the items to be taken into account in assessing means for unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowance is the value of any benefit or privilege which the applicant may have. This would arise mainly in the assessment of the benefit accruing to a young person living at home. The assessment in this case takes account of the value of accommodation, meals, support and maintenance as well as the sharing in the standard of living of the household and the facilities which the household enjoys. The purpose of the assessment is to achieve a degree of equity as between applicants who have the benefit of living at home and those who do not. It is intended to reflect the value of that actual benefit.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, health boards may pay a weekly supplement toward the rent costs of recipients of social welfare or health board payments where the recipient's income is not sufficient to meet his needs.
244 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will clarify what, in the assessment of dole payments, is considered as means and whether home grown produce or dairy products for own consumption would be taken into consideration.
I presume from the latter part of the Deputy's question that he is concerned with the assessment of means from the use of land in smallholder cases.
Where the claimant is a smallholder/ farmer the procedure is to base the assessment on the yearly income from the farm less any expenses actually and necessarily incurred in earning that income. The basis of the assessment is the net income from the farm over the twelve months preceding the date of the investigation.
Since July 1990, the estimated value of farm produce (milk, vegetables, turf etc.) consumed by the claimant's household is no longer assessable as means from farming for unemployment assistance purposes.
Details of all sources of income and operating costs are recorded by the investigating officer on a special form. A copy of this form is sent to the claimant by the deciding officer following the decision in the case. It is open to any claimant who is dissatisfied with the decision of the deciding officer to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
