Vol. 420 No. 9
205 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Social Welfare if applicants for lone parent's allowance, deserted wife's allowance and deserted wife's benefit are obliged to provide reasons for their desertion of their spouse; and the steps, if any, his Department take where no fault desertion has occurred in the context of these applications.
206 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a spouse is automatically entitled to deserted wife's benefit/allowance or lone parent's allowance if she voluntarily leaves the family home; and the way in which his Department adjudicate in these circumstances.
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together.
The Lone Parent Allowance scheme which was introduced in 1990, aims at providing income support for all lone parents, irrespective of the circumstances which gave rise to their lone parenthood. Therefore, if a person leaves their spouse or the family home voluntarily, this factor is of no consequence in determining entitlement to Lone Parent Allowance. However, the person must satisfy the other conditions of the scheme. Applicants for Lone Parent's Allowance are not obliged to provide any information relating to the circumstances which lead to their separation.
Applicants for Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance are obliged to provide evidence relating to the circumstances of the desertion. If an applicant leaves voluntarily, without establishing a good cause for so doing, she may not satisfy the criterion for desertion. There is no automatic entitlement to a desertion payment.
207 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will issue free fuel to a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
The person concerned is in receipt of a Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance from his local Health Board. For persons in receipt of this allowance, the Health Board operates it's own Free Fuel Allowance scheme.
My Department has contacted the particular Health Board involved and arranged for the issue of a Free Fuel Allowance application from to the person concerned.
208 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will immediately restore free electricity allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
The person concerned has been in receipt of a Free Electricity Allowance since 1 October 1989.
Due to an administrative error, in March 1992, arrangements were being made to terminate the Free Electricity Allowance for the person concerned. However, before these were completed the error was discovered. Consequently, the Free Electricity Allowance for the person concerned was not stopped and it remains in payment.
Any inconvenience caused to the person concerned is regretted.
209 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will issue back money for free telephone rental to a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
An application for Free Telephone Rental Allowance was received from the person concerned on 16 October 1991 and the allowance was awarded with effect from that date.
The person concerned had his telephone installed in June 1990. There is no provision within the conditions of the Free Telephone Rental Allowance scheme to back-date entitlement beyond the date of application.
210 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will grant to a person (details supplied) in County Clare payment of his unemployment assistance on a Friday rather than a Monday.
There is no trace of a claim to Unemployment Assistance by the person concerned.
He has, however, been in receipt of Disablement Pension under the Occupational Injuries scheme since 1982. Pension is paid to him by means of a weekly cheque at the rate appropriate to an assessment of 40 per cent disablement, together with an increase of pension by way of Unemployability Supplement including increases in respect of his dependants.
Payment of pension in all such cases is made by cheque. These cheques are normally issued by post each Thursday and dated for encashment on the following day i.e., Friday. For the duration of the recent postal dispute, however, special arrangements applied in order to ensure payment. Under these arrangements, cheques were in some cases received by claimants a day later than usual.
Following the resumption of normal postal deliveries, cheques will again issue to him each week in time for encashment on Friday. As he has already received an advance payment up to 18 June 1992, his next payment will be due on 19 June.
211 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will issue a television licence to a person (details supplied) in County Clare.
The information available to my Department indicates that the person concerned is in receipt of a Free Television Licence.
