Vol. 428 No. 1
165 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will review the means test applied in the case of applicants for non-contributory old age pension, where the spouse is working, by introducing an earnings disregard in the same way as is now applied in respect of the means test for unemployment assistance where a spouse is working; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There are a number of fundamental differences between the means test arrangements for unemployment assistance and old age pension, including the provisions in relation to the earnings of a spouse.
A recipient of unemployment assistance can continue to receive a full adult dependant allowance in respect of a working spouse, once the spouse's earnings do not exceed £55 per week. In the case of a recipient of an old age non-contributory pension, an earnings disregard of £6 per week is applied and half of the joint means of the couple, including earnings, are assessed against the applicant.
Therefore, where a couple have no other means, a recipient of a non-contributory pension could continue to receive, at current rates of payment, a reduced adult dependent increase in respect of a working spouse, once the spouse's weekly earnings do not exceed £120.
I would like to bring about greater standardisation in the means test arrangements for different social assistance schemes and will be examining the scope for such standardisation within the limits of the available resources.
166 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of people, including a person (details supplied) in County Cork are not eligible to receive a refund of PRSI contributions which they paid as self employed persons, due to the fact that they may have worked for a number of weeks in paid employment; and his views on whether this is an anomaly, which needs to be rectified.
Under current regulations persons who fail to qualify for an old age contributory or non-contributory pension are entitled to a refund of the old age pension element of any contributions paid provided the person concerned was aged 56 or over when entering social insurance for the first time. These arrangements apply equally to employed and self-employed persons.
According to the records of my Department the person concerned was under 56 years when he first entered social insurance. He re-entered social insurance in 1988 when the PRSI scheme was extended to the self-employed, and paid contributions for the next three years. As the person concerned entered social insurance for the first time before he was 56 years of age I regret to say that he is not eligible for a refund of the social insurance contributions.
