Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Mar 1993

Vol. 428 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Liz McManus

Question:

170 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will ensure that people applying for supplementary welfare are enabled to do so with dignity and without having to wait in long queues and can make their case in privacy; if he will give details of the entitlement for social welfare allowance payments so as to enable people who are claiming to have a clear guideline as to what their rights are.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the health boards who provide the accommodation and handle the day to day administration of the service.

I want to ensure the provision of a service to social welfare clients which is of the highest possible standard and this also applies to claimants of supplementary welfare allowance. The most effective way of improving service is by reducing the need for clients to have recourse to supplementary welfare allowance in the first instance. In this connection I am taking steps to reduce the burden of health boards arising from payments to people awaiting another social welfare payment, through speeding up the decision making process for those payments.

Health boards are also active in developing improved methods of dealing with client needs including the introduction of monthly rather than weekly payments of rent and mortgage supplements and increased posting of payments to clients.

Of particular importance in achieving service improvements is the introduction of computer assistance for Community Welfare Officers. My Department is currently developing a new computerised system for short term payments which will include the computerisation of supplementary welfare allowance payments. Implementation of this system is planned for 1994.

I am also reviewing the guidelines for the scheme through an advisory group, chaired by my Department, which includes representation from all health boards. This group was established in 1992 with the task of reviewing the operation of the scheme in order to improve consistency in the delivery of the scheme across health boards. This group is developing, inter alia, comprehensive guidelines on all discretionary aspects of the scheme including supplements and exceptional needs payments. These guidelines will be published when they are completed with a view to improving the level of information which clients have in relation to the scheme.

Liz O'Donnell

Question:

171 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the numbers of persons affected by the limitation on the amount of unemployment assistance and pre-retirement allowance payable to couples contained in section 138 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981 as amended by section 27 of the Social Welfare Act, 1992; the number of male claimants whose payments are reduced as compared to the number of female claimants so affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter in view of the EC Directive on Equal Treatment between men and women in matters of social security.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

The limitation referred to which was originally provided for in the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1985, is designed to ensure that the amount payable to a couple, both of whom are claiming unemployment assistance, is the same is if one of the couple were claiming and the other were an adult dependant.

Details of the number of unemployment assistance recipients affected by the provision in the 1992 Act are not available.

In applying the limitation, however, claims for men and women are treated in similar fashion and the provision is not in conflict with the EC Directive on Equality of Treatment for men and women in matters of social security.