Bernard Allen
Question:4 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of claims which have been processed under the 1992 equality regulations; and the number still outstanding.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Equality Payments.
Liz McManus
Question:14 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of women who have applied for payment of arrears of social welfare, arising from the delays in implementing social welfare equalisation during the 1980s; the number of applications approved; the total amount paid out to date; the average payment made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Helen Keogh
Question:19 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount of money outstanding to women as a result of the EEC Directive 79/7/EEC; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4, 14 and 19 together.
The provisions for paying equal treatment arrears to married women for the period December 1984 to November 1986 are contained in the European Communities (Social Welfare) Regulations, 1992, SI No. 152 of 1992. The regulations provide for (a) the payment of a higher personal rate in the case of certain social welfare payments, (b) the extended duration of unemployment benefit, (c) payment of a household supplement in respect of a dependent husband and/or dependent children and (d) payment of unemployment assistance. Payment of arrears due is being made on a phased basis in 1992, 1993 and 1994 at a total estimated cost of £57.5 million.
Payment of arrears due under phase 1, that is the higher personal rates and extended duration of unemployment benefit, commenced in August 1992 and are expected to be completed shortly at a cost of £17.5 million. Payment of arrears due under phase 2, that is household supplement in respect of dependants and unemployment assistance, will commence in April. Arrears due under phase 2 are being paid in two equal instalments in 1993 and 1994 at a total cost of £40 million. Any amount of less than £100 will be paid in full this year.
Claimants with potential entitlement to arrears were identified from my Department's records and reissued with claim forms in June and July of 1992. A total of 85,060 completed claim forms have been received and 78,500 of those have been processed for phase 1 entitlement to date. This leaves some 6,500 claims yet to be processed, the bulk of which are cases where further inquiries had to be made to determine entitlement.
Of those processed 62,500 have been awarded payment and the remaining 16,000 were not entitled to arrears under phase 1. A total of 62,300 claimants have received their phase 1 payments at a cost of £14.12 million — the average payment per claimant being £226.65.
The total amount of arrears outstanding at this stage is estimated at £43.38 million.
Would the Minister agree that there is widespreed confusion in relation to the payment of these entitlements? Is the Minister aware that in Cork alone 2,000 people have had to go to solicitors to have their claims processed and that solicitors in Cork, and I am sure throughout the country, are advertising their services? Will the Minister put in place an information campaign to inform people of their entitlements and enable them to get information at their local centres rather than be forced into——
I have to advise the Deputy that his question is also essentially statistical and he is now entering into the area of policy. The Deputy asked about the claims that have been processed in 1992 and the claims outstanding, and nothing more.
The reason for my supplementary is that people did not have the information.
The area of policy requires a separate question.
The Minister is about to answer.
More than 1,000 people who could be identified through the Department's records received letters informing them of their entitlements. There were also newspaper advertisements. Those entitled to the payment will be paid and people should be quite clear about that. I hope the Deputy will bring that to the attention of his constituents and let them know that anyone entitled will be paid and that there is no need for them to incur the expense of hiring legal people. There have been legal cases that established the basis on which payments should be made.
It is not my duty to inform people of their entitlements. It is the duty of the Department. I would ask the Minister to initiate a fresh information campaign to assure people that they will be paid because the consequences of the lack of information at present is that solicitors are charging 10 per cent of the entitlements.
This is a breach of procedure that we should be discussing policy now on a statistical question. I must come to Question No. 5 in the name of Deputy De Rossa.
We will do everything we can to ensure people understand the position.