Vol. 429 No. 3
102 Mrs. Doyle asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in view of the circumstances of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who is in receipt of a widow's pension, it may be possible to grant her eligibility for electricity allowance and TV licence.
One of the conditions for receipt of free electricity allowance and a free television licence is that a person under age 66 must be in receipt of one of a number of specified payments. These payments include invalidity pension and blind person's pension from my Department or a disabled person's maintenance allowance from a health board.
The person concerned is under age 66 and is in receipt of a widow's contributory pension. On this basis she will not be eligible for free electricity allowance and a free television licence until she reaches age 66 in March 1995. She should apply to my Department nearer that time, when her entitlement to free schemes will be assessed according to her circumstances.
103 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a lone parent's allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Louth.
One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of lone parent's allowance is that the claimant must have the main care and charge of a child. This is consistent with the underlying objective of the scheme which is to meet the needs of people who have the resposibility of rearing children without the support of a spouse or partner.
My Department has given full consideration to the application of the person concerned. He has informed my Department that he and his wife have joint equal custody of the children of the marriage, under the terms of a judicial Joint Custody Order. However, as he does not have the main care and charge of any of the children, I regret that he cannot qualify for lone parent's allowance. In view of the circumstances, his application for the allowance has been rejected. My Department has written to the person concerned informing him of this decision.
It is open to the person concerned to appeal this decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office. In the meantime, if he is suffering financial hardship, he should contact the community welfare officer at his nearest health board where may qualify for support under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
104 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total number of social welfare recipients in receipt of lone parents allowance; and the number in receipt of lone parents allowance in the Dublin area.
At 31 December 1992 there were 32,927 people in receipt of the Lone Parent's Allowance, of whom 13,986 were in the Dublin area.
