Vol. 432 No. 4
10 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployed people under 25 years of age, who are living away from their parents' home must present to their community welfare officer a letter from their parents explaining the reason (s) they do not live at home before they can receive rent allowance.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme a rent supplement may be paid to those whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs. The purpose of rent supplementation is to assist with their accommodation costs recipients of social welfare or health board payments who are unable to provide for their accommodation needs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source.
One of the issues which is taken into consideration in assessing applications for rent allowance from young single people is whether accommodation is available to them at home and the circumstances in which they left. In order to establish that a valid accommodation need exists health boards may request evidence from the applicant's parents as to the availability of accommodation in the family home before payment of a rent supplement to a young person. A health board will consider a supplement where in all the circumstances it would be unreasonable to expect the applicant to live at home.
I am having the guidelines for rent and mortgage supplementation under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme reviewed at present in consultation with health boards and I expect to have the results of their review shortly.
In regard to young people under 25, specifically students, who are refused places on the summer job scheme and also refused unemployment assistance as they have not yet submitted their dissertation or theses, even though they are finished at college, may I ask the Minister if these students will be entitled to supplementary welfare allowance so that they can survive during the summer?
From what the Deputy has said, it appears that these students are not yet available for employment. It is one of those strange situations where they are still regarded as being in fulltime education——
They are not.
——even though they may not be attending college on a fulltime basis — for example, they may be working on a thesis, etc. The Deputy is referring to students who have completed their third or fourth year at college——
They have finished college.
If they are finished at college they are entitled to unemployment assistance.
But they are not.
Let us hear the Minister without interruption.
I am not trying to interrupt the Minister; I merely want to clarify——
I understand what the Deputy has said.
When questions are asked one should listen to the replies.
The Deputy is referring to students who, although they have finished college, are still regarded as being at college as they have yet to complete their theses. Obviously, this gives rise to some confusion about whether or not they are still in fulltime education. If the Deputy knows about a particular case he should give me the details so that I can look at it. I can see where the confusion arises.
This also raises another question in regard to the summer job scheme. Students who have completed their examinations and are not working on a thesis are looking for places on the summer job scheme. I do not know why they are looking for places on this scheme. They may prefer to work on the scheme while they are looking for other work.
If they are assessed at less than £15——
I am talking about the summer job scheme. If the Deputy has details of the case to which he referred he should give them to me so that I can follow it up. To expand on the Deputy's point, not only are students looking for places on the summer job scheme in between years — the time it applies to them — but they are also looking for places on it when they have finished college. They should not be doing this as they are entitled to unemployment assistance. This raises an interesting point. Some students may prefer to obtain a place on the summer job scheme after they finish college while they work out what they will do, so to speak.
It is probably a reflection on the jobs market.
I do not see why students should not be allowed to participate in the scheme if the opportunity exists. It is an interesting aspect of the scheme.
I appreciate the information given by the Minister, but my question relates to a student who has finished college and has to present a thesis or dissertation by September and who has been refused unemployment assistance. I am asking if such students will qualify for supplementary welfare allowance in such circumstances.
The administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is the responsibility of another Minister. We can only charge the Minister here present with his responsibilities. The Minister for Health is responsible——
The Minister provides the money for the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
——for administering the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
If the Deputy gives me the details I will look into the matter for him.
I appreciate that the Minister is willing to look at this case, but many students do not make representations to me. It is important for everybody that this matter is clarified publicly.
I repeat that it is a matter for another Minister.
One student, who is not finished at college but whose exams have been deferred until next year for health reasons, is being denied unemployment assistance. This student is not working on a dissertation and he will not sit his exams until next year. This is crazy. These young people are being left high and dry without anything to live on. I am asking the Minister to ensure——
That point has been put very adequately.
——that these students are at least given money under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
Let us move on to Question No. 12 in the name of Deputy Mary Harney.
