Vol. 433 No. 5
53 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be granted arrears of supplementary welfare allowance for a six week period in view of the fact that he was not aware that he was going to be refused disability benefit and has now been advised by the health board that he cannot make a retrospective claim.
Persons who are ill and who do not have an entitlement to Disability Benefit may apply for a basic weekly payment of Supplementary Welfare Allowance.
It is understood from the South-Eastern Health Board, that the person in question is currently in receipt of a basic supplementary welfare allowance payment from the date of his application.
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is intended to meet current and ongoing needs, payment is normally made within days of application and is not generally made on a retrospective basis.
Under the provisions of the scheme the determination of applications is a matter for each health board. It is open to the person concerned to appeal the health board's decision to pay from the date of application in this case.
54 Mr. E. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will have arrangements made to have an exceptional needs payment made to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24 to assist with her difficulties and if he will have further arrangements made to have this paid as soon as possible.
It is understood from the Eastern Health Board, which is responsible for the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme in the Dublin area, that the person in question was refused an exceptional needs payment, because her case was not considered to be exceptional. It is open to the person in question to appeal the decision of the board. She is in receipt of deserted wife's benefit of £108.10 a week from my Department.
55 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether the back to school clothing and footwear allowances should be payable automatically to those low paid workers who qualify for and are in receipt of family income supplement.
The back to school clothing and footwear scheme which is administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department, is designed to assist recipients of social welfare and health board payments with meeting the cost of childrens' school uniforms and footwear.
People in receipt of family income supplement who come within the income limits for the clothing and footwear scheme are eligible for assistance. In determining the entitlement, the income from family income supplement is disregarded.
56 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost implications of extending the free travel scheme so that existing beneficiaries could avail of this scheme from 9 a.m.; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The free travel scheme is designed to encourage elderly people to remain active in the community by giving them access to spare capacity on the various public transport systems. Time restrictions have been a feature of the free travel scheme since its inception. They are especially necessary on city routes because the services concerned are under severe pressure from commuters travelling to or from work or school in the morning and evening and they would be unable to cope with the additional volume of passengers arising if the restrictions did not apply.
I should mention that time restrictions do not apply in the case of mentally-handicapped people who are in receipt of disabled person's maintenance allowance and certain disabled or blind people attending long term rehabilation courses.
