Frank Crowley
Question:122 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he proposes to introduce a Christmas bonus to help families in need who have given birth to twins and other multiple births.
Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.
The Christmas bonus is payable to recipients of long term social welfare payments such as pensioners and people who are long term unemployed or incapacitated. The payment last Christmas amounted to 70 per cent of normal weekly payments, subject to a minimum bonus payment of £20 for the first time. The bonus cost £33 million, an increase of £2 million on last year, and was paid in the first week of December at post offices and local offices of my Department.
The question of extending the bonus to include families in the circumstances mentioned by the Deputy, where they do not already qualify, would have cost implications which would have to be examined in the light of available resources.
Assistance to families where there are twins or other multiple births is available in a number of ways through the social welfare system. The monthly rates of child benefit have been increased substantially in the past two years. From September next, the higher child benefit rate will be increased from £23 to £25 and will apply to the third and subsequent children, instead of the fourth child on. A special grant of £200 was introduced last year for mothers on the birth of twins. This new payment complements the existing grant of £300 for multiple births of 3 or more children. In addition, the family income supplement, which is designed specifically for families at work on low pay, has been improved in recent years through significant increases in the earnings thresholds.
Bernard Allen
Question:123 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to introduce to families in need of special assistance, where there have been multiple births, when those children start primary school, second level and third level to help cover the cost of uniforms and books.
In 1993, I extended the special grant of £100 per child, which is payable on the birth of triplets or more, to include twin births. This grant is subject to a maximum payment of £400 for four or more children.
Where a multiple birth involves three or more children, child benefit is paid at double the normal rate for each child so long as at least three of the children remain qualified.
The back-to-school clothing and footwear scheme, which I introduced in 1990, assists recipients on low incomes with meeting the cost of children's school uniforms and footwear. The scheme is administered by the Health Boards as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
The allowance payable is £35 for each child attending primary school and £50 for each child attending secondary school. This year the scheme will commence on 1 June and will run until 30 September 1994. Application should be made to the community welfare officer at their local health centre.
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme also allows health boards to make payments to eligible people where they have exceptional needs. These payments are made to meet a once-off need and each case is decided on its individual merits.
The introduction of additional measures to cover the cost of school expenses in the case of multiple births would have significant expenditure implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
The provision of grants towards the cost of school books is a matter for the Department of Education.