Vol. 448 No. 7
81 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will examine the payment system for lone parents who intermittently return to work and the ensuing delays which result in the issuing of the back to work allowance and alternatively their lone parent's allowance; if he will further examine the possibility of having this payment issued locally to ensure there are no delays with payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2875/95]
Lone parents are encouraged to seek employment while in receipt of a lone parent's allowance and they can continue to receive the allowance provided their income is below a certain level.
When a lone parent takes up employment it is necessary to review his or her entitlement in order to take into account the expenses incurred as a direct result of the employment. This involves a revised means test based on verified employment details. Every effort is made to ensure that these revisions are completed promptly and that payment is restored, where appropriate, as quickly as possible. The co-operation of the lone parent in responding to inquiries is vital in this regard.
Lone parents are paid their allowances by means of personalised pension order books which are encashed at local post offices. This ensures uninterrupted payments to the majority of beneficiaries whose claims are of a long term nature.
82 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person on a social employment scheme making an application to get on the free fuel scheme does not qualify whereas a person already on a free fuel scheme continues to be eligible while working on the social employment scheme; and if he will introduce a change in the regulations to remove this anomaly in the system. [2890/95]
The national fuel scheme administered by my Department is available to people who are dependent on long term social welfare, health board or similar payments, who are either living alone or only with excepted persons and who are unable to provide for their heating needs.
The former social employment scheme was subsumed into community employment with effect from April 1994. Access to community employment is available to people, aged 21 years, or over, in receipt of unemployment assistance; all people in receipt of unemployment benefit for over one year; all people in receipt of lone parent's allowance for over one year; other special categories, such as referrals by the National Rehabilitation Board and persons combining a period on the live register with a period on a recognised programme.
