Vol. 451 No. 2
110 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare in view of the facts of a case (details supplied) in Dublin 8, his views on whether unemployment assistance should be payable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6304/95]
The person concerned is employed one night a week and his weekly earnings exceed the appropriate level of unemployment assistance in his case. He is, therefore, not entitled to claim unemployment assistance while he is employed. He is, however, entitled to claim unemployment benefit at the maximum weekly personal rate of £61 for any weeks in which he is not working.
111 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare in view of the facts of a case (details supplied) in Dublin 10, his views on whether a free telephone allowance should be payable; and if a recent decision by his Department not to grant a free telephone allowance will be rescinded. [6331/95]
To be entitled to a free telephone rental allowance a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and satisfy the household conditions of the scheme. A person would not qualify for an allowance if he or she is living with someone, including a child aged over 15 years, who is able to summon help in an emergency.
The composition of the household in this case is the person concerned, his wife and their 16 year old son. Both adults are in receipt of invalidity pension from my Department which is a qualifying payment for the allowance. However, as their son is over 15 years of age, a free telephone rental allowance was refused on the grounds that the household conditions of the scheme were not satisfied.
There would be cost implications if the scheme rules were amended to allow retention of free telephone rental allowance where dependent children over 15 years old were resident in pensioner households. This would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
112 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare in view of the facts of a case (details supplied) in Dublin 7, if the person concerned will get full unemployment assistance in respect of himself, his common-law wife and their child; the total amount they will be awarded each week, and the way in which this compares with single parent's allowance for a mother and one child which she now gets and the £50 per week reduced unemployment assistance he now gets. [6332/95]
The person concerned is being paid unemployment assistance at the personal weekly rate of £53.90 from 26 March 1994 on the basis of a means assessment of £5. The means are derived from the benefit of free lodgings in a friend's home and he has not been assessed with any other means.
As he now appears to have moved to another address, it is open to him to apply to have his means reassessed and for an increase in respect of any qualified dependants. The maximum rate of short term unemployment assistance for a man with an adult and one child dependant is £108.70 a week. The maximum rate of lone parent's allowance for a lone parent and one child is £76.20.
