Peadar Clohessy
Question:63 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the plans, if any, he has to relocate staff within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14578/95]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
I am not in a position to supply the information requested by the Deputy. Pending the transfer to my Department of the administration of the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme the determination of entitlement to the allowance is a matter for health boards. Legislation to enable the transfer of the scheme to my Department will be introduced in the near future.
Liam Aylward
Question:64 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider increasing the living alone allowance in the 1996 budget in view of the fact that no substantial increase has been given since this scheme was first introduced. [14728/95]
The living alone allowance is payable to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare type payments and who reside alone. Since its introduction it has been increased each year in line with the general increase in weekly social welfare payments. I have no proposals to increase this allowance at this time.
Liam Aylward
Question:65 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will increase the limit for additional income in the 1996 budget to allow the national fuel scheme be extended to additional groups such as persons in receipt of small retirement pensions from local authorities and other such bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14729/95]
The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist qualified householders who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. In order to qualify for the allowance the applicant must be in receipt of a long term social welfare or health board payment. In addition, they must live alone, or only with qualified dependants, a carer, a person in receipt of a short term unemploment assistance payment or a person who qualifies for a fuel allowance in their own right and they must satisfy a means test.
Applicants in receipt of means tested benefits are considered to have satisfied the means test. For those in receipt of contributory benefits, including certain EU pensions, benefits or equivalent payments, the increased income limits which I announced in this year's budget apply. This means that a qualified applicant and his household may have a combined household income of up to £10 per week, or savings of £5,400, above the appropriate maximum Irish contributory pension rate.
Depending on their income situation, a person in receipt of an occupational pension, including those in receipt of an occupational pension from a local authority or other such bodies, may be entitled to receive an old age non-contributory pension from my Department. In that event and where the other conditions are satisfied, they will qualify for the fuel allowance.
In 1989 total expenditure on the national fuel scheme was £26 million. This year a sum of £44.5 million has been set aside in the Estimates for the scheme. This estimated figure represents an increase of 71 per cent over the six year period. I have no proposals at present to extend the scheme further.
Liam Aylward
Question:66 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost to the Exchequer of extending the free electricity allowance and free telephone rental allowance to widows and widowers who are in receipt of social welfare pensions; if he will provide the necessary finance to extend these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14730/95]
The free schemes administered by my Department include free travel, free electricity allowance, free natural gas allowance, free telephone rental allowance and free television licence. They are available, in the case of free travel, to all persons in the State aged 66 years and over and to certain disabled people under age 66.
The other schemes are available to people, usually aged 66 or over, who are in receipt of a welfare type payment and who are either living alone or who otherwise satisfy the living alone condition. However, an important improvement was introduced in 1994 which allows widows between the age of 60 and 65, whose late husbands had entitlement to the free schemes, to retain that entitlement notwithstanding their age. I have no proposals for the extension of these schemes at this time.