Vol. 457 No. 1
150 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is part of the guidelines for the provision of supplementary welfare that a single person living alone, including disabled single people, may not receive assistance for the provision or repair of a washing machine which is standard for all applicants. [14936/95]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, including exceptional needs payments is administered by the health boards under my general direction and control.
Provision in relation to the payment of ENPs is contained in section 181 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993, which states that "a health board may, in any case where it considers it reasonable, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, so to do, determine that supplementary welfare allowance shall be paid to a person by way of a single payment to meet an exceptional need".
The purpose of ENPs is to help prevent hardship by assisting eligible persons with essential and exceptional expenditure which, given the circumstances of the case, they could not be reasonably expected to meet out of their weekly income.
151 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for Social Welfare the percentage rate of increase granted to unemployment assistance recipients each year from 1934 and to date in 1995. [15031/95]
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
The rate of unemployment assistance chosen as an example is for a single male living in an urban area. The rural and urban rates of unemployment assistance were aligned from 19 July 1989 under section 11 of the Social Welfare Act, 1989.
From October 1983, an increased rate of unemployment assistance was introduced for long-term unemployed recipients.
The principle of equal treatment was introduced in unemployment assistance in November 1986.
Rate of and Percentage Increases in Unemployment Assistance 1934-95
|
Year |
Rate |
Percentage Rate |
Increase in CPI* |
|
s.d. |
|||
|
1 March 1934 |
9/- |
||
|
1 March 1935 |
9/- |
Nil |
2.6 |
|
1 March 1936 |
9/- |
Nil |
2.6 |
|
1 March 1937 |
9/- |
Nil |
6.2 |
|
26 January 1938 |
10/6 |
16.7 |
1.8 |
|
26 January 1939 |
10/6 |
Nil |
2.9 |
|
26 January 1940 |
10/6 |
Nil |
15.2 |
|
26 January 1941 |
10/6 |
Nil |
10.2 |
|
26 January 1942 |
10/6 |
Nil |
10.6 |
|
26 January 1943 |
10/6 |
Nil |
12.4 |
|
26 January 1944 |
10/6 |
Nil |
5.0 |
|
26 January 1945 |
10/6 |
Nil |
-0.3 |
|
26 January 1946 |
10/6 |
Nil |
-1.4 |
|
26 March 1947 |
16/- |
52.4 |
5.9 |
|
26 March 1948 |
16/- |
Nil |
3.3 |
|
26 March 1949 |
16/- |
Nil |
1.0 |
|
26 March 1950 |
16/- |
Nil |
1.0 |
|
26 March 1951 |
16/- |
Nil |
7.9 |
|
25 June 1952 |
18/- |
12.5 |
8.3 |
|
25 June 1953 |
18/- |
Nil |
5.8 |
|
25 June 1954 |
18/- |
Nil |
0.3 |
|
25 June 1955 |
18/- |
Nil |
2.6 |
|
25 June 1956 |
18/- |
Nil |
4.3 |
|
15 May 1957 |
19/- |
5.6 |
4.1 |
|
15 May 1958 |
19/- |
Nil |
4.4 |
|
15 May 1959 |
19/- |
Nil |
Nil |
|
1 August 1960 |
20/- |
5.3 |
0.5 |
|
1 August 1961 |
21/6 |
7.5 |
2.7 |
|
1 August 1962 |
24/- |
11.6 |
4.2 |
|
1 November 1963 |
26/6 |
10.4 |
2.5 |
|
1 August 1964 |
29/- |
9.4 |
6.7 |
|
1 August 1965 |
34/- |
17.2 |
5.0 |
|
1 November 1966 |
39/- |
14.7 |
3.0 |
|
2 August 1967 |
44/- |
12.8 |
3.2 |
|
31 July 1968 |
51/6 |
17.0 |
4.7 |
|
30 July 1969 |
61/6 |
19.4 |
7.4 |
|
29 July 1970 |
72/- |
17.1 |
8.2 |
|
28 July 1971 |
£3.95 |
9.7 |
8.9 |
|
2 August 1972 |
£4.35 |
10.1 |
8.7 |
|
4 July 1973 |
£5.35 |
23.0 |
11.4 |
|
3 July 1974 |
£6.35 |
18.7 |
17.0 |
|
2 April 1975 |
£7.70 |
21.3 |
20.9 |
|
1 October 1975 |
£8.10 |
5.2 |
|
|
31 March 1976 |
£8.90 |
9.9 |
18.1 |
|
30 March 1977 |
£10.20 |
14.6 |
13.6 |
|
28 September 1977 |
£10.70 |
4.9 |
|
|
29 March 1978 |
£11.75 |
9.8 |
7.6 |
|
28 March 1979 |
£13.15 |
11.9 |
13.3 |
|
26 September 1979 |
£14.15 |
7.6 |
|
|
2 April 1980 |
£17.00 |
20.1 |
18.1 |
|
1 April 1981 |
£20.45 |
20.3 |
20.5 |
|
30 September 1981 |
£21.00 |
2.7 |
|
|
31 March 1982 |
£26.25 |
25.0 |
17.1 |
|
29 June 1983 |
£28.90(ST)† |
10.1 |
10.5 |
|
5 October 1983 |
£30.35 (LT) |
15.6 |
|
|
4 July 1984 |
£30.90 (ST) |
6.9 |
8.6 |
|
£32.80 (LT) |
8.1 |
||
|
3 July 1985 |
£32.75 (ST) |
6.0 |
5.4 |
|
£34.95 (LT) |
6.6 |
||
|
9 July 1986 |
£34.05 (ST) |
4.0 |
3.9 |
|
£36.70 (LT) |
5.0 |
||
|
15 July 1987 |
£35.10 (ST) |
3.1 |
3.2 |
|
£37.80 (LT) |
3.0 |
||
|
20 July 1988 |
£39.00 (ST) |
11.1 |
2.1 |
|
£42.00 (LT) |
11.1 |
||
|
19 July 1989 |
£42.00 (ST) |
7.7 |
4.0 |
|
£47.00 (LT) |
11.9 |
||
|
18 July 1990 |
£45.00 (ST) |
7.1 |
3.4 |
|
£52.00 (LT) |
10.6 |
||
|
24 July 1991 |
£50.00 (ST) |
11.1 |
3.2 |
|
£55.00 (LT) |
5.8 |
||
|
29 July 1992 |
£53.00 (ST) |
6.0 |
3.0 |
|
£57.20 (LT) |
4.0 |
||
|
28 July 1993 |
£55.60 (ST) |
4.9 |
1.5 |
|
£59.20 (LT) |
3.5 |
||
|
20 July 1994 |
£58.90 (ST) |
6.0 |
2.4 |
|
£61.00 (LT) |
3.0 |
||
|
7 June 1995 |
£60.40 (ST) |
2.5 |
2.5‡ |
|
£62.50 (LT) |
2.5 |
152 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare if supplementary welfare can be paid to employees (details supplied) on strike who were dependant for the last three weeks on tax rebates but where the employer continued to make the usual deductions leaving the employees with little or no income. [15006/95]
Under section 174 of the Supplementary Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993, people involved in trade disputes are excluded from receiving assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. However, supplementary welfare allowance may be paid in respect of any adult or child dependants.
The personal rate of supplementary welfare allowance is paid in respect of the adult dependant and a child dependants allowance is paid in respect of each child dependant. Any household income including social welfare payments or benefits and-or earnings are assessed as means. Tax rebates are treated as income. Where strike pay is in payment, the excess over the adult dependant rate of supplementary welfare allowance, is taken into account as means. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme income from earnings is based on gross earning less PRSI and travel expenses to and from work.
In this case the employer is paying tax rebates to those on strike but is contrinuing to make all the normal deductions so that the net pay may, in some cases, be minimal. These deductions may include payments in respect of VHI contributions, mortgage repayments, savings, Credit Union Loans, sports clubs, pensions, etc.
The practice in the health board is to distinguish between voluntary and non-voluntary deductions. Those deductions in respect of savings credit union loans, mortgage repayments, sports clubs etc. are considered to be voluntary deductions which the person involved in the trade dispute could have access to if they contacted the salary section of the firm. The practice is to treat deductions in respect of pensions and VHI as non-voluntary deductions.
