Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 1

Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.

Seán Haughey

Question:

207 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend benefits such as the living alone allowance and the free telephone rental allowance to people over the age of 66 who are only in receipt of private occupational pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2282/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

Free travel is available to all persons in the State aged 66 years, or over, and also to certain disabled people under the age of 66. The other free 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. In addition, widows between the age of 60 and 65 whose late husbands had entitlement to the free schemes retain that entitlement notwithstanding their age.

The living alone allowance is an integral part of social welfare pensions and is payable to recipients aged 66 or over who live alone by way of an increase of those pensions. There are no plans to create a similar payment to people in receipt of private occupational pensions.

In last month's budget I announced a number of improvements in the free schemes of electricity allowance, telephone rental allowance and colour television licence. From next July, these schemes will be extended to low income pensioners who do not qualify at present because they do not get a social welfare pension. The weekly income limit fixed for this purpose will be the new maximum personal rate of old age (contributory) pension — £75 per week — plus any increases for dependants, plus £30. Pensioners whose means are under these limits who only have access to free travel at present will now, for the first time, have access to the other free schemes.

John Ellis

Question:

208 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will have arrangements made to grant a living alone allowance to persons under 65 who are in receipt of blind pensions. [2336/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

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. The question of extending the scope of the living alone allowance to other categories, such as persons under 65 who are in receipt of blind pensions, would have financial implications and would have to be considered in the context of available resources. In so far as people with disabilities are concerned, this matter will also be considered in the light of the recommendations of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities.

Dermot Ahern

Question:

209 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated overpayments made to social welfare recipients in the year 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2343/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

Details of overpayments made to social welfare recipients in respect of the year 1995 are being compiled at present and will not be available for some weeks.

In the year 1994, 26,837 overpayments amounting to some £16 million were recorded by the Department of Social Welfare. Overpayments arise due to a variety of reasons including fraud or suspected fraud on the part of claimants as well as errors in the provision of information and the processing of payments. In 1994, £11.5 million, representing 11,040 cases, was recorded as being attributable to fraud or suspected fraud.

While the value of overpayments is substantial in absolute terms, it represented less than half of 1 per cent of total scheme expenditure in 1994. Similarly, the number of overpayments should be viewed in the context of the Department's scale of operations. In this connection, there were some 823,000 recipients of a weekly social welfare payment at the end of 1994 and nearly 500,000 families were in receipt of child benefit.

While every effort is made to recover overpayments, due regard must be had to the capacity of individuals to make repayments. A total of £5.4 million was recovered in 1994 in respect of overpayments which occurred in that year and in earlier years.