Vol. 467 No. 1
270 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether all matters are satisfactorily in place to allow the smooth transfer of the disabled person's maintenance allowance from the Department of Health to his Department; and if the new lone parent's payments are proceeding for January 1997. [12478/96]
The Social Welfare Act, 1996 contains provision to enable the transfer of the administration of the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme from the health boards to this Department. The Act also provides for some significant improvements in the conditions of the scheme and the assessment of means, as well as a change of title to disability allowance. It is intended that the transfer will be effective from 2 October 1996. The necessary arrangements are being made at present and involve my Department, the Department of Health and the eight health boards working together to effect the transfer. I am confident all of the issues arising in this fairly complex process will be resolved in time to enable the transfer to take place smoothly as planned and with the minimum inconvenience to recipients of the allowance. The Act also contains provision to replace the existing lone parent's allowance and deserted wife's benefit schemes with a single means tested payment called one parent family payment. It is intended that this scheme will come into effect from 2 January 1997. The necessary arrangements to this end are well in hand.
271 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he will reexamine the family income supplement in order to include the self-employed and the use of C2 certs as a method of determining eligibility so as to encourage a sense of enterprise. [12479/96]
Family income supplement is currently available to employees on low earnings with children. A significant number of improvements to FIS were provided for in the 1996 budget, including an increase of £10 in the weekly income limits used to determine entitlement, thereby ensuring that most recipients will receive an increase of £6 per week. Other improvements in FIS, which came into effect earlier this month, include a reduction, from six to three months, in the minimum period which the employment is expected to last; a reduction in the number of hours which must be worked in order to qualify for FIS, from 20 hours per week to 38 hours per fortnight; the extension of FIS to job-sharers and increasing the rate of FIS payable on the birth of a child, rather than awaiting the annual review of entitlement.
The Government is committed under the programme of renewal to further enhancing the system of child income support. Various options are being examined by the expert working group on the integration of tax and social welfare. The group's final report will be published within the next few weeks. The report's recommendations will be studied by my Department in the context of the programme for Government. As the Deputy will know, self-employed people whose income falls below the rate of unemployment assistance appropriate to their family circumstances are entitled to claim unemployment assistance. The rate of unemployment assistance payable depends on their means. In assessing means, account is taken of the net income which the applicant may reasonably expect to receive in the next year.
272 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8 has been refused a carer's allowance. [12536/96]
The person concerned satisfies the basic qualifying conditions for a carer's allowance of £62.50 a week. She also satisfies the conditions for old age contribution pension at the rate of £73.00 a week. Under the relevant legislations, this payment cannot be paid concurrently. In the circumstances, payment of old age contributory pension, which is the higher, is continuing and payment of carer's allowance has been refused. The Department has initiated an examination of the future development of the carer's allowance, in consultation with the Department of Health, in the wider context of health care provision generally in the home. Any proposals for changes in the carer's allowance scheme arising from this examination would have to be considered in the light of the resources available.
273 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will have arrangements made to have full payment of lone parent's allowance restored to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford in view of the fact that she is currently unable to work due to illness. [12585/96]
The person concerned was overpaid in excess of £2,000 by failing to disclose earnings from employment in the 18 months to September 1992. Weekly deductions of £6 were being made from her lone parent's allowance in order to effect recovery. About half of the amount overpaid has been recovered. In the light of the disimprovement in her circumstances, it has been decided to reduce the deductions from her allowance to £4.00 per week. Her allowance rate will increase to £75.70 a week as a result of this change. At this rate, it will take some five years to recover the balance which is just over £1,100 and in the circumstances it is not realistic to reduce the recovery rate further.
