John Ellis
Question:177 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason his Department will not sanction free telephone rental for a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim. [18032/96]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
One of the conditions for receipt of this allowance is that the applicant must reside alone or with certain excepted categories of people. Included within these excepted categories are persons who are so permanently incapacitated as to be unable to summon help in the event of an emergency.
The person concerned lives with his wife. The medical evidence submitted in respect of his wife was not such as would, in the opinion of the Department's medical adviser, place her in the permanently incapacitated category referred to above. The medical adviser considered her able to summon help in an emergency. Consequently, the application for free telephone rental allowance was rejected.
However, if the spouse of the person concerned were to qualify for carer's allowance in respect of her husband, he would then qualify for free telephone rental allowance. The carer's allowance is paid to carers on low income who live with and look after certain people who need full-time care and attention. This allowance would be payable in lieu of adult dependant's allowance which is already being paid to the spouse.
Based on the information available it is not possible to say if the conditions for carer's allowance are satisfied in this case. Detailed information on the scheme and an application form have been issued to the spouse. Should she feel that she would qualify for this allowance, she should complete and return the form. Her entitlement to carer's allowance would than be decided and, if she qualified, her husband would be entitled to free telephone rental allowance.