Vol. 473 No. 4
468 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Meath is not entitled to free telephone rental in view of the fact that this person lives alone, has submitted a medical certificate and is in regular need of medical attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1281/97]
There is no trace of receipt in my Department of an application for free telephone rental allowance from the person concerned.
To qualify under this scheme, a person must be in receipt of one of a number of qualifying payments. For people aged 66 or over, these payments include an old age or retirement pension, a widow(er)'s pension or one of a number of foreign social security pensions. For people under age 66, the qualifying payments comprise an invalidity pension, disability allowance or a blind person's pension.
Since 1994, a person aged 60-65 who is in receipt of a widow(er) pension and who satisfies the household composition conditions of the scheme may receive this allowance if the deceased spouse received the allowance prior to his/her death. The purpose of this special concession is to minimise any loss of social welfare entitlement to the household following the death of a pensioner.
The person concerned is 63 years of age. She is in receipt of a widow's contributory pension since March 1996 at the current rate of £73.10 per week. This rate includes a fuel allowance of £5 payable for the duration of the winter heating season — October to April.
According to the records of the Department her late husband was never in receipt of a free telephone rental allowance. On this basis, she would not have an entitlement to this allowance in her own right at this stage. She may, however, qualify for this allowance, and the other free scheme benefits, i.e. free electricity allowance and free TV licence, when she reaches age 66. If she applies three months in advance of her 66th birthday, her entitlement will be determined and any allowances due will be applied when due.
