Michael Ring
Question:191 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive some of his PRSI money back. [16072/97]
Vol. 481 No. 4
191 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive some of his PRSI money back. [16072/97]
A self-employed person who enters social insurance for the first time after age 56 can claim a refund of the pension element of his-her social insurance contributions on reaching age 66, provided s-he has no entitlement to either a contributory or non-contributory old age pension.
The person concerned recently applied for an old age contributory pension. As he was over age 56 when he entered insurable self-employment his application was rejected. A decision on whether a refund of PRSI is due cannot be made until his entitlement to old age non-contributory pension is determined. In the event of him not qualifying for a non-contributory old age pension he would be due a refund of the pension element of PRSI contributions paid for 1988-89, 1989-90 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93.
192 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he has estimated the amount it would cost to extend the current concession which gives partial pension entitlement to persons with an average yearly contribution of between ten and 20 stamps per year to old age pension applications in such a way as it would give a similar concession to applicants for widows' pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16075/97]
The qualification conditions for a widow's or widower's contributory pension are less onerous than those pertaining to old age contributory pension reflecting the different nature of the contingencies.
193 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will ensure that rent allowance provided by community welfare officers is not reduced when a woman has more than one child in view of the fact that rent allowance is currently decreased consequent to an increase in a single parent's payment arising from the birth of a second child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16125/97]
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a weekly supplement may be paid in respect of rent. Entitlement to the supplement is determined by the health board in the light of the circumstances of the case and the payment is normally calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of the rent has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to their circumstances, less £6. Weekly needs are considered to be the appropriate rate of SWA for each family size. All cash income a person has in excess of this amount is calculated as means when determining their entitlement to a rent supplement.
Any increase in income over and above the levels provided under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme will result in a decrease in the rent supplement rate payable. Single parents are paid £15.20 per week in respect of each child whereas the rate payable under supplementary welfare allowance is £13.20 per week.
194 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will consider the points raised by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6W; and if he will make a statement on the matter in view of the valid points raised by the person concerned. [16183/97]
The person concerned in this question is currently in receipt of a preretirement allowance which is a means tested payment. Prior to that she was looking after an elderly relative who was in receipt of a prescribed relative allowance.
A retirement pension is payable at age 65 while an old age contributory pension is payable at age 66 subject, of course, to the fulfilment of the normal statutory conditions. There is no provision for payment of these pensions, in any circumstances, at an earlier age. Providing special pensions for carers when the caree dies, regardless of the carer's age, would have significant cost implications. I am arranging for a pension forecast to be done to see if the person concerned will qualify for a pension on reaching pension age. This will be sent directly to the person concerned as soon as possible.
195 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly whereby long-term unemployed persons who go on a community employment scheme and upon the scheme terminating, go back to unemployment benefit, are no longer deemed to be long-term unemployed and thereby lose the grant under the national fuel scheme which they enjoyed prior to taking up this community employment scheme; and if he will address this serious and unjust anomaly and in particular look at the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [16202/97]
The Social Welfare Act, 1996 provided for the extension of class A PRSI to community employment workers. Class A PRSI provides cover for the full range of benefits and pensions available under the social insurance system including, for example, unemployment benefit, disability benefit, maternity benefit, retirement pension, old age contributory pension, widow's contributory pension, treatment dental and optical benefits and occupational injuries benefit. The purpose of this measure was to enhance the PRSI status of community employment workers and to put them on a par with other class A workers.