Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 23 Oct 1997

Vol. 482 No. 2

Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

81 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a one parent family allowance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of the fact that the person has signed all the necessary requisitions sought by his Department and that the person's solicitor sent confirmation of her income to his Department and that all bank accounts were sighted by his Department; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that allegations made by his Department that the person's passport had been regularly used were refuted in view of the fact that the person had not had a passport until 27 June 1997; his views on whether this person has been fairly treated in view of the fact that an inspector told her that she would not get one parent family allowance when the application was first made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17512/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The person concerned made an application for lone parent's allowance in April 1996. However, she withdrew the claim on 27 June 1996. On 2 November 1996 she requested that her case be reopened and this was done. In March 1997 her claim was disallowed on the grounds that means were not fully disclosed. Notification of the decision and her right to appeal issued on 2 March 1997. No appeal was submitted.

Following representations from the Deputy the case was referred for further investigation in June 1997. The person concerned has been requested to supply specific details of maintenance and possible compensation payments. When these are submitted the decision on her case will be reviewed.

During the course of the investigations the person concerned stated that she does not hold an Irish passport and this was not disputed.

At no time was she told, by any social welfare inspector, that she would not qualify for the one parent family allowance.

Michael Ring

Question:

82 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when he intends to implement regulations to enable the local authorities deduct rent directly from social welfare benefits. [17537/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

Under the household budgeting scheme social welfare clients receiving a one parent family payment, deserted wife's benefit or unemployment payments at their local post office may have up to 25 per cent of their weekly payment transferred to public bodies, such as local authorities, the ESB etc.

The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1997 amended the social welfare code by providing regulatory powers to deduct an amount, not exceeding the weekly rent, from a person's social welfare payments, where the individual concerned has accumulated arrears of rent with their local authority. It also provided that any such regulations be made after consultation with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government.

Discussions at official level are taking place to examine the operational arrangements. When this is complete I will consult with my colleague on the making of the regulations.

Ben Briscoe

Question:

83 Mr. Briscoe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of cases of supplementary welfare allowance rent subsidy handled in each of the years from 1995 to date in 1997; the average weekly payment made; and if it is intended to move the operation of this scheme from his Department. [17543/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The numbers of cases in receipt of rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme from 1995 to June 1997 are shown in the following tabular statement.

The average weekly rent supplement payment differs in each health board as the rents charged for accommodation vary across each health board to reflect market forces and local conditions. Weekly rent levels are also set according to family size. For example, in the Eastern Health Board area the maximum rent limit for a single person is £40 per week and the average weekly rent supplement paid is £32.95 while total expenditure for the year 1996 on rent supplements was £34,288,000 and the number of recipients was 34,841.

A housing review group was set up by the Government in July 1994 to examine rent and mortgage interest supplementation under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

In the report presented to Government in December 1995, the housing review group recommended that there should be "an integrated approach to the assessment of housing need and that the allocation of housing resources should be adopted within a single legislative framework". Subsequently the Department of the Environment established an interdepartmental committee to advise the Government on the implications of transferring responsibility to local authorities for meeting the housing needs currently being met under the SWA.

The work of the committee on the main issues arising from the transfer of the administration of rent and mortgage supplementation to the local authorities is well advanced and the committee's report is expected by the end of this year. Its findings will then be considered.

In the meantime, there will be no change in the current administrative arrangements.

Number of Rent Cases

	EHB	MHB	MWHB	NEHB	NWHB	SEHB	SHB	WHB	Total
1995	34,253	2,684	5,002	2,877	2,684	4,686	11,397	8,230	71,813
1996	34,841	3,591	5,747	3,390	2,902	5,492	11,188	9,483	76,634
1997*	25,527	2,426	5,499	4,442	1,645	5,444	12,232	7,452	64,667

*These figures represent the number of cases in payment at 30 June 1997, which is the most recent date in respect of which the information sought by the Deputy is available.

Tony Gregory

Question:

84 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will review the decision to refuse unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 in view of the fact she gave up low income employment to go back to school. [17547/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the conditions that a person must be unemployed, available for and genuinely seeking employment.

The person concerned is aged 18 and is in full-time education. Her unemployment benefit claim was disallowed on the grounds that she is not unemployed.

It is open to her to appeal this decision to the social welfare appeals office. A form for this purpose may be obtained from her local social welfare office.

Willie Penrose

Question:

85 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the disadvantage suffered by claimants of short-term social welfare benefits such as unemployment assistance and disability benefit where they are denied the right to claim a child dependant allowance for a dependent child who is continuing in full-time education beyond the age of 18 years; the plans, if any, he has to redress this unfair situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17549/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

Child dependant allowances are payable to recipients of social welfare payments in respect of all children up to the age of 18 years. Where a claimant is in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment, child dependant allowances are payable where children are in full-time education up to the age of 22 years, or up to the end of the academic year after the 22nd birthday. This is in recognition of the fact that families with children on long-term payments face a higher risk of poverty.

The Deputy will be aware that, in the area of income support for children, available resources have in recent years been channelled towards providing substantial improvements in child benefit. This represents one of the most effective means of tackling poverty, as it channels resources directly to families most in need. Child benefit is of particular importance to families on low incomes as it is not taxable, is not withdrawn when an unemployed parent takes up employment and is not assessed as means for other secondary benefits such as differential rents, medical cards, etc. Therefore, it does not act as a disincentive to taking up employment or improving wages.

Further enhancements of the system of income support for children are a matter for consideration in a budgetary context.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

86 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if a one parent family allowance is payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who has a mortgage of £480 per month, six school-going children and maintenance of £180 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17555/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

As I explained to the Deputy in reply to an earlier question in this case on 9 July last, payment of lone parent's allowance was refused on the grounds that the person concerned and her family were being adequately maintained. The maintenance threshold in her case is £143.50 a week and her maintenance payments are considerably above this figure. If she is making regular mortgage repayments these may be offset against her maintenance payments and could bring her below the threshold for entitlement. However, efforts to date to get evidence of mortgage repayments have not met with success.

I have now arranged for a local officer of my Department to call to the person concerned to explain the situation and to obtain the necessary evidence, where appropriate. Her entitlement will be reviewed as soon as the officer's report is received.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

87 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason unemployment assistance has been refused in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare having particular reference to the fact that the person concerned does not live with his girlfriend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17560/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance from 1993 at a reduced rate based on means from selfemployment.

His case was reviewed in September 1997 following which payment was disallowed, with effect from 15 October 1997, on the grounds that his stated weekly income exceeds the maximum rate of unemployment assistance payable.

Notification of the decision and of his right to appeal issued to him on 3 October 1997.