Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Nov 1997

Vol. 482 No. 8

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Ivan Yates

Question:

209 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly whereby a person who has worked all his life and who unfortunately finds himself unfit for work and claims disability benefit will be informed that his previous earnings are no longer reckonable and that his earnings are based on his current rate of disability benefit if he is on disability benefit for over one year; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this will place the person in the weekly earnings bracket of £25 to £34.99 a week and he will only be entitled to £30.30 per week when he subsequently transfers to unemployment benefit in view of the fact that a person who never worked will get the full rate of unemployment assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19269/97]

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

Unemployment benefit is a weekly payment made to insured people who are out of work and who satisfy a number of qualifying conditions. The rate of payment is graduated according to the earnings of the claimant in the relevant tax year — i.e. the last income tax year before the benefit year in which the claim is made. If the claimant has earnings from employment in the relevant tax year, only those earnings will be used to determine the rate of payment.

Graduated rates of benefit payments were introduced in order to ensure that disincentives to employment were not created following on the extension in 1991 of full social insurance coverage to workers earning in excess of £25 per week. (This income limit has since been increased to £30 per week). In their absence, a situation would exist whereby many workers on low incomes would have access to weekly social welfare payments which could exceed their income from employment.

I should point out that where a claimant who qualifies for a graduated rate of unemployment benefit has an underlying entitlement to unemployment assistance at a higher rate of payment, it is open to him/her to opt to receive unemployment assistance in lieu of unemployment benefit.

If the Deputy has a particular case in mind, perhaps he would let me have the relevant details and I will arrange to have the position examined.

Michael Ring

Question:

210 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his Department will approve an application for the back to work allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that he did not realise he was entitled to apply before he commenced work. [19318/97]

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

The objective of the back to work allowance scheme is to provide an incentive to long-term unemployed people to take up employment or self-employment. The scheme has a limited number of places and is targeted at people who need the additional financial incentive which the scheme provides. It is a requirement of the scheme that an applicant must apply for the allowance prior to taking up employment or self-employment.

The person concerned took up employment on 7 August 1997 but did not apply for the allowance until 6 October 1997. His application was refused on the grounds that his claim was late and that he was in a position to take up employment without recourse to the scheme. The decision was strictly in accordance with the rules of the scheme.

Liz McManus

Question:

211 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will increase the current ceiling of maternity benefit which does not fairly reflect current income levels of workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19321/97]

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

Maternity benefit is paid to qualified insured women for a 14 week period, at least four of which must be taken before the baby is due and at least four weeks after the birth, subject to a minimum weekly payment of £82.30 and a maximum payment of £162.80 Over recent years the additional resources which have been provided for the maternity benefit scheme have been directed at enhancing the coverage of the scheme, so as to include the maximum number of working women, and enhancing the minimum level of payment under the scheme, so as to provide additional supports for women in low paid employment.

The scope of the scheme has been extended significantly in recent years. For example, the Social Welfare Act, 1991 extended full social insurance cover, including cover for maternity benefit, to part-time workers earning more than £25 a week; this limit has now been increased to £30 a week. This extension was of particular benefit to women. The Social Welfare Act, 1997, further extended the cover for maternity benefit to women in self-employment.

The 1997 Act also provided for a 9 per cent increase in the minimum rate of maternity benefit, from £75.70 to £82.30. This increase will benefit some 6,500 claimants a year, approximately 30 per cent.

Any increase in the maximum payment under the maternity benefit scheme, which would benefit women in higher paid employment, would have cost implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context, having regard to the available resources.

Michael Ring

Question:

212 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the changes, if any, which have been made in the regulations for unemployment assistance means assessments since January 1997. [19397/97]

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

There have been no changes since January 1997 in the regulations governing means assessment in the case of unemployment assistance.

Michael Creed

Question:

213 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will increase the fuel allowance for pensioners in rural areas to facilitate the purchase of smokeless coal. [19398/97]

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

The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are on long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. The smokeless fuel allowance of £3 per week was introduced to assist people living in designated smoke free zones to help them meet the additional costs arising from the ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal in those areas.

The question of extending the ban on bituminous coal is being considered by my colleague, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government. The smokeless fuel allowance will be reviewed in that context. However, there are no plans to make the allowance available to peopole who live outside designated smoke free zones.