Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 3

Written Answers. - Pension Provisions.

Richard Bruton

Question:

226 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will consider amending the rules whereby contributory pensioners are disallowed the payment of an adult dependent allowance if they have significant savings which result in attributable means to the dependent spouse; the cost of removing this rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3758/98]

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

For a person in receipt of a contributory social welfare pension to qualify for a qualified adult allowance in respect of his or her spouse, he or she must be wholly or mainly maintaining the spouse. A spouse is regarded as wholly or mainly maintained where his or her income is not greater than £60 per week. In the case of savings this would allow for a person to have capital of up to £32,800 and still be regarded for social welfare legislation purposes as a qualified adult.

In this regard also any income solely of the person in receipt of the contributory pension is not taken into account in determining whether the qualified adult allowance is payable-only the income of the spouse himself or herself is taken into account.

The cost of automatically providing a qualified adult allowance for a person who qualifies for a contributory social welfare pension, regardless of the income of his or her spouse, is not readily available. However, it would be likely to have financial implications and could only be considered in a budgetary context. It would also have implications for the treatment of qualified adults in the social welfare code generally. In the case of a contributory old age pensioner, whose wife is in receipt of carer's allowance, the combined income would place them in excess of the limit for the back to school clothing and footwear scheme. Any increase in the income limits, or to allow a disregard of certain specified income types, would have cost implications and could only be considered in a budgetary context.