Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 8

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

94 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, his Department has to cater for approximately 10,000 supplementary welfare allowance claimants who would by now have been in receipt of sickness allowance, had that allowance been introduced by his Department as promised in October 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5358/98]

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

Under existing arrangements, people who are incapable of work due to illness but do not satisfy the contribution conditions for disability benefit or the qualifying conditions for disability allowance must have recourse to the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) in order to secure income support.

To meet the specific needs of this group, the 1997 Social Welfare Act provided for the introduction of a new means tested sickness allowance scheme. At the time it was estimated that this new scheme would, at any given time, provide for the needs of about 3,000 people who were incapable of work and who were in receipt of SWA, with some 13,500 people benefiting in the course of a full year. However, recent trends would indicate that the number of potential beneficiaries would now be somewhat lower, due mainly to a larger than anticipated move of claimants from SWA to disability allowance.

It was originally envisaged that the sickness allowance scheme would commence in 1997. However, it has been found that the level of computer systems development work which would be required to introduce this scheme is such that it could jeopardise the critical work which is necessary in order to ensure that all of the Department's computer based payments systems are fully prepared for the year 2000. In the circumstances, it has been necessary to defer the introduction of the sickness allowance scheme. The position will be reviewed later this year in the light of progress on the year 2000 preparations.

It should be pointed out, however, that all those who would have qualified for the sickness allowance payment are currently being catered for through other social welfare payments, such as supplementary welfare allowance, and are not therefore losing out financially as a result of the deferred implementation.