Derek McDowell
Question:129 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason for the delay in processing a back to work allowance claim for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13. [7735/98]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The person concerned took up employment on 10 November 1997 and applied for back to work allowance on 17 December 1997. Her application was refused on the grounds that her claim was late. It is a requirement of the scheme that an applicant must apply for the allowance prior to taking up employment. She was notified of the refusal on 6 January last.
The objective of the back to work allowance scheme is to provide a financial incentive to long-term unemployed people to return to work and it is intended for people who would not be in a position to take up employment without the additional financial incentive which the scheme provides. It is not intended for people who obtain employment without this incentive.
Bernard Allen
Question:130 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will alter social welfare regulations in order to allow students in receipt of supplementary welfare in this country to have their benefits retained while studying abroad, in view of the need to allow not only mobility of labour but mobility in education. [7736/98]
Bernard Allen
Question:131 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 221 of 3 March 1998 in which incorrect information was given by him that a person (details supplied) in County Cork was on a third level allowance scheme when, in fact, he was in receipt of unemployment assistance, he will review his decision not to change the residency conditions set out in social welfare regulations in order to allow a person studying in another European Union country to obtain a supplementary welfare allowance in his native country. [7737/98]
It is proposed to take Questions No. 130 and 131 together.
Article 32 of S.I. 382 of 1995 excludes from entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance anyone who is resident outside the State, temporarily or permanently.
Section 172 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993, excludes persons in full-time education from receiving assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. However, participants on back to education allowance schemes are exempted from this to facilitate their participation in approved education courses aimed at improving their prospects of securing employment. In the circumstances, I am satisfied that reasonable provision has been made for the persons concerned and I have no plans to alter the residency conditions set out in the regulations in view of the budgetary implications.
I wish to point out that some of the information provided in my written reply to parliamentary Question No. 221 on 3 March 1998 was not up to date. The person referred to had been in receipt of third level allowance up to September 1997 but is currently residing in Ireland and is in receipt of unemployment assistance, not third level allowance as stated in my earlier reply. I regret this error.