Vol. 492 No. 5
43 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on the concerns expressed regarding widowed people living alone who will lose the allowances under free schemes if a member of the family comes to reside with them. [14285/98]
46 Mr. Browne (Carlow/Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will allow newly widowed people living alone to keep their free schemes if a member of the family comes to live with them. [14284/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 46 together.
The free schemes such as free electricity allowance, free telephone rental allowance and free TV licence are available to people living in the State, aged 66 or over, who are in receipt of a welfare type payment, and who are living alone or who otherwise satisfy this condition. This condition is not, however, applied in the case of persons aged over 75 years who are in receipt of a qualifying payment. They are also available to certain people with disabilities under that age who are in receipt of certain welfare type pensions. In addition, widows/widowers between the ages of 60 and 65, whose late spouses had been in receipt of the free schemes, retain that entitlement.
An additional change announced in the budget allows for people who are in receipt of invalidity pension, disability allowance and blind person's pension who transfer to certain other social welfare pensions, for example, widow's and widower's contributory pensions, to retain their entitlement to the free schemes. This measure extends the current arrangement which allowed only for invalidity pensioners who transfer either to retirement pension at age 65 or to widow's/ widower's contributory pension at age 60 or over, to retain free schemes.
The free schemes were originally designed to benefit mainly older people who were living alone and required additional assistance. However, over the years, additional categories of people have been included. It is proposed to undertake a review of the free schemes, commencing in early 1999, to assess whether the objectives of these schemes are being achieved in the most efficient and effective manner.
