Vol. 494 No. 5
119 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the criteria used in calculating rent allowance; if the same procedure is used in every county; if not, the different criteria used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18808/98]
Rent supplements are normally calculated to ensure that the person, after the payment of rent has an income equal to the supplementary welfare allowance weekly rate less £6. This £6 represents the minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. In addition to the minimum contribution, recipients are required to contribute any assessable means in excess of the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) rate. The current SWA rate for an adult is £68.40 per week. Any increase in income over and above that rate will result in a decrease of that amount in the rent supplement rate payable.
Each health board is required to set reasonable maximum rent levels for various household types as a basis for calculating the maximum amount of rent supplement payable in each area under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The limits are set by the health board using local knowledge as to what constitutes a reasonable rent for private rented accommodation for various household types within and across the health board area.
These maximum rent levels are reviewed annually to take account of the actual fluctuations in accommodation costs observed in each area. Health boards must also satisfy themselves that accommodation is generally available within these limits.
In addition, health boards must be satisfied that the rent payable by the applicant is just and proper having regard to the nature, character and location of the residence and is reasonable having regard to the applicant's residential needs.
120 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has to make the living alone allowance payable to elderly people who are in receipt of social security pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18809/98]
It is understood that the Deputy is referring to people who, while resident in Ireland, are in receipt of social security pensions paid by institutions outside the State.
The purpose of the living alone allowance of £6.00 per week is to recognise the extra cost of living alone. It is payable as an addition to weekly social welfare pensions to people aged 66 years of age or over, who are in receipt of certain social welfare-type payments, and who reside alone.
There are no plans to extend this allowance to people in receipt of a social security pension-benefit from a country covered by EU regulations or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement. I would point out, however, that this does not preclude low income pensioners from qualifying for the free schemes, provided that they are in receipt of a qualifying payment, for example in this instance, from another EU member state, or that they satisfy a means test and are living alone or with certain categories of excepted people.
121 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has to pay full social welfare to people who are living at home with their parents in order to discourage young people moving out of home and being paid rent allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18810/98]
In assessing a person's means for unemployment assistance purposes, account is taken of any cash income the person may have together with the value of any capital or property. In addition, the value of any benefit or privilege enjoyed by an applicant, such as that of board and lodging in the family home, is assessed.
Under current arrangements, any claimant, irrespective of age, whose sole means are derived from the assessment of board and lodging in the parental home and who is entitled to less than £25 per week, has his or her payment increased to £25.
One of the principal arguments for the abolition or relaxation of the benefit and privilege rule for young unemployed people is that the operation of this rule encourages them to leave the family home in order to qualify for higher unemployment assistance payments and rent supplements. However, the limited research which is available highlights that the reasons for young people leaving home is a highly complex process with many different facets, including the pattern of full-time education participation and the nature of employment sought. Most interestingly, in this context, the research found that unemployed people were the slowest group to move out of the family home.
While these results must be interpreted in the light of the complex factors which prevail in the decision to move out, they do not lend support to a view that unemployed young people are more likely to leave the family home because of the qualification conditions for unemployment assistance or rent supplements. Nevertheless, my Department will continue to review this area in the light of any new evidence which becomes available.
123 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to allocate credits towards contributory pensions for full-time carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18812/98]
Under the current statutory provisions governing the award of credited social insurance contributions credits, recipients of the carer's allowance may be awarded credits if they switched to that payment from another credit-bearing payment e.g. unemployment assistance. In addition, arrangements are in place for the award of credits to people who move directly from insurable employment to the carer's allowance.
126 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has to assist senior citizens to pay the piped television costs which run at about £100 per year in view of the fact that a number of elderly people find it difficult to run homes and meet all of their outgoings as in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18816/98]
The free television licence scheme is available to people aged 66 or over who are in receipt of a welfare type payment and who are either living alone or who otherwise satisfy this condition. Certain people with disabilities under that age who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments also qualify. In addition, widows-widowers between the ages of 60 and 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of the free television licence scheme retain that entitlement. More than 200,000 people qualified for this scheme in 1997 at an annual cost in the region of £14 million.
The range of the free schemes currently available does not include assistance towards the cost of cable television or other forms of deflected television systems. Any extension of these schemes would involve additional expenditure which could only be considered in a budgetary context.
128 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of persons in receipt of non-contributory old age pension in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18819/98]
129 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of persons currently in receipt of widow's and widower's pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18820/98]
130 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of persons in receipt of pre-retirement pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18821/98]
132 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the total number of persons in receipt of family income supplement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18824/98]
I propose to take Questions No. 128, 129, 130 and 132 together.
The current number of recipients of pre-retirement allowance, family income supplement and widow's-widower's contributory and non-contributory pensions is outlined in the following table. The number of recipients of old age non-contributory pension over the past ten years is outlined in the following table.
Table 1
|
Scheme |
Number of recipients (31 August 1998) |
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance |
13,847 |
|
Family Income Supplement |
12,872 |
|
Widow/er's Contributory Pension |
97,998 |
|
Widow/er's Non-Contributory Pension |
18,473 |
|
Year |
Number of recipients (31st December) |
|
1988 |
122,681 |
|
1989 |
120,632 |
|
1990 |
118,223 |
|
1991 |
115,950 |
|
1992 |
113,555 |
|
1993 |
111,011 |
|
1994 |
105,841 |
|
1995 |
102,984 |
|
1996 |
101,624 |
|
1997 |
98,835 |
|
1998* |
96,713 |
