Recipients of social welfare or health board payments who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition and whose means are insufficient to meet their needs, may qualify for a diet supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
Entitlement to a diet supplement is determined by the health boards in accordance with the legislative provisions which specify the medical conditions in respect of which a diet supplement may be paid and the means test which must be applied. The various types of recognised diets are grouped into two categories. The amount of supplement payable varies depending on which category of diet has been prescribed by the applicant's medical adviser, the age of the person and on the income of the individual and his-her dependents.
Diet supplements are paid subject to a means test and applicants are required to contribute any excess assessable means towards their food costs. Increases in income, other than those arising from budgetary increases in basic weekly rates of payment, will result in a decrease in the rate of diet supplement payable.
In this particular case, the amount of diet supplement paid to the person concerned will fall by £2.93 per week in January 1999 when his weekly invalidity pension payment increases by £10.80 per week on reaching the age of 65. As a result, the person concerned will still be better off by £7.87 per week after both changes take effect.
There are no proposals to make any changes in the method for calculating entitlements to diet supplements for individual categories of persons such as the elderly. It would be inequitable to provide special payments to one group of recipients and not to other groups. Any such changes would have significant cost implications and could only be considered in a budgetary context, taking increases in primary weekly payment rates into account.
