Vol. 498 No. 6
143 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to extend child benefit to those in receipt of long-term disability benefit in relation to those in full-time education between the ages of 18 and 22; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28171/98]
Child benefit is paid up to age 16 or up to age 19 if the child is in fulltime education or where the child has a physical or mental disability. I have no plans to extend the payment to other categories at this time.
The Deputy will be aware that child dependant allowances are payable in respect of all children up to the age of 18. Where a claimant is in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment, child dependant allowances are payable where children are in full-time education up to the age of 22, or up to the end of the academic year after the 22nd birthday. This applies to long-term payments, such as pensions, only; it does not apply to shortterm payments such as disability benefit, unemployment benefit, short-term unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowance. The more favourable treatment of people on long-term payments is in recognition of the fact that families with children on long-term payments face a higher risk of poverty.
The Deputy will be aware that the thrust of child income support policy in recent years has been to target resources towards providing increases in child benefit, as part of a strategy aimed at ensuring child income support is more neutral vis-à-vis the employment status of the parents, and this approach has been followed in the 1999 budget. Provision has been made in the 1999 budget for major increases in child benefit rates of £3 per month for the first two children and £4 per month for the third and subsequent children, which will bring the rates payable from September 1999 up to £34.50 and £46, respectively. This measure will cost £40 million in a full year.
144 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of men and women being paid unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28231/98]
The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table.
Live Register — October 1998
|
Males |
Females |
Total |
|
|
Unemployment Benefit |
29,221 |
35,554 |
64,775 |
|
Unemployment |
|||
|
Assistance |
93,382 |
38,564 |
131,946 |
|
Others (Credits) |
3,081 |
12,657 |
15,738 |
|
Total Live Register |
125,684 |
86,775 |
212,459 |
145 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a reduced retirement allowance of £21.50 per week has been offered to a person (details supplied) in County Meath who has been a carer for 19 years, was paid a carer's allowance at the full rate and gave up insurable employment to care for a relative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28238/98]
The person concerned was not in receipt of a carer's allowance. Her mother received a prescribed relative's allowance, which was an increase of pension paid to a pensioner being cared for by a relative. This continued to be paid to her after carer's allowance was introduced because this was more favourable to the household.
On her mother's death, the prescribed relative's allowance ceased to be payable. The person concerned applied for pre-retirement allowance, entitlement to which depends on the means of the claimant. She was assessed with means deriving from her share in the letting income from a holding and on that basis her entitlement is £21.50 per week, including a fuel allowance of £5. If the person concerned is dissatisfied with the means assessment in her case, it is open to her to appeal the decision on her claim to the independent social welfare appeals office.
146 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason the qualified adult dependant's allowance is not paid to some categories, for example, old age pensioners when the income of a partner exceeds £60 a week; the categories not covered by the £60 to £90 rule; the cost to extend this to old age pensioners and all remaining social welfare categories; and if this will be included in the forthcoming social welfare Bill. [28251/98]
As a first step towards alleviating the sharp poverty trap associated with the complete withdrawal of the qualified adult allowance once the earnings of the spouse or partner of the social welfare claimant exceeded £60 per week, regulations were introduced in November 1997 which provide for the tapered withdrawal of the qualified adult allowance for people claiming unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance, disability benefit, disability allowance, pre-retirement allowance, injury benefit and unemployability supplement. These were the categories of welfare claimants most affected by the previous arrangements. The revised arrangements do not apply to any other welfare payments.
Under the revised arrangements, where the spouse or partner is earning between £60 and £90, a reduced rate qualified adult allowance continues to be payable. In the 1999 budget, provision has been made to extend the upper limit of the income range from £90 to £105, with effect from next October, to further enhance the incentive for people to avail of employment opportunities.
It has not been possible to prepare estimates of the cost of extending these arrangements to old age pensioners, and to other categories not currently covered, in the time available. It should be noted, however, that in the case of the old age non-contributory pension and the blind person's pension, the means test which applies to these schemes ensures that, in practice, the qualified adult allowance is withdrawn on a progressive basis where the spouse or partner of the claimant has income from employment.
Consideration will be given to extending the arrangements governing the tapered withdrawal of the qualified adult allowance to cover other categories of welfare claimants. It will not, however, be possible to make any such provision in the forthcoming Social Welfare Bill.
