Vol. 504 No. 2
253 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason persons in receipt of contributory pensions do not receive six weeks' payments after a spouse dies; the plans, if any, he has to change this system and implement a scheme similar to that for non-contributory old age pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11628/99]
The social welfare system assists families with death and funeral expenses in a number of ways. These include continuation of social welfare payments for six weeks following the death of certain social welfare recipients or their spouses, the payment of a bereavement grant to insured people and their families to assist with funeral expenses and the payment of a funeral grant under the occupational injuries benefit scheme.
Following the death of a recipient of a social welfare payment or his-her spouse, payment is generally continued at the same rate for six weeks where both spouses had a separate entitlement (provided one or both of the entitlements was an old age (non-contributory) pension, a blind pension or a carer's allowance) or where the payment includes an increase for a qualified adult. This is to ease the immediate loss of income that would otherwise arise and also to facilitate an examination of the surviving partner's entitlement to, say, the widow(er)'s pension.
However, as the Deputy points out, continuation of payment does not arise where each spouse had an independent entitlement to an insurance-based contributory pension. It is estimated that an extension of payment in this way would cost £1 million per annum and would have to be considered in a budgetary context. I can assure the Deputy that the Department will be reviewing the operation and scope of this payment later this year.
