Vol. 505 No. 4
141 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if the fundamental review of the free schemes operated by his Department will look at the plight of single persons; and if the social welfare code will seek to extend the living alone allowance to persons other than pensioners who are finding it more difficult to exist due to household expenses. [14038/99]
The review of the free schemes is examining the objectives of these schemes and whether these are being achieved in the most effective and efficient manner. The review will include an examination of the eligibility conditions for the various schemes including the position of single people.
The review is being carried out by an official of the Department on secondment, as a visiting research fellow at the policy institute, Trinity College, Dublin.
The research conducted will be published in the "Trinity Studies in Public Policy" series. It is expected that the review will be published by the Policy Institute in October/November 1999.
The living alone allowance, which is not within the scope of the frees review, is a weekly payment for people receiving certain payments from this Department who are aged 66 years or over and who are living alone. The purpose of the allowance is to recognise the extra costs faced by an older person living alone. Any plans to extend this allowance to people other than pensioners would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
