Vol. 508 No. 4
54 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of British people in receipt of widowed pensions, who are living here and in receipt of non-contributory top-up pensions, who have experienced a reduction in their pension in 1999; the range of these reductions; the average rate of this reduction and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18944/99]
62 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the amount of money he has saved as a consequence of reducing the social welfare pension payable to virtually every widow in receipt of a British widow's or British retirement pension; and his views on whether it is appropriate that widows should be affected in this way. [18939/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 62 together.
Non-contributory pensions are means-tested assistance payments and, as such, all income, including income from other pensions, is assessable as means. An Irish non-contributory pensioner whose means increase for any reason is obliged to inform my Department so that the rate of pension may be adjusted if necessary.
As part of its ongoing programme of control measures the Department periodically reviews the means of non-contributory pensioners.
This year a review of widow and widower non-contributory pensioners who are also in receipt of other pensions is being conducted. Approximately 850 pensioners who are also in receipt of a British widows or British retirement pension are having their entitlement reviewed. In the course of those reviews any other changes in circumstances which may affect the pension entitlement will also be taken into account.
There are some 1,555 widows receiving mean-tested widow's non-contributory pension who are also in receipt of British widows or British retirement pension. So far this year reviews have been completed in respect of 574 of these cases, with 542 cases resulting in a reduction in pension entitlement. The total saving of pension payments arising from the cases reviewed to date is £475,000. The average reduction in payment is £13 a week. Eighty three per cent of reductions were less than £20 a week. The maximum reduction in one case was £65.50.
These reviews arise from the need to ensure that pensioners are receiving their correct entitlements. Pensioners are obliged, under the legislation, to report changes in their means. The reductions to which I have referred arise directly from increases over a number of years in means deriving from other pensions, increases which were not reported to my Department.
Failure to report such increases in other pensions as they occur leads to significant reductions in the means-tested pensions payable by my Department when entitlements are periodically reviewed. Pensioners who do report such changes in their means as they arise have their entitlements reviewed more frequently and will experience regular but smaller adjustments.
