Vol. 511 No. 1
51 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of widows under 66 years receiving non-contributory widow's pension; and the plans, if any, he has to give them an adequate increase. [23673/99]
At the end of September 1999, 3,475 persons under 66 years of age, comprising 3,372 widows and 103 widowers, were in receipt of a widow's/widower's non-contributory pension. There were also a further 1,518 widowed persons under 66, comprising 1,231 widows and 287 widowers, with children in receipt of oneparent family payment.
The 1999 budget provided for an increase of £3 a week, 4.3%, for all recipients, aged under 66 years, of widow's/widower's non-contributory pension and one-parent family payment respectively. These improvements came into effect from the beginning of June 1999. Currently, the weekly rate of widow-widower's non-contributory pension and one-parent family payment represents 102% of the minimum rate recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare.
My priorities for budget 2000 will include making further progress towards implementing the various commitments contained in the Programme for Government and responding, where possible, to the various concerns brought to my attention during the course of the budget process, having regard to the available resources.
56 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the beneficial proposals, if any, he has with regard to restoring the Christmas bonus to 100%; and the other millennium benefit, if any, he has to enhance the lives of the 1.5 million social welfare claimants. [23614/99]
75 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has to pay Christmas bonus to the long-term unemployed in December 1999; the criteria he is issuing to staff on the administration of this payment; the steps, if any, he is taking to ensure that there is no repeat of the confusion in 1998 with regard to the payment of the bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23634/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 75 together.
57 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to delays in processing social welfare applications and, in particular, processing disability allowance, farm assist and carer's allowance applications due to recent changes in respect of these schemes; and the steps, if any, he will take to ensure that people receive a decision on their applications within a reasonable time limit. [20341/99]
My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement issued expeditiously having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply to the different schemes.
In the Social Welfare Act, 1999, I introduced a number of very significant improvements to the carer's allowance scheme and also introduced the new farm assist scheme which is aimed at providing income support to farm families. In the case of disability allowance provided for the retention of entitlement to the allowance by recipients who enter full-time institutional care or who are hospitalised.
The numbers of people being catered for by these schemes have increased significantly. The numbers in receipt of disability allowance have increased from 34,500 when the scheme transferred to my Department from the health boards in 1996 to approximately 50,000 at present.
With regard to carer's allowance all the improvements to the scheme have been fully implemented and the necessary arrangements have been put in place to process the additional applications resulting from those improvements. There are now 13,853 persons in receipt of carer's allowance compared to 1,234 in the same period in 1998. With regard to farm assist 9,186 applications have been received, and there are currently 6,872 claims in payment.
Applications in respect of all these schemes are being dealt with as expeditiously as possible, having regard to the means and, in some cases, medical eligibility criteria that apply.
Clearly, the addition of a substantial number of new claims affects the time taken to process claims generally, my understanding, however, is that there have not been significant additional delays in the processing of applications for these schemes.
If the Deputy is aware of any specific problems in regard to delays my Department will be happy to discuss the matter with him.
59 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of small farmers assessed under the new farm assist scheme; the number of farmers who were in receipt of the small holders assistance farmers' dole previous to the farm assist scheme being introduced; the number of applicants who have gained financially from the introduction of the farm assist scheme; the number of applicants who have had a reduction in their benefits; and his views on whether the new farm assist scheme has worked for farmers. [23597/99]
The farm assist scheme came into operation with effect from 7 April 1999. The number of smallholders in receipt of unemployment assistance at the end of March 1999, was 6,558. Up to 12 November 1999, 2,478 new applications for farm assist had been received from persons not in receipt of an existing payment. The total number of applications for farm assist received by that date was 9,202.
Of the claims which have already been processed the majority have had an increase in their level of payment. Of the 4,362 smallholders who have had their means reviewed, 3,352 have received an increased level of payment while 947 have had a reduction and 63 have had no change. In many of these cases the means had not been reviewed for a considerable period prior to the introduction of the scheme.
The farm assist scheme has brought about a significant improvement in the incomes of smallholders, many of whom were not previously in receipt of any social welfare payment. The average amount in payment to former smallholders is £83 per week, an increase of £8 compared with the average payment under the smallholders' scheme. The average payment in other cases is £56.30 per week.
60 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the income level for the family income supplement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23667/99]
Family income supplement is a weekly employment support payment for families who are in employment and on low incomes. To qualify for family income supplement the average weekly income of the household must be below the prescribed income limit which varies with the family size. The rate of family income supplement payable is 60% of the difference between the average family income and the prescribed income limit for that family. These income limits, vary from £220 a week for a one-child family to £359 for a family with eight or more children.
61 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has to introduce a different system of payment of social welfare to certain categories of non-nationals; his views on whether all those entitled to support should be entitled to the same level and method of support regardless of nationality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23629/99]
I have no plans to introduce different systems of payment of social welfare which differentiate between people on grounds of their nationality. In my view, the level of support provided and the method through which that support is provided should be determined by the circumstances of the individual case, not by the person's nationality.
I am assuming that the Deputy has in mind the position of asylum seekers in relation to the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. At present, the basic needs of asylum seekers are met through the SWA scheme. The scheme is administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department and provides entitlement to any persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs, regardless of their nationality.
The Government announced recently that asylum seekers may in future have their needs met by direct provision. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, is developing proposals in that regard. The objective is to see if the particular needs of asylum seekers, e.g., education, medical and material needs, can be met in a more efficient, co-ordinated, manner. This approach should reduce the extent to which asylum seekers need to claim supplementary welfare allowance to meet their basic needs.
62 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his target for old age pensions up to 2002 in view of the demand among senior citizens lobby groups that the old age contributory pension should be increased to £100 in the context of budget 2000 and the Social Welfare Bill, 2000. [23615/99]
In our review of An Action Programme for the Millennium the Government has firmly committed to the early achievement of an old age (contributory) pension rate of £100 per week and, furthermore, to extend this £100 commitment to all social welfare pensioners by 2002. We are also committed to increasing all social welfare pensions in line with increases in average earnings over the life time of the Government.
The Pensions Board, in its report Securing Retirement Income, recommended that social welfare pensions should be increased in line with prices at a minimum, and, ideally, in line with earnings, and that it would be desirable to aim, over a five to ten year period, to increase social welfare pensions to 34% of average industrial earnings. The Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament has made a similar recommendation in its pre-budget submission.
The question of specific improvements in social welfare provisions for old age pensioners – as for all social welfare clients – in budget 2000 is currently being considered by Government.
63 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the position with regard to the retention of secondary benefits for people who are coming off community employment and, due to the duration spent on the scheme, qualify for unemployment benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23633/99]
Following on the extension of Class A PRSI to community employment workers in 1996, the position is that CE workers are treated in the same way as other Class A workers in so far as social insurance entitlements are concerned. CE workers who revert to the live register after completing a period on a CE scheme may, therefore, by virtue of having paid Class A PRSI contributions, qualify or re-qualify for unemployment benefit rather than reverting to long-term unemployment assistance. As a consequence, they are not entitled to the social welfare secondary benefits which are payable only with long-term welfare payments.
In the case of persons who qualify or re-qualify for unemployment benefit their earnings in the relevant tax year will determine whether or not they receive a graduated rate or the full rate of unemployment benefit. Persons entitled to a reduced or graduated rate of unemployment benefit are entitled to claim unemployment assistance if it is more beneficial to them. However, long-term unemployment assistance is not payable where the claimant is entitled to full rate unemployment benefit.
I have explained to the House on many occasions that I am not in a position to introduce special concessionary arrangements for CE workers who qualify for unemployment benefit without having equal regard to the position of other short-term social welfare payment recipients. Any such concessions could only be considered in light of available resources and in the light of other priorities.
