Billy Timmins
Question:266 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the position regarding mortgage assistance for people on community employment schemes. [24111/99]
Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.
Billy Timmins
Question:267 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the position regarding rent allowance for people on community employment schemes. [24112/99]
Conor Lenihan
Question:273 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the situation whereby lone parents are giving up community employment scheme places due to the ceiling of £250 which is unavailable under the rent subsidy scheme. [24436/99]
Conor Lenihan
Question:274 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the situation whereby lone parents are turning down employment opportunities due to the feared loss of their rent allowance; and the plans, if any, he has to remedy this situation. [24437/99]
Trevor Sargent
Question:282 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the measures, if any, he will introduce in order that lone parents can afford to take up employment in view of the fact that that employment results in the loss of half the rent allowance and unaffordable child care in many cases. [24580/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 266, 267, 273, 274 and 282 together.
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest supplement to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and my Department has no function in deciding entitlement in individual cases.
Rent and mortgage interest supplements are normally calculated to ensure that the person, after the payment of rent has an income equal to the SWA basic weekly payment rate, less £6. This £6 represents the minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources.
SWA is subject to a means test and is not ordinarily payable to people in full time employment. However, special arrangements were introduced some years ago to enable people making the transition from welfare to work to retain rent or mortgage interest supplement, subject to certain conditions.
Under the rules of the community employment scheme participants are paid a set weekly wage which is generally greater than the equivalent social welfare payment for a person in similar household circumstances. In the case of people who were previously unemployed, this weekly wage is paid instead of unemployment assistance. In the case of lone parents, the weekly wage is paid in addition to the one-parent family payment in recognition of the fact that lone parents need additional supports. These arrangements take into account the special needs and requirements of lone parents raising children and maintaining households on their own.
In addition, CE participants may retain their entitlement to rent and mortgage interest supplements, subject to certain conditions. Participants must contribute a standard minimum contribution of £7.50 per week towards their accommodation costs, their gross household income must not exceed £250 per week and their rent or mortgage interest supplementation is subject to a maximum payment of £250 per month.
Participants are also required to contribute any assessable means in excess of the appropriate basic supplementary welfare allowance rate towards their rent/mortgage interest supplement.
My Department is aware that these arrangements are no longer fully adequate for some households, particularly for families with dependant children, given the large increases in housing costs in recent years.
The conditions for retention of rent and mortgage interest supplements, including the income limits and the ceilings on the amounts payable, are currently being reviewed in consultation with the social partners under Partnership 2000.
With regard to child care, the bringing forward of significant initiatives in budget 2000 and subsequent budgets to respond to the child care and child support needs of families are important priorities in the review of the action programme. The Ministerial Group on Child Care, of which I am a member, is considering the findings of the interdepartmental committee which recently reported to Government.