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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Mar 2000

Vol. 515 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Ivor Callely

Question:

142 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the expenditure on supplementary welfare allowance to asylum seekers in 1999; the total supplementary welfare allowance payments to asylum seekers in each of the years from 1994 to 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6316/00]

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides entitlement to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme is administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department. Payment is made in accordance with the relevant legislation as long as the person is resident in the State. Payments to asylum seekers are made on the same basis as payments to other recipients.

SWA basic payments are currently being made to approximately 6,940 households in respect of 8,675 adults and 2,620 children who are asylum seekers.

Total expenditure on SWA payments to asylum seekers in 1999 is estimated at £35 million. Total expenditure in 1998 was £22 million and £12 million in 1997. The information requested by the Deputy is not available in relation to earlier years. Prior to 1997, asylum seekers were not identified separately from other SWA applicants but as there were fewer asylum seekers at that time, expenditure would have been lower.

Ivor Callely

Question:

143 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the measures, if any, taken where a supplementary welfare allowance payment made to a person following a claim to a community welfare officer is later seemed to be undeserved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6317/00]

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the health boards and my Department has no function in deciding entitlement in individual cases.

Supplementary welfare allowance provides a basic weekly allowance as a right to eligible people who have little or no income. An assessment of a person's means and needs must be carried out to determine entitlement to benefits. Where there is a shortfall in a person's income a payment may be made to bring that person's income up to the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate.

Payments can also be made where a person has no means to meet their immediate needs pending payment from another source, for example, where they are awaiting determination of an application for a social welfare or health board payment. Any interim payment which is awarded pending the determination or payment of a social welfare or health board payment is fully recoverable from the arrears once the other payment is awarded.

People with low incomes may also qualify for a weekly supplement to meet certain special needs, for example, rent and mortgage interest payments, or a payment to help with the cost of any exceptional needs they may have.

If it subsequently transpires that the information given to the community welfare officer is incorrect then the matter will be reviewed with the purpose of recovering any overpayment involved. Where there is evidence of fraudulent claims the matter will be forwarded to the Garda for investigation.

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