Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 May 2000

Vol. 520 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

306 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his Department has carried out an assessment of the needs of widows and widowers; if he will consider increasing the level of payment in respect of such pensions or providing extra assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15294/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The widow(er)'s pension schemes recognise the particular financial difficulties that arise for people following the death of a spouse.

The qualifying conditions for the widow(er)'s contributory pension scheme are more flexible than those applying to the old age and retirement pensions. Widowed people can qualify by using either their own or their late spouse's social insurance record. In addition, a person may also use the full social insurance record or the record over the previous three or five years.

As I indicated in my Budget 2000 speech and following the review of the action programme for the millennium, this Government is committed to extending a pension rate of £100 per week to all social welfare pensions for older people. In this regard, from this month, the weekly rate of the widow(er)'s contributory pension has increased to £89.10 per week for those aged over 66. The maximum rate for a person aged under 66 years is £81.10.

A widow's and widower's non-contributory pension is available to those, without children, who do not qualify for the contributory pension. This is payable subject to a means test.

From this month the maximum rate of the widow(er)'s non-contributory pension is £85.50 per week for those over age 66 and £77.50 for those aged under 66.

Title to these pensions also gives access to the free schemes, where the person is over 66 years of age. In this context, special measures are in place to ensure that households do not suffer the loss of entitlements following the death of a spouse. Widows/widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of the free schemes retain that entitlement.

Widows and widowers with children who do not qualify for a widow/er's contributory pension can qualify for the one-parent family payment, the rate of which is £85.50 per week for those over 66 and £77.50 for those under 66 with effect from this month. This payment is available to both men and women who are parenting alone and is designed, firstly, to provide basic income support, taking into account the special needs and requirements of single parents and, secondly, to encourage lone parents to return to/enter the workforce so that, over time, they can achieve a greater degree of economic independence. To this end, an earnings disregard of £115.38 per week is available under the one-parent family payment means test.

In the 1999 budget I introduced the bereavement grant which increased the payment on the death of an insured person from £100 to £500. This payment benefited almost 17,000 people last year. I announced a widowed parent's grant of £1,000 in the Budget 2000 to provide additional support for those with dependent children in the immediate aftermath of a bereavement. The new grant is available to widows and widowers with dependent children who qualify for a widow/er's contributory pension, one-parent family payment or a bereavement grant. The grant is expected to benefit about 1,500 widowed people each year.

The improvements set out above are of specific benefit to widowed people and the position with regard to any further changes will be kept under review.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

307 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of persons whose disability pensions have been reduced or terminated in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15295/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

Disability benefit is a short-term illness payment made to insured people who are unable to work due to illness. Control of the scheme – in the context of determining if a claimant continues to satisfy the statutory condition of being incapable of work – is exercised through the referral of cases for review by the Department's medical assessors.

In the period 1 May 1999 to 30 April 2000, a total of 7,315 claimants had their payments terminated on the grounds that they were considered capable of work following medical examinations by medical assessors.

Claimants whose payments are terminated are advised of their right of appeal. In the period 1 May 1999 to 30 April 2000, a total of 3,552 claimants, whose payments were terminated on the grounds that they were capable of work, appealed and, of those, payment was restored in 1,714 cases.

Disability benefit, being an insurance-based scheme, is not subject to a means test and for that reason a reduction of payment, arising from the review process, would not arise.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

308 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of persons whose invalidity pensions have been terminated or reduced in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15296/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

In all my Department's schemes there is a review mechanism to ensure that entitlement conditions continue to be satisfied. Continuing entitlement under the invalidity pension scheme is dependent on the person concerned satisfying the medical eligibility criteria. This is verified through a process of selective and periodic review of appropriate cases.

Invalidity pension is not a means-tested payment, therefore there is no question of payment being reduced as a result of the review process.

At the end of April there were 47,488 people in receipt of invalidity pension. In the year to 30 April 2000 some 888 invalidity pension claims were reviewed. Of these 64 recipients have had their allowance terminated on the grounds that they no longer satisfy the medical criteria for receipt of invalidity pension.

In all such review cases the persons concerned were informed of the decision and the reasons for it. They were also advised of their right of appeal to the social welfare appeals office. Fifty of the cases terminated subsequently appealed and, of these, 40 cases had payment restored.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

309 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of persons whose disability allowances have been terminated or reduced in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15297/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

In all my Department's schemes there is a review mechanism to ensure that entitlement conditions continue to be satisfied. Continuing entitlement under the disability allowance scheme is dependent on the person satisfying both a means test and the medical eligibility criteria. This is achieved through a process of selective and periodic review of appropriate cases.

There were 51,279 persons in receipt of the disability allowance as at 30 April 2000. During the period 1 May 1999 to 30 April 2000 some 8,595 disability allowance claims were reviewed. Of these, 136 recipients have had their allowance terminated on the grounds that they no longer satisfy the medical criteria for receipt of disability allowance. Entitlement was terminated in 952 cases because of changes in means.

In all such review cases the persons concerned were informed of the decision and the reasons for it. They were also advised of their right of appeal to the social welfare appeals office. Forty four recipients who had their allowance terminated on medical grounds had their payments restored on appeal. A number of other cases are still in the appeals process. It is not possible at this stage, to provide information regarding appeals in respect of cases disallowed on means grounds. No figures are available in respect of cases where the payment has been reduced.