Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

163 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the arrangements he is making in regard to payment of the television licence fee for persons who will be 75 years of age after 1 October 2000 and whose television licence comes up for renewal before that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21060/00]

Andrew Boylan

Question:

168 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason widows or widowers under 66 years of age in receipt of a social welfare pension are not entitled to free electricity allowance; if he will give a commitment to bring back the qualifying age to 60 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21154/00]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 163, 168, 185 and 187 together.

The free electricity-gas allowance and free television licence schemes are generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who pass a means test. They are also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.

From this month, all persons over age 75 years are entitled to the free schemes, free electricity-gas allowance, free television licence and free telephone rental allowance, regardless of their income or household circumstances. The free television licence will be awarded from the next due renewal date of the licence following the date of award of the allowance, as is the normal practice.

Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of these free schemes retain that entitlement provided that prior to the death of the spouse or partner, the couple were permanently residing together. This is to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlements following the death of a spouse.

A review of the free schemes was published last April by the Policy Institute, Trinity College Dublin. The review examined the many demands to extend the free schemes to other groups and to other services using social inclusion objectives as the criteria for decision. It considered that the schemes as currently constituted provide a basic package that ensures a limited standard of comfort or well being to a particular targeted group, that is based on age or disability. The review stated that other groups, for example widow/ers under age 66 years, may experience social exclusion but they are not groups in need of community care support nor do they experience the same physical risks of isolation as older people and people with disabilities. It noted that, where payment levels are adequate, any extension of the free schemes must be based solely on increased social benefits that are over and above those which can be purchased by increased income. Accordingly, the review concluded that the schemes should not be extended further to additional groups of people or to include other types of schemes.

Free travel companion passes have been available since 1990 to persons who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. The companion pass enables a person 16 years of age or over to accompany the pass holder free of charge.

The review of the free schemes examined the issue of extending the companion free travel pass scheme to all people with disabilities and noted that CIE has expressed concerns about the operation of the companion pass, in particular that anecdotal evidence would suggest that some pass holders are quite capable of travelling alone. The review notes that companion passes should be issued only to people who have definite needs. In view of the free travel scheme's objective to encourage recipients to remain mobile, the review recommends that a companion pass should be issued to all people with disabilities who are unable to travel alone. The review estimates that the cost of extending the companion free travel pass scheme to all people in receipt of invalidity pension, regardless of their disability, would be in the region of £1 million per annum. The report examines a large number of issues and the proposals made are being examined in the context of future budgets and available resources.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

164 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals he has to rectify the position whereby a person, having spent three years on a community employment scheme and returning to unemployment assistance, is only paid for two days for the week immediately after ceasing on the community employment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21061/00]

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

Unemployment assistance is payable for each week of proven unemployment. The unemployment assistance payment week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday, following which payment is made. Consequently, a person whose first day of unemployment occurs on the Monday following the completion of a community employment scheme is paid, in respect of the first week, for the first two days of the week, Monday and Tuesday. She/he is then paid, in arrears, the appropriate rate of unemployment assistance for each subsequent complete week of unemployment and no overall loss of payment occurs.

At present there are no proposals to make any changes to the unemployment assistance payment procedures.

Michael Ring

Question:

165 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved for the back to education allowance, third level option, as he will have to give up his studies without financial assistance. [21062/00]

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

The back to education allowance is a second chance educational opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate certain groups, including people who have been unemployed for a certain minimum period, with a view to improving their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. It is not a scheme of financial assistance generally for people taking up educational courses.

To qualify for participation an unemployed person must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least six months, 156 days, immediately prior to commencing an approved course of study.

The person concerned had been in receipt of unemployment assistance for 111 days prior to participation in a third level course and is not, therefore, eligible for the allowance.