Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.
Pat Carey
Question:
351
Mr. P. Carey
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he will consider an initiative whereby a person in receipt of a survivor's pension, caring for a person with an intellectual or other disability, will be considered for a carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22556/00]
Denis Naughten
Question:
362
Mr. Naughten
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the plans he has to review the means test for carer's allowance for parents or siblings of children with an intellectual disability in view of the fact that they are reducing the overall costs demand for residential care by caring for their children full-time; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22199/00]
Denis Naughten
Question:
363
Mr. Naughten
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the plans he has to allow social welfare recipients to receive the carer's allowance and not consider it as a dual social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22200/00]
Denis Naughten
Question:
364
Mr. Naughten
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the plans he has to allow individuals in receipt of widow's pension to also claim the carer's allowance in view of the increased financial burden on them in caring for another individual in the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22201/00]
Denis Naughten
Question:
365
Mr. Naughten
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the plans he has to introduce a non-means test continual care payment to recognised carers providing the highest level of care; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22320/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 351, 362, 363, 364 and 365 together.
The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to carers on low incomes who look after people, including children, who need full-time care and attention.
Based on the research carried out in the review of the carer's allowance, which was published in October 1998, the current number of full-time carers is estimated to be around 50,000 people, covering carers of older people and adults and children with disabilities.
There are currently 16,137 carers in receipt of carer's allowance. These figures show that 32% of full-time carers are in receipt of a carer's allowance payment which is an increase of 75% in the number of carers in receipt of the allowance since this Government took office. This large increase is reflected in the expenditure on carer's allowance, which was £36.5 million in 1997 and is projected to be £78.3 million this year, representing an increase of 115%.
As with all other social assistance schemes, a means test in which the income of both the applicant and his-her partner is assessable is applied to the carer's allowance to ensure that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need. The means test has been eased significantly in the past few years, most notably with the introduction of disregards of income from employment and other sources. The effect of these changes mean that a couple with two children could have a joint annual income of £9,152 and qualify for the maximum carer's allowance while a couple with up to £19,500 could still qualify for a minimum carer's allowance, and also receive an annual respite care grant and the free schemes.
The primary objective of the social welfare system is to provide income support and, as a general rule, only one social welfare payment is payable to an individual. The review of the carer's allowance examined the question of paying the carer's allowance in conjunction with another social welfare payment. It noted that the allowance is an income support payment and not a payment for caring. As indicated, the practice of paying only one allowance is a feature, with very few exceptions, of all social welfare payments and is designed to ensure that limited resources are not used to make two income support payments to any one individual. The review concluded that this practice should continue. Of course a person qualifying for two social welfare payments will always receive the higher payment to which they are entitled.
The review proposed the introduction of a non-means tested continual care payment to recognise carers providing the highest levels of care and to promote care in the community. It envisaged that this payment would be made, irrespective of income or social welfare entitlement, to carers caring for those who are in the highest category of dependency.
In order to differentiate between the levels of care and care needs, the review considered that a needs assessment encompassing both the needs of the care recipient and the carer should be introduced, and that the continual care payment could be introduced following the introduction of such an assessment. It was considered that a needs assessment would separate care needs from income support needs and could be used by all State organisations which provide reliefs or grants to those in need of care.
Establishing a pilot system of needs assessment for carers and people needing care was identified as a priority in the Government's review of its action programme. This area is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Chil dren. I understand that the Western Health Board agreed to undertake this pilot project in its area and that the results of this study are being considered by the working group.
The question of further improvements to the carer's allowance and for carers generally will be considered in a budgetary context, taking account of our key priorities in the care area, as set out in the review of our action programme.
Richard Bruton
Question:
352
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he will consider extending the concession whereby persons who have paid 260 paid stamps can qualify for a half rate pension to persons who paid contributions only in respect of widow's and orphan's pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21876/00]
In the last two budgets measures have been introduced to ease the position of two particular groups of people who could not qualify for an old age contributory pension under the standard qualifying conditions. These included firstly a limited number of self-employed people who were already over 56 years of age when compulsory social insurance was introduced for the self-employed in 1988, and secondly people with appropriate contributions paid prior to 1953 who cannot satisfy the normal yearly average test. In both cases 260 paid contributions at the appropriate rate are required to qualify for a pension of 50% of the maximum personal rate. Any further move in this regard must be viewed in a budgetary context.
Liam Aylward
Question:
353
Mr. Aylward
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the reason free telephone rental allowance is now discontinued by his Department to elderly persons who have to move into nursing homes and are thereby liable for the rental of the phone.
[21986/00]
Michael Bell
Question:
356
Mr. Bell
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the plans he has to introduce free travel to people undergoing medical treatment for serious illnesses and who have to travel to Dublin hospitals for this treatment.
[22001/00]
Deirdre Clune
Question:
359
Ms Clune
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he will consider extending the provision of free schemes, including free travel, to widows under 65 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22159/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 353, 356 and 359 together.
The free schemes, including the free electricity-gas allowance, free telephone rental 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.
Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of free schemes retain that entitlement in order to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlement following the death of a spouse.
The review of the free schemes, which was published by the policy institute, Trinity College Dublin in April this year, noted that the free schemes share a common set of objectives in the area of social inclusion. These are defined as: to provide assistance to those living alone by targeting them with specific benefits providing both income and social inclusion gains; to support older people and people with disabilities in their wish to remain in the community as opposed to institutional care; and to support Government policy which seeks to acknowledge the value of older people in society.
The purpose of the free telephone rental allowance scheme is to provide an element of protection and security in their homes for older people and people with disabilities who are either living alone or with people who would be unable to summon help in an emergency. A secondary objective of the scheme is to encourage social contact and to assist in the prevention of social isolation for those living alone. Extending the free telephone rental allowance to those who reside in nursing homes would not be in keeping with the objectives outlined above.
The free travel scheme is available to people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. This enables them to travel free on the main public and private transport services. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by semi-State companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as services provided by some 75 private transport operators.
In regard to travel for people requiring medical treatment, it should be noted that under the provisions of the Health Acts, a health board may make arrangements for the conveyance of patients to and from hospitals.
The review of the free schemes examined the many demands to extend the free schemes to other groups, including widows and widowers 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. 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.
The review 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. Overall the proposals in the review are being examined in the context of future budgets and available resources.
Michael Ring
Question:
354
Mr. Ring
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
when the dependent child rate of £17 per child paid to widowers was first introduced; if it was ever increased; if so, the details in this regard; and if he will give consideration to increasing the child dependant rate for widowers and in all other schemes.
[21992/00]
The survivor's contributory pension, now widow/ers contributory pension, was introduced in 1994. This allowed widowers, with or without dependent children, to qualify for a contributory pension on the death of their spouse.
The weekly rate of child dependent allowance payable with widow/er's contributory pension has been set at £17.00 since 1994. Child dependant allowances on schemes generally have not been increased in recent years because the policy direction being followed has been to concentrate resources for child income support on increasing child benefit. Unlike CDAs, CB does not contribute to poverty traps or work disincentives as it is a universal payment which is not subject to a means test. This policy has been in place since 1994. Over that period, the combined CB-CDA payment has increased, on average, by more than double the rate of inflation. Future approaches to child income support are a matter for budgetary consideration.
