Deirdre Clune
Question:358 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans he has in relation to payments to widows and widowers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22158/00]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.
The widow/er's pension schemes recognise the particular difficulties that arise for people following the death of a spouse.
The qualifying conditions for the widow/er's contributory pension are already very flexible and make it relatively easy for a widow/er to qualify for a payment. Someone with insufficient social insurance contributions to qualify for the contributory scheme may be eligible for a widow/er's non-contributory pension or the one-parent family payment if they have dependent children.
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.
In Budget 2000 the free schemes were extended to all persons aged over 75 years of age regardless of income and household composition. I have also made changes to the arrangements which are in place to provide support to widows and widowers in the immediate aftermath of a bereavement. These include an enhanced bereavement grant, the introduction of the widowed parent grant for those with dependent children and improvements to the six weeks after death payment which is made when the deceased was a social welfare recipient.
The question of making further improvements in the supports available for widows and widowers is a matter for budgetary consideration.
Question No. 359 taken with Question No. 353.
Michael Ring
Question:360 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be assessed and awarded the carer's allowance. [22161/00]
The person concerned applied for carer's allowance on 22 September 2000.
Carer's allowance is a social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full time care and attention to elderly people or to people with disabilities and whose income falls below certain limits. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full-time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test is satisfied.
On receipt of an application for carer's allowance, a comprehensive medical report form must be completed in respect of the person being cared for. This report is completed by the person's own doctor and is subsequently examined by one of the Department's medical assessors who advises if the medical criteria for the receipt of carer's allowance are satisfied. This form has issued to the person concerned for completion.
In addition, her case has also been referred to an investigation officer of my Department for a means assessment. On receipt of the investigation officer's and the medical assessor's reports, the claim will be immediately considered further.