Vol. 524 No. 4
148 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science if a widower's pension is taken into consideration in terms of income when local authorities are determining the eligibility of applicants for a third level grant; if lone parent benefit is determined in the same way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22737/00]
Under the terms of the third level student support schemes, a candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the means test is his-her gross income from all sources and the gross income of his/her parents or guardians where applicable, with certain specified social welfare and health board payments, as follows, being exempt:
–child benefit;
–family income supplement;
–disability allowance (where paid to the candidate);
–blind pension (where paid to the candidate);
–means tested one parent family payments;
–orphan's pensions;
–back to education allowance;
–foster care allowance;
–domiciliary care allowance and
–carer's allowance.
According to the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, the means tested one parent family payment is a payment for both men and women who, for a variety of reasons, are bringing up a child, or children, without the support of a partner. A person who is unmarried or widowed is eligible to apply for this payment.
A contributory widow's or widower's pension, payable by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs or by another body, is, however, considered as reckonable income, for purposes of determining eligibility under the student support schemes.
