Michael Ring
Question:258 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will increase the national fuel allowance from £5 per week to a more reasonable amount in the context of the forthcoming budget. [23574/00]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are on long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. A payment of £5 per week is paid to eligible households for 26 weeks from mid October to mid April regardless of the temperature. £8 per week is paid in smokeless zones.
The fuel schemes were reviewed in 1998 as part of my Department's series of programme evaluations. The group concluded that the present rates of payment should remain unchanged if improvements in primary payment rates fully compensated recipients for all price inflation, including fuel price inflation. Increasing primary payments gives people greater flexibility in meeting their needs and, of course, the increased rates are payable for all 52 weeks of the year.
In that regard, substantial increases in all the social welfare primary payments of either £4 or £7 came into effect at the beginning of May 2000, a month earlier than last year. In addition, the qualified adult allowance was increased by amounts ranging from £3.80 for people on disability benefit, £4.70 for old age contributory and retirement pensioners and £8.50 for invalidity pensioners where the qualified adult is aged 66 years or over.
Fuel price inflation was much lower than general price inflation up to last year, with an overall cumulative increase of less than 10% over the 14 years between 1985, when the current rate was set, and last year. However, fuel prices have risen sharply recently. An increase of almost 7.9% was recorded in the fuel and light component of the consumer price index in the 12 months up to last August.
I am concerned about the extent to which general price inflation, including fuel price inflation, is impacting on the significant improvements in social welfare payments which I have made. The Deputy will know that I cannot give specific details of the measures that will be contained in this year's budget but improving the overall position of social welfare recipients will receive a very high priority in that budget.
In the meantime, I would point out that fuel allowances are not the sole mechanism through which assistance is provided to people with heating needs. There is a facility available through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to assist people in certain circumstances who have special heating needs. An application for a heating supplement may be made by contacting the community welfare officer at the local health centre.
Where a person would not normally qualify for a heating supplement there is provision under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to pay an exceptional needs payment. Exceptional needs payments are payable at the discretion of the health board taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.
Michael Ring
Question:259 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people currently receiving supplementary welfare allowance as a result of being removed from social welfare allowances; and if he will give details in this regard for each health board region with comparison figures on a monthly basis for the last twelve months. [23590/00]
Supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, is paid to every person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The fact that they might previously have been in receipt of another social welfare allowance that has been discontinued is not recorded, as this is not material to their entitlement to SWA. Consequently, the information sought by the Deputy is not available.
Information is available in relation to the number of people who are paid SWA while awaiting the outcome of an appeal against a disallowance of either disability benefit, unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance. This includes appeals made by people whose initial claim was rejected with no payment having been made, as well as appeals in cases where payments were made and subsequently discontinued.
On 20 October last there were 1,109 people in this situation. A table is attached showing the number of people over the past 12 months who received supplementary welfare allowance while they were awaiting the outcome of an appeal against a disallowance of either disability benefit, unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance.
Details of Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) payments to people awaiting decisions on appeals
Eastern Health Board
|
Sept' 99 |
Oct' 99 |
Nov' 99 |
Dec' 99 |
Jan' 00 |
Feb' 00 |
Mar' 00 |
Apr' 00 |
May' 00 |
June' 00 |
July' 00 |
Aug' 00 |
Sept' 00 |
|
|
DB |
14 |
17 |
18 |
23 |
19 |
23 |
22 |
24 |
24 |
26 |
26 |
24 |
24 |
|
UA |
274 |
246 |
277 |
310 |
309 |
297 |
325 |
307 |
285 |
277 |
303 |
308 |
272 |
|
UB |
23 |
21 |
26 |
24 |
25 |
22 |
24 |
26 |
25 |
26 |
37 |
29 |
32 |
Midland Health Board
|
DB |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
UA |
54 |
50 |
45 |
47 |
45 |
44 |
46 |
55 |
53 |
50 |
55 |
47 |
42 |
|
UB |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
Mid-Western Health Board
|
DB |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
UA |
68 |
69 |
77 |
73 |
69 |
60 |
66 |
62 |
66 |
67 |
61 |
79 |
78 |
|
UB |
9 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
9 |
8 |
11 |
9 |
North-Eastern Health Board
|
DB |
7 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
|
UA |
65 |
68 |
64 |
52 |
49 |
45 |
69 |
94 |
108 |
113 |
104 |
116 |
88 |
|
UB |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
11 |
8 |
North-Western Health Board
|
Sept' 99 |
Oct' 99 |
Nov' 99 |
Dec' 99 |
Jan' 00 |
Feb' 00 |
Mar' 00 |
Apr' 00 |
May' 00 |
June' 00 |
July' 00 |
Aug' 00 |
Sept' 00 |
|
|
DB |
2 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
UA |
14 |
19 |
18 |
20 |
17 |
21 |
25 |
24 |
22 |
25 |
24 |
26 |
24 |
|
UB |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
South-Eastern Health Board
|
DB |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
8 |
9 |
11 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
UA |
79 |
83 |
112 |
125 |
137 |
151 |
167 |
178 |
195 |
190 |
203 |
218 |
216 |
|
UB |
5 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
13 |
22 |
22 |
25 |
31 |
31 |
27 |
26 |
Southern Health Board
|
DB |
3 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
4 |
|
UA |
124 |
117 |
121 |
124 |
113 |
109 |
96 |
95 |
88 |
87 |
82 |
87 |
93 |
|
UB |
10 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
Western Health Board
|
DB |
8 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
6 |
6 |
9 |
|
UA |
111 |
115 |
114 |
116 |
129 |
123 |
154 |
161 |
157 |
153 |
175 |
191 |
177 |
|
UB |
4 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
5 |
10 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
11 |
15 |
19 |
DB = Pending Disability Benefit Appeal
UA = Pending Unemployment Assistant Appeal
UB = Pending Unemployment Benefit Appeal