Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Noel Ahern
Question:
389
Mr. N. Ahern
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the present regulations on payment of child benefit where children are in full time education; if he will increase the age limit for such cases to 21 or 22; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25233/00]
Child benefit is a universal payment which is payable in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability.
The policy direction over the past number of years has been to concentrate resources on improving child benefit for all families. Since I came into office I have increased the lower rate of CB from £30 to £42.50 per month, and the higher rate from £39 to £56 per month. It is my intention to continue these substantial improvements in CB rates, with a priority focus towards £100 per month for third and subsequent children over the period of the PPF, in fulfilment of the Government's commitment.
Child dependant allowances are payable in respect of all children up to the age of 18 years; however, where a claimant is in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment, child dependant allowances are payable where children are in full-time education up to the age of 22 years, or up to the end of the academic year after the 22nd birthday.
Currently, this applies to long-term payments, such as pensions, only; it does not apply to short-term payments such as disability benefit, unemployment benefit, short-term unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowance. However, the Government had made a commitment in the PPF to extend child dependant allowances to all social welfare recipients, where the child is under 22 and in full-time education in the course of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
Any proposals to extend CB entitlement to all children in full-time education would be costly and would have to be considered in the light of available resources and overall budgetary priorities.
Noel Ahern
Question:
390
Mr. N. Ahern
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if, in view of the satisfaction which greeted the introduction of the free schemes for persons over 75 without a social welfare pension, he will reduce the age limit to 70 or 66 in the coming budget; if, alternatively, he will introduce a major increase in the income limit whereby the free schemes are granted to people within £30 of the old age pension; and if he will increase this to £100 or more as a stepping stone to bringing in free schemes for all at 66.
[25234/00]
The free travel scheme is available to all people resident in the State aged 66 years or over. The other 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 satisfy 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 the free schemes retain that entitlement to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlements following the death of a spouse.
The free schemes are also available to low-income pensioners who are not in receipt of a social welfare type pension and who satisfy a means-test. The weekly means income limit fixed for this purpose is the maximum personal rate of old age contributory pension, currently £96.00 for a recipient aged 66 to 79 years, and £101.00 for a recipient aged 80 years or over, plus £30.00, plus any increases for a qualified adult, dependent children, living alone, as appropriate. The make-up of this income limit means that it increases automatically each year on foot of the budget increases in pension rates.
From October this year, the free schemes have been extended to all persons aged 75 and over, regardless of their income and household composition.
The proposals put forward by the Deputy for further extending the free schemes will be considered in a budgetary context, having regard to the availability of resources and other priorities.
Noel Ahern
Question:
391
Mr. N. Ahern
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the entitlements and situation of full-time separated mothers on maintenance payments who do not secure lone parents or any social welfare allowance; if they should qualify; if he will amend regulations to allow them qualify for back to school payments, schools books scheme, and the community employment scheme; if he will make a statement on the matter with particular reference to community employment schemes.
[25236/00]
The one-parent family payment, is the main income support scheme available for lone parents, including those who are separated. The scheme is means tested and is intended to act as a safety net for those who have been unable to secure adequate maintenance for themselves and-or their children.
Under the means test associated with the scheme all maintenance received, apart from an allowance of £75 per week of maintenance paid in respect of vouched housing costs, is assessed in determining a person's eligibility to receive the OFP. The review of the one-parent family payment, which was recently published by my Department, has proposed improvements in the way maintenance is treated under the scheme and this is being considered in the context of the forthcoming budget.
The OFP is a social assistance scheme and in common with other schemes of this nature a person's means are assessed in determining his-her entitlement. This is to ensure that resources are targeted at those who are most in need. Making the scheme available to separated people dependent only on maintenance payments would not be in keeping with this general aim. In the circumstances, it is not proposed to amend the qualify ing conditions along the lines suggested by the Deputy.
The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme is administered on behalf of this Department by the health boards in parallel with the supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, scheme. The scheme is designed to assist certain recipients of social welfare and health board payments with the cost of children's school uniforms and footwear. Certain people on low incomes who are in receipt of family income supplement may also qualify for assistance.
In the case of separated parents who are not in receipt of a qualifying payment, the health board will assess the application under exceptional needs payments, under the SWA scheme. There is no automatic entitlement to an ENP. The payment is a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.
Qualifying conditions for the school books and community employment schemes are a matter for the Minister for Education and Science and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, respectively.
