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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Gay Mitchell

Question:

896 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his plans to extend the free fuel scheme to all persons over 70 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1514/01]

Michael Ring

Question:

924 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will include the national fuel scheme in the free scheme extensions to all people over the age of 70, irrespective of household income or composition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2048/01]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 896 and 924 together.

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. Fuel allowances of £5 per week are paid to eligible households and £8 per week is paid in smokeless zones. The free schemes have a different aim. They are designed to provide additional assistance to people aged 66 or over, people with disabilities and carers who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are either living alone, or who otherwise satisfy the living alone condition. In addition, widows and widowers between the age of 60 and 65 whose late spouses had entitlement to the free schemes retain that entitlement notwithstanding their age.

Low income pensioners who are not in receipt of a social welfare type payment also qualify. The weekly income limit fixed for this purpose is the maximum personal rate of old age contributory pension – currently £96 per week – plus any increases for dependants, plus £30. The national fuel scheme is a means-tested payment which is not age-related. The fuel scheme is different in nature to the free schemes and, therefore, qualification conditions differ significantly. The standard rules for receipt of fuel allowances apply to people who are aged 70 years or more. It is estimated that it would cost an additional £32.4 million per year to extend the free fuel scheme to all persons over 70 years of age.
As the Deputies are aware, I have introduced a series of improvements in the national fuel scheme over the last three years. I have extended the fuel season from 26 weeks to 29 weeks and I have eased the means test. The current fuel season will be extended by two weeks in April 2001 and the 2001-02 season will start one week earlier in October 2001. A substantial improvement in the means test was introduced by me in the 1999 budget. A person may now have a combined household income of up to £30 per week or savings/investments of up to £30,000 over and above the maximum contributory pension rate and still qualify for fuel allowance. This income limit will be increased to £40 from October 2001.
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, SWA, 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 SWA scheme to pay an exceptional needs payment, ENP. ENPs 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. I recognise the importance of fuel allowance to pensioners and I am also conscious of the need to simplify the social welfare system, whenever possible. However, the question of aligning the qualifying conditions for fuel allowance and free schemes has to be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of alternative proposals for delivering improvements in social welfare supports to pensioners and others.
Question No. 897 answered with Question No. 876.

John McGuinness

Question:

898 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will re-examine an application for a back to education allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; to determine the assistance that can be offered to the person. [1536/01]

The back to education allowance is a second chance educational opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate certain groups, including people who have been unemployed for a certain minimum period, to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. To qualify for participation an unemployed person must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least six months – 156 days – immediately prior to commencing an approved course of study.

The person concerned had been in receipt of unemployment benefit for only 106 days prior to participation in a third level course and is not, therefore, eligible for the allowance under the existing rules of the scheme.

Question No. 899 answered with Question No. 886.

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