Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 3

Written Answers. - Pension Provisions.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

239 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will ensure the provision of the six weeks post mortem payment of invalidity pension as is the case with recipients of similar payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10751/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

There are various schemes within the social welfare system to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. These include the payment of six weeks social welfare benefit following the death of certain social welfare recipients or their spouse, the payment of a bereavement grant to insured people and their families and the payment of a funeral grant under the occupational injuries benefit.

Since this Government came into office, I have introduced a number of important changes to improve these arrangements. These include an enhanced bereavement grant of £500 in 1999; the introduction of a once-off payment of £1,000 payable to widows and widowers with dependent children who qualify for a widow's/widower's contributory pension, one parent family payment or a bereavement grant in budget 2000 and a number of additional measures in the Social Welfare Act, 2000, to address the position where the six weeks after death payment was not made or was paid at a reduced amount.

In cases where the deceased spouse was in receipt of an invalidity pension with an allowance payable in respect of their spouse, the survivor is entitled to six weeks payment of the deceased person's payment at the married rate. No additional payment is made in cases where the deceased spouse was in receipt of an invalidity pension and the survivor was in receipt of any social welfare payment except old age non-contributory pension, blind person's pension or carer's allowance in his/her own right. Neither is a payment made in cases where both spouses were each in receipt of an invalidity pension in their own right. However, the survivor would be entitled to a bereavement grant of £500 and if they had dependent children, they would also be entitled to a widowed parent's grant of £1,000. These arrangements will be kept under review in a budgetary context.