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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

37 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he intends to revise or improve the qualifying conditions for applicants for invalidity pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15309/01]

Since taking up office, I have introduced a number of improvements in the invalidity pension scheme, including an extension of the back to work allowance and back to education allowance schemes to invalidity pensioners in September 2000 and an extension of the living alone allowance of £6 per week to invalidity pensioners aged under 65 years from the beginning of April 2001. In addition, the weekly rates of payment have been significantly increased during this period. For instance, the weekly rate of payment to an invalidity pensioner aged under 65 has been increased by £19.90 – a real increase of 13%, while the weekly rate of payment for those aged 65 and over has been increased by £28 – a real increase of 19%. As part of the expenditure review process, my Department is currently reviewing the range of income maintenance payments to people who are ill and people with disabilities, including the invalidity pension scheme. Notwithstanding the improvements which have been introduced in recent years in this area, it is recognised that the current system is complex and in need of rationalisation.

This review will, therefore, examine the roles and effectiveness of the range of income maintenance payments provided by my Department and the health boards. While it is not intended hat this review would look at the finer details of each scheme or make recommendations for detailed changes, it will, however, provide a framework within which this more detailed work can be done in the future.

I expect this review will be completed by the end of the year and any proposals emerging which have financial implications will be examined in a budgetary context, having regard to available resources and in the light of other priorities.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

38 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the developments to date in the process of localisation of the application system and administration of lone parent benefit. [15290/01]

The decision to localise the administration of the one-parent family payment was taken following the Report of the Expenditure Review of the One-Parent Family Payment which was published in September 2000. It is intended to devolve over time the administration of the one-parent family payment to the Department's network of local offices around the country.

This is aimed primarily at making the scheme more accessible to recipients of one parent-family payment. It will be of great value in helping them to access information about employment, education and training opportunities in their own area, through my Department's local employment support services. It will also assist in reducing claim processing times through closer linkage with the local investigators and will enhance closer liaison between the community welfare officers and the Department's local offices in regard to one-parent families.

A working group was set up in my Department to oversee the arrangements that must be put in place to effect the transfer of one-parent family payment claims processing from its current centralised location in the pension services office in Sligo to the Department's network of local offices. As a first step, a pilot project for processing new claims in the Dublin west area started on 2 May 2001 in Tallaght.

New one-parent family payment claims in this area are now being accepted and decided at local level. This pilot project will help to identify any issues or problems arising from localisation and allow them to be addressed before extending the process to other local offices. The progress of this pilot is being kept under continuous review.

Pending development of appropriate computer facilities for full local operation of the scheme, payment order books will continue to be issued through the Sligo office for the time being. The new computer facilities will likely be available in early 2002 and this will allow for the extension of localisation of this scheme to all local offices during 2002.

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