Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Jack Wall

Question:

130 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans he has to provide persons who have returned to work ability to retain their claims for back to school allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16401/01]

Jack Wall

Question:

131 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans he has to increase the limits for entitlement to the back to school allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16402/01]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together.

The back to school clothing and footwear, BSCF, allowance scheme is designed to assist certain recipients of social welfare and health board payments with the cost of children's school uniforms and footwear. The scheme operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year. It is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and neither I nor my Department have any function in deciding individual cases.

There is no automatic entitlement to the BSCF allowance. A person may qualify for payment of the BSCF allowance if they are in receipt of a social welfare, including family income supplement, FIS, or health board payment or participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income at or below certain prescribed levels. These income levels vary depending on the composition of the household and they are increased each year in line with budgetary increases in weekly social welfare payments. Details of the income limits for 2001 are shown in the following tabular statement.

There are special provisions in place which allow people participating in an approved employment scheme to retain their entitlement to the BSCF allowance as long as their household income is less than £250 per week. Also people in low paid employment who are in receipt of FIS are entitled to apply for a BSCF allowance. An estimated 2,500 families in receipt of FIS qualified for the BSCF allowance last year.

The Deputy may also be aware that I established a working group to undertake a review of the BSCF scheme as part of my Department's series of programme evaluations. The review examined all aspects of the scheme including the rates of payment, the income limits, the means test, time of payment, the eligibility criteria and other issues. I understand that the working group's report is being finalised and I expect to receive the report in the near future.

Income limits for various household sizes in 2001:

Household size	Income limit
Couple with 1 child	£194.40 per week
Couple with 2 children	£209.60 per week
Couple with 3 children	£224.80 per week
Couple with 4 children	£240.00 per week

Limit is increased by £15.20 per week for each additional child.

Household size	Income limit
Lone Parent with 1 child	£124.00 per week
Lone Parent with 2 children	£141.00 per week
Lone Parent with 3 children	£158.00 per week
Lone Parent with 4 children	£175.00 per week

Limit is increased by £17 per week for each additional child.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

132 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a one parent family allowance will be returned to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16404/01]

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

One of the statutory conditions for receipt of one parent family payment is that the lone parent is not cohabiting, that is, living with someone as husband or wife.

The one parent family payment of the person concerned was discontinued with effect from 16 November 2000 on the grounds that she is cohabiting. The person concerned has appealed this decision and the case has been referred to the social welfare appeals office. The appeal will be dealt with by an appeals officer as soon as possible and the person concerned will be advised of the outcome.

Under social welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.