Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Deirdre Clune

Question:

134 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork is only receiving a disability payment of £85.50; his views on whether such a payment is sufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16429/01]

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

The person in question is in receipt of disability benefit at the maximum weekly personal rate of £85.50. His daughter is in receipt of disability allowance at the maximum weekly personal rate of £85.50, while his wife, who is caring for the daughter, is in receipt of carer's allowance at the maximum weekly rate of £88.50. Therefore, the combined weekly income from social welfare payments to this household is £259.50.

In addition to these weekly payments, the free electricity allowance, free telephone rental allowance and free television licence are being paid to the household. Both the wife and daughter have free travel passes and the husband is also entitled to free travel, when accompanying his wife. An annual respite care grant amounting to £400 will also be paid to the wife on 7 June.

As the husband has been in receipt of disability benefit since October last year and is over 60 years of age, he may qualify for the invalidity pension. This pension is paid at a higher rate than disability benefit, £89.10 a week. If he qualifies for invalidity pension, he will also be entitled to a free travel pass in his own right. The household may also qualify for the fuel allowance during the winter months. An application form has been issued to the person in question and his entitlement to invalidity pension will be examined on receipt of the completed form.

A claim for disablement benefit under the occupational injury benefit scheme was received from the person in question on the 14 May 2001. Further details on the accident have been requested from his employer and his claim for this benefit will be considered as soon as the necessary information has been supplied.

On the wider question of the sufficiency of the levels of social welfare payments, a working group has been established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to examine the range of issues associated with the benchmarking and indexation of social welfare payments. In particular, this group is examining the issues involved in developing a benchmark for adequacy of adult and child social welfare payments, including the implications of adopting a specific approach to the ongoing up-rating or indexation of payments, having regard to their long-term economic, budgetary, PRSI contribution, distributive and incentive implications, in light of trends in economic, demographic and labour market patterns.

The group, which comprises representatives from each of the pillars of social partnership as well as representatives from the Departments of Finance, Social, Community and Family Affairs and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, produced an interim report in April. It is intended that its final report will be published later this year in time to feed into the budgetary process.