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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Jun 2001

Vol. 537 No. 5

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Ring

Question:

439 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid a carer's allowance; and the rate of payment approved. [17071/01]

The person concerned applied for carer's allowance on 21 February 2001. The application for carer's allowance from the person concerned has been referred to an investigative officer of my Department for a means assessment and to confirm that the conditions for receipt of carer's allowance are being fulfilled. His entitlement will be further examined in light of the investigative officer's report. He is currently in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance.

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.

Ivan Yates

Question:

440 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason the additional four extra weeks of the free fuel allowance were not paid in 2001; when they will be paid; and if the full entitlement of butter vouchers have been paid. [17169/01]

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. A payment of £5 per week is paid to eligible households and £8 per week is paid in smokeless zones as and when these zones are introduced.

The duration of the scheme was 26 weeks until, as announced in this year's budget, I extended the fuel season to 29 weeks. The three week extension is being implemented in full this year.

This is achieved by extending the end of the 2000-01 fuel season by two weeks in April 2001 and by bringing forward the commencement of next winter's fuel season by one week in October. The next fuel season will operate for 29 weeks.

The butter voucher scheme to which the Deputy refers was operated under EU legislation which provided for the supply of butter to social assistance beneficiaries and their dependants at subsidised rates. The subsidy was provided by means of vouchers, the printing and distribution of which was arranged by my Department on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

The EU Agriculture Council decided, on foot of a proposal from the EU Commission, to terminate the butter voucher scheme at the end of 1999. As this scheme was not renewed by the EU it accordingly ceased to operate with effect from 31 December 1999 and the closing date for the exchange of butter vouchers issued in 1999 was 29 February 2000.

Richard Bruton

Question:

441 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the anomalous way in which maintenance payments are being assessed by his Department, whereby the maintenance payment received by an applicant is assessed as means but where an applicant has his or her income reduced by an obligation to pay maintenance, no allowance is made in the means test in such cases, such as in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a policy statement removing this anomaly. [17170/01]

The case referred to by the Deputy relates to a situation where a person failed to qualify for disability allowance on means grounds, on the basis of her husband's income. I understand that she has appealed this decision on the basis that weekly maintenance payments paid out by her husband are not deducted from the means assessment.

The assessment of maintenance payments for means-tested social assistance purposes is currently being examined by my Department. On foot of a proposal in the review of the one-parent family payment I included a provision in this year's Social Welfare Act for the introduction of new improved arrangements for assessing maintenance payments in the case of one parent family payment. This measure, which costs £1.3 million in a full year, will benefit some 4,000 people by an average of £15 per week.

The question of extending these new arrangements to other means-tested payments and of disregarding maintenance payments being made by claimants of social welfare payments or their spouses is currently being examined. Any further changes in this area would have financial implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.

Richard Bruton

Question:

442 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if home help earnings will be taken into account in assessing means for the purpose of deciding whether a person can continue to have the benefit of the fuel scheme in the coming winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17210/01]

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. A payment of £5 per week is paid to eligible households and £8 per week is paid in smokeless zones.

The conditions of the scheme are that the applicant must satisfy a means test and must live alone or only with qualified dependants or with a carer or with a person in receipt of a short-term unemployment assistance payment or a with person who qualifies for a fuel allowance in their own right. If the household includes a person who is in receipt of disability benefit, unemployment benefit or occupational injury benefit then that household will not qualify for a fuel allowance. The benefit recipient could qualify for a £3 smokeless fuel allowance if they are residing in one of the specified smokeless fuel areas and are on benefit for more than three months.
People who qualify for means tested pensions or allowances such as old age non-contributory pension, unemployment assistance or one-parent family payment are accepted as satisfying the means test. The majority of people who receive fuel allowances qualify because they satisfy the relevant means test for their primary weekly payment. In general, earnings received from a health board as a home help are disregarded either fully or partially in the means tests for those primary weekly payments.
There is a separate means test for receipt of fuel allowance in the case of contributory pensioners, such as old age contributory, retirement and invalidity pensioners because those pensions are paid without a means test. A person may have a combined household income of up to £30 per week or savings or investments of up to £30,000 over and above their pension and still qualify for fuel allowance. The income of the qualified adult is assessable as means for the purpose of entitlement to a fuel allowance but home help earnings from a health board are disregarded in these circumstances.
The additional income limit of £30 will be increased to £40 from October 2001.
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