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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

137 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason an application by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare for a back to school allowance has been refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22679/01]

The back to school cloth ing and footwear – BSCF – allowance scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards in parallel with the supplementary welfare allowance – SWA – scheme. The 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. A person may qualify for payment of the BSCF allowance if they are in receipt of a social welfare 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. Details of the income levels, which vary depending on the composition of the household, are shown in the following tabular statement.

Under the scheme an allowance of £63 is payable in respect of qualified children from two to 11 years and an allowance of £78 is payable in respect of qualified children from 12 to 22 years. SWA is subject to a means test and is not ordinarily payable to people in full-time employment. However, special arrangements have been in place for a number of years which enable people participating on approved employment schemes to retain secondary benefits, including BSCF, that were in payment prior to commencing the scheme subject to certain conditions. One of the conditions that must be satisfied in order to retain entitlement to BSCF while participating on an approved employment scheme is that the gross household income must not exceed £250 per week.

The South Western Area Health Board was contacted on behalf of the person in question and has advised that she is a lone parent who is participating on a community employment – CE – scheme. Her weekly income from her one-parent family payment and CE scheme is in excess of £300 per week and, accordingly, her application for BSCF allowance was refused on the grounds of excess means.

Income limits for various household sizes are as follows:

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.

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:

138 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a rent allowance has not been paid for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22681/01]

The supplementary welfare allowance – SWA – scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and neither I nor my Department have any function in deciding individual cases.

Supplements are normally calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of rent or mortgage interest, has a weekly income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to the family circumstances, less £6. This £6 represents the minimum contribution which clients are required to pay from their own resources towards their accommodation cost. In addition to the minimum contribution, applicants are required to contribute any assessable means in excess of the appropriate SWA rate.

The South Western Area Health Board was contacted on behalf of the person concerned and has advised that a rent supplement of £461 per month had previously been in payment. During the course of a review of the rent supplement the community welfare officer – CWO – sent a review form to the person concerned. The review form was not returned and the person in question made no contact with the CWO, thus payment of the rent supplement ceased with effect from 26 June 2001. If the person in question feels that she still qualifies for rent supplement she should contact the CWO at the local health centre.

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