Vol. 543 No. 1
205 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the rules covering the allowances for diabetics; and his plans to increase these allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25702/01]
Recipients of social welfare or health board payments who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition and whose means are insufficient to meet their needs, may qualify for a diet supplement under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance, SWA, scheme.
Entitlement to a diet supplement is determined by the health boards in accordance with the legislative provisions which specify the medical conditions in respect of which a diet supplement may be paid and the means test which must be applied. The amount of supplement payable depends on which of two categories of diet has been prescribed by the applicant's medical adviser, the age of the person and on the income of the individual and his or her dependants.
The present basis for calculating the amount of diet supplement payable in any individual case was put in place in 1996. The various types of prescribed diets are grouped into two categories, one comprising lower cost diets and the other comprising higher cost diets. Diet supplements are paid subject to a means test and applicants are required to contribute any excess assessable means towards their food costs.
For the purposes of calculating the rate of diet supplement payable, the lower cost diets were deemed to cost £27, 34.28, per week and the higher cost diets were deemed to cost £35, 44.44, per week. In the case of single people, the amount payable was calculated on the basis that one-third of their income is spent on food. Where the applicant is one of a couple, the amount payable was calculated on the basis that one-sixth of the couple's joint income is spent on the diet supplement applicant's food.
In the case of a lower cost diet, the amount of diet supplement payable is £27, 34.28, less one-third of the applicant's income, one-sixth in the case of a couple. In the case of a higher cost diet, the amount of diet supplement payable is £35, 44.44, less one-third of the applicant's income, one-sixth in the case of a couple. Increases in weekly social welfare payment rates since 1996 are disregarded for the purposes of this means test as they would have the effect of reducing the rate of diet supplement payable in all cases and would eliminate entitlement altogether in many cases.
In the case of children under the age of 18 there is a standard rate of £8, 10.16, per week for a higher cost diet and £5, 6.35, per week for a lower cost diet. In the case of persons with dependent children the child dependant's allowance is not assessed.
206 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a payment to a person (details supplied) from County Mayo was reduced by £14; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25703/01]
Under the Social Welfare Acts, pensioners are required to notify my Department of any change in circumstances which might affect their pension entitlement. The Department also carries out periodic reviews to ensure that pensioners are receiving the correct rate of payment in accordance with their means.
The person concerned is currently receiving a reduced rate widow's non-contributory pension of IR£85.50, 108.56, based on means of IR£14.23, 18.07, per week, derived from a British retirement pension.
Following a recent review of her claim her widow's non-contributory pension will be reduced by IR£14, 17.78, per week to IR£71.50, 90.79. This reduction reflects a higher income of IR£29.02, 36.85, per week from her British pension since it was last assessed in 1998.
Under social welfare legislation, decisions relating to claims are made by deciding officers and appeals officers. Those officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.
207 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on whether it is reasonable to refuse unemployment benefit to persons who are not in a position to search for employment in a much wider area than where they reside; if there is a new directive in this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25776/01]
Social welfare legislation provides that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance. Guidelines on the application of these conditions are made available to deciding officers and are designed to ensure that the conditions for receipt of unemployment payments are applied in a uniform and consistent manner.
208 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if an application by a person, details supplied, in County Mayo for a fuel allowance has been approved. [25779/01]
The person concerned is in receipt of an Old Age Contributory Pension at the rate of £103.90 per week, 131.93, and an occupational pension of £86.15, 109.39, per week. As the household income in this instance exceeds the limit for receipt of fuel allowance, his application was refused.
If he has special heating needs and is unable to provide for those needs, he may apply for a special needs payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme in respect of heating. An application for this supplement may be made through his local community welfare officer.
209 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of persons who are waiting to be assessed for a carer's allowance; when the backlog will be cleared; the length of time it takes to process a claim; and if extra staff will be allocated to clear this backlog. [25780/01]
There are currently 1,539 applications for carer's allowance awaiting determination. The majority of these claims are at an advanced stage of processing and the backlog of claims has been significantly reduced in recent months. In determining entitlement to carer's allowance there are medical, means and residency conditions which must be satisfied and there is inevitably a timelag involved in making the necessary investigations and enquiries to enable decisions to be made.
The average time for deciding an application for receipt of the allowance in the year to date is 13 weeks. Many applicants for carer's allowance are, however, already in receipt of another social welfare payment while their claim is being processed and such payments will normally continue until entitlement to carer's allowance is determined.
