Vol. 543 No. 2
603 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a lone parent's allowance payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1; and the amount of back payments which will be due to her. [26302/01]
A claim for one parent family payment was received from the person concerned in September 2001. Her circumstances are being examined by a local officer of the Department. On completion of the local officer's inquiries a decision will be made on her claim and she will be notified 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.
Question No. 604 answered with Question No. 586.
605 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his plans to extend the free travel companion pass to others not covered in the present guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26382/01]
Under the companion free travel pass scheme these passes are available to certain people who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. The companion pass enables any person 16 years of age, or over, to accompany the pass holder free of charge. In addition, since September 1998, all people aged 75 years or over, who are unfit to travel alone, qualify for a companion free travel pass. The question of making companion passes available to more free travel recipients could only be considered in a budgetary context.
606 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a one parent family allowance payment. [26468/01]
Following an interview conducted by a local officer of the Department in this case, further details have been sought from the person concerned in relation to her earnings. On receipt of the necessary information, a decision will be made on her claim and she will be notified 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.
Question No. 607 answered with Question No. 589.
Question No. 608 answered with Question No. 586.
609 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is not in receipt of fuel allowance; and if this case can be reviewed. [26642/01]
The person concerned is in receipt of a retirement pension at the rate of IR£185.60 per week, 235.66, and a British pension of IR£46.11, 58.55, 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.
610 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has had her non-contributory pension reduced from £27.50 to £9.50. [26643/01]
In determining entitlement to old age non-contributory pension account must be taken of all income, including UK or other pensions, for means assessment purposes. Under the Social Welfare Acts, pensioners are required on an ongoing basis to notify my Department of any change in circumstances which might affect their Irish pension entitlement. The Department also carries out periodic reviews to ensure that pensioners are receiving the correct rare of payment in accordance with their means.
The person concerned is currently receiving a reduced old age non-contributory pension of £27.50, 34.92, per week, based on means of £73.47, 93.29, derived from a British retirement pension. Following a recent review of her claim, her old age non-contributory pension will be reduced to £9.50, 12.06, from a current date. This reduction reflects a higher income of £91.75, 116.50, from her British retirement pension since it was last assessed in 1998.
Under social welfare legislation, decisions relating to claims are made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.
611 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a social welfare payment has not been received by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [26644/01]
The person's claim for unemployment assistance was refused by a deciding officer on the grounds that he did not satisfy the statutory condition of genuinely seeking work. He appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office and having considered the case, an appeals officer disallowed the appeal on 26 September 2001. The person concerned has now requested an oral hearing and the papers have been referred to the appeals office for consideration.
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.
Question No. 612 answered with Question No. 586.
613 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will make a statement on a submission from a person (details supplied) in County Sligo. [26648/01]
The submission received covers a wide range of issues relating to my Department, and the Departments of Finance, the Environment and Local Government, Education and Science and Public Enterprise. The position in relation to the issues relating to my Department is as follows.
The free electricity and telephone rental allowance schemes cover a certain amount of free usage in addition to ESB standing charges and telephone line rental. VAT charges on these elements of the ESB and telephone bills of those eligible are also covered under the schemes.
As regards the question of a person being allowed accompany a pensioner availing of free travel, the position is that companion passes are only issued in certain circumstances. Under the companion free travel pass scheme, these passes are available to certain people who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. The companion pass enables any person 16 years of age, or over, to accompany the pass holder free of charge. In addition, since September 1998, all people aged 75 years or over who are unfit to travel alone qualify for a companion free travel pass. The question of extending the availability of the companion pass could only be considered in a budgetary context.
The Deputy will be aware of the commitment in An Action Programme for the Millennium to increase the old age pension rate to £100, 126.97, by 2002. The improvements announced in budget 2001 saw the old age contributory pension increase to £106, 134.59, per week, the old age non-contributory pension increase to £95.50, 121.26, per week and the widow-widower's contributory pension for a person over 66 years of age increase to £102, 129.51, per week. Overall increases since 1997 amount to between £18, 22.86, and £28, 35.55, per week or 36% to 43%, which are well ahead of inflation. It is proposed that increases in 2002 will be applied from the beginning of January.
The national and smokeless fuel schemes were reviewed in 1998 as part of my Department's series of programme evaluations. The review group considered that improvements in the national fuel scheme cannot be looked at in isolation from the improvements in the primary weekly payment rates. The group concluded that the present rates of payment should remain unchanged if improvements in primary payment rates fully compensated recipients for all price, including fuel, inflation. In that regard, the recent increases in primary payments have given a substantial real increase after fully compensating for inflation, including fuel price inflation.
614 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he has received an appeal from the National Representative Council for people with disabilities requesting the raising of disability allowance to over £100 a week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26773/01]
The National Representative Council forwarded a submission shortly after the December 2000 budget calling for the disability allowance to be increased to £100 – 127 – a week. However, I have not received any more recent submissions from the council on this matter.
The question of future increases in social welfare payments, including increases in disability allowance, are matters to be decided in a budgetary context having regard to the available resources and in the light of the Government's other priorities. The Deputy may wish to note that the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness contains a commitment to make substantial progress over the period to 2003 towards a target rate of £100 – 127 – per week for the lowest social welfare rates. The increases which I provided earlier this year are fully in line with this commitment.
Question No. 615 answered with Question No. 595.
Question No. 616 answered with Question No. 586.
