Vol. 555 No. 2
418 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the bereavement grant scheme can be extended to cover handicapped children who are dependant on social insurance contributors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17979/02]
The bereavement grant is a payment based on PRSI contributions, designed to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. The grant is payable on the death of an insured person or a family member, including a child under age 18, or under age 22 if in full-time education. The grant is not payable on the death of a child over the age unless they are qualified on the basis of their own PRSI contributions.
The only alternative source of payment for people who have insufficient PRSI contributions is the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Under this scheme, a health board may make a single payment to help meet once-off exceptional expenditure, e.g. for funeral expenses, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of his-her weekly income.
Any change to the bereavement grant scheme would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
