Vol. 559 No. 5
396 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her plans to alter or abolish the different schemes in her Department in view of the substantial changes planned for the back to work allowance scheme; her other plans to alter or abolish schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26543/02]
Due to the continued decline in demand for the back to work allowance scheme and in the light of the recommendations of a review of labour market programmes, the qualification conditions for the scheme are being refocused on the most disadvantaged groups. This will mean that from January 2003, the scheme will be open to those who are very long-term unemployed, that is, on the live register for five years or more. Those in receipt of disability benefit for three years or more may also be eligible, as will those in receipt of one of the following for one year or more: disability allowance, invalidity pension, one parent family payment, carer's allowance, blind person's pension, ex-prisoners, pre-retirement allowance and unemployability supplement. Those who are currently on the back to work allowance scheme will not be affected by these changes.
Following the publication of the Estimates volume for 2003, I also made a number of changes to social welfare schemes, including the back to education allowance scheme and the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. There are no plans to abolish any of the schemes operated by my Department. As part of the budget 2003 package, I also announced improvements to other social welfare schemes including: improvements in the disregards for carer's allowance; removal of benefit and privilege assessment for unemployment assistance in respect of those aged 29 and over; extension of the free telephone allowance scheme to persons over 70 years in nursing homes where they have their own telephone account; extension of the islanders' allowance to people under 66 years in receipt of long-term disability payments, and increasing the back to school clothing and footwear allowance by €30 in respect of children aged 12 years and over.
