Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 1

Written Answers. - Care of the Elderly.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

510 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her policy in relation to means testing older persons who avail of the financial contribution scheme run by local authorities; if this scheme can be ringfenced to ensure that persons who avail of it do not in turn lose other means tested welfare payments on account of selling their home to the local authority and in view of the fact that this scheme greatly assists local authorities in increasing their housing stock; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3184/03]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan):

The sale of residence provisions, which were introduced in October 1991, are designed to allow certain people who receive a means tested payment from my Department to sell their principal residence and either buy or rent alternative accommodation or move into a private nursing home.

These provisions apply to recipients of blind person's pensions, disability allowance and to people aged 66 years or over who receive a means tested payment from my Department and may be availed of in order to live with a recipient of carer's allowance or carer's benefit, where the carer's allowance or carer's benefit recipient is that pensioner's carer, or move to sheltered or special housing in the voluntary, co-operative, statutory or private sectors. This includes people who avail of the financial contribution scheme operated by the local authorities.

Under these arrangements the balance of the gross proceeds of the sale of the principal residence is exempt from the means test for these payments, subject to a ceiling of €190,461. To qualify for a fuel allowance, the applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and live alone or with: a dependent spouse-partner and-or dependent children; a person who gives the applicant full time care and attention in the case of disabled or semi-invalided persons; a person getting short-term unemployment assistance; or a person who would qualify for payment in their own right and the applicant and the members of the household must be unable to provide the applicant with his-her heating needs. To fulfil this condition, the household must satisfy a means test.

In the case of contributory pensions such as old age contributory, retirement and invalidity pensions, a person may have a combined household income of up to €50.79 per week or savings-investments of up to €41,901.35 over and above their pension and qualify for fuel allowance. Means in excess of this amount, including money received from the sale of property, are assessed for the purposes of the fuel allowance.