Vol. 561 No. 6
20 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the measures she proposes to introduce to improve access to services to those over 50 years of age and dependent on the widow's pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4924/03]
I understand that the Deputy is referring to the household benefits package, which comprises the electricity-gas allowance, telephone allowance and free television licence schemes. This package is generally available to people living permanently in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who fulfil a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. People aged over 70 years of age can qualify regardless of their income or household composition.
The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over, to all carers in receipt of carer's allowance and to carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance. It is also available to certain people with disabilities. Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of the household benefit package or free travel retain that entitlement to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlements following the death of a spouse.
The free schemes share a common set of objectives in the area of social inclusion as follows; to provide assistance to those living alone by targeting them with specific benefits providing both income and social inclusion gains; to support older people and people with disabilities in their wish to remain in the community as opposed to institutional care; to support Government policy which seeks to acknowledge the value of older people in society.
A range of proposals have been made to extend the free schemes to other groups, including widows and widowers and other social welfare recipients. These have been examined from a social inclusion perspective. Widows, widowers and other social welfare recipients who are living alone may experience social exclusion but they are not necessarily groups in need of community care support nor do they experience the same physical risks of isolation as older people and people with disabilities. Accordingly, as a group, they do not fall within the overall objectives which are set for the schemes.
The current arrangements for the free schemes will be kept under review in the context of future budgets and available resources.
21 Mr. Murphy asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if persons who return to work on the back to work scheme can be allowed to retain the rent allowance for a set period of time, as the current situation of stopping rent allowance entitlement when a person goes back to work is causing undue hardship. [4871/03]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the regional health boards. Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme payment of a weekly or monthly supplement may be made in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet his or her needs.
The scheme is subject to a means test. Under standard supplementary welfare allowance rules rent supplements are normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a minimum contribution of €12 which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. Up to €50 per week is disregarded in the means test in the case of a person taking up part-time employment.
Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people in full time employment. However, special arrangements have been in place for a number of years which allow people on approved schemes such as the back to work scheme to retain part of their rent or mortgage interest supplement, subject to a gross household income limit of €317.43 per week and certain other conditions.
In no circumstances do these rules result in a lower rate of rent supplement than is payable under the standard rules of supplementary welfare allowance. As a participant on the back to work scheme, a person may opt to be assessed in accordance with the new tapered withdrawal system or under standard supplementary welfare allowance rules and will be entitled to whichever option is more beneficial.
It is already the case, therefore, that back to work participants may already retain their entitlement to rent supplement for a specified period. Where individuals leave a back to work scheme to take up full-time employment they can continue to retain a portion of their rent supplement for the remaining period of the four year cycle if they continue to satisfy the prescribed household income limit of €317.43 per week.
Any further changes in the qualification criteria for receipt of rent supplement will be considered as part of the review of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme currently under way in my Department.
