Richard Bruton
Question:559 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person on disability allowance will not be disqualified from eligibility for free schemes where their child takes up an apprenticeship. [6906/03]
Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.
The household benefits package which comprises the electricity-gas allowance, telephone allowance and free television licence schemes 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.
In order to be eligible for the schemes a person who is under 70 years of age must, as well as receiving a qualifying payment, be living alone or with an excepted person. In this regard, a child under 18 or, if in full-time education, 22 is regarded as an excepted person. However a child who is in employment or on an apprenticeship is not regarded as an excepted person for the purpose of the schemes.