Bernard J. Durkan
Question:567 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will receive a red bus pass; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7236/03]
Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.
The person concerned is in receipt of a standard free travel pass. She is participating in a community employment scheme in an area where peak time travel restrictions do not apply. An unrestricted free travel pass is issued to people in certain categories who are affected by the peak-time travel restrictions. The categories cover people with learning disabilities, people attending long-term rehabilitation courses or certain work experience programmes and certain other disabled or blind people.
Based on the information available to my Department, the person concerned does not come within the categories eligible for an unrestricted free travel pass. If she feels that she satisfies the criteria for receipt of this type of pass, she should submit medical evidence in support of her application to my Department and the matter will be considered.
Michael Ring
Question:568 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved for the carer's benefit; and the position in relation to this matter now, in view of the fact that further medial evidence has been submitted. [7245/03]
The person concerned applied for carer's benefit on 7 January 2003. The principal conditions for receipt of the benefit are that full-time care and attention is required and being provided, and certain PRSI conditions are satisfied.
His application was refused on the grounds that full-time care and attention was not required in the case. The additional medical evidence submitted did not change the decision in the case. He was notified of this and of his right of appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
Under social welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.
Enda Kenny
Question:569 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the conditions which apply in the case of a person who reaches the age of 65 regarding the payment of a contributory social welfare pension; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that retirement pension is applicable between the age of 65 and 66 at the rate of ?147.50 and that if a person does any type of work while in receipt of retirement pension, a person can only earn ?38 per week; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that if a person were to earn more, the full retirement pension would be stopped, but that when a person reached 66 years and receives the contributory pension there is not limit on the amount they receive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7247/03]
In addition to satisfying the relevant contribution conditions, those applying for retirement pension must be retired from employment or self employment. Retirement is defined as not having earnings from employment of more than €38 per week or earnings from self-employment of more than €3,174 per annum. The retirement pension was introduced in 1970 and was intended to bridge the gap between retirement at 65 and the pension age for social welfare purposes, which at the time was 70 years of age. The qualifying age for old age pension was subsequently reduced over time to 66 years of age. In the circumstances, the retirement condition now only applies for one year.
The Government is committed, as part of the programme for Government, to removing the requirement to retire at 65 in order to receive a retirement pension. Progress in this regard will be made as soon as possible, having regard to the availability of resources and the priority attaching to other elements of the Government programme. The current weekly rate of retirement pension is €157.30.
Seán Crowe
Question:570 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of rent allowance paid by her Department in the past year for each local authority area; and the number of people in each area who received the allowance. [7273/03]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards, provides for the payment of a rent supplement to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible persons who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. Details in respect of rent supplements by local authority area are not available. However, provisional rent supplement expenditure, by health board area, for the year 2002 and the number of recipients at 31 December 2002 are as shown:
|
Health Board |
Expenditure (provisional) in € |
Recipients at 31/12/02 |
|
Eastern region |
123,812,056 |
21,874 |
|
Midlands |
8,985,719 |
2,285 |
|
Mid-western |
14,763,813 |
3,892 |
|
North-eastern |
14,321,695 |
3,352 |
|
North-western |
8,161,855 |
2,569 |
|
South-eastern |
23,591,330 |
5,536 |
|
Southern |
33,689,431 |
8,334 |
|
Western |
24,870,156 |
6,371 |
|
Total |
252,196,055 |
54,213 |