Vol. 570 No. 2
555 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the conditions governing the bus pass will be relaxed to allow parents or grandparents of small children who are holders of bus passes to travel accompanied by these children free on weekends; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18659/03]
561 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the situation in relation to travel passes; if and the circumstances in which a spouse under 66, who is entitled to free travel when with their spouse who qualifies, can avail of free travel unaccompanied as their spouse cannot and does not travel; and if an allowance or appeal is allowed in such circumstances. [18393/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 555 and 561 together.
The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. It is also available to carers and people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. Children who are registered as blind or visually impaired are also entitled to free travel.
The free travel companion pass scheme was introduced in 1990 for persons who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. The companion pass enables a person 16 years of age, or over, to accompany the pass holder free of charge. Recipients of the carer's allowance from my Department are entitled to a companion free travel pass.
The purpose of the companion pass scheme is to ensure that a person's entitlement to free travel is not diminished because a companion cannot afford to accompany them. Allowing companion pass holders to use their pass when not accompanying the principal travel pass holder would be outside the objective of the scheme. Any further extension to the free travel scheme could only be considered in a budgetary context.
556 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the level of rent allowance for those in sheltered housing is considerably less than tenants in private rented accommodation; the plans she has to increase rent allowance for sheltered housing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18315/03]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to eligible persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs.
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.
557 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the back to education allowance was cut for students in receipt of unemployment benefit during the summer months and for the vast majority of post-graduate students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18316/03]
The back to education allowance scheme is a second chance education scheme designed to assist unemployed people and other disadvantaged groups who are being held back in their search for employment by a lack of qualifications.
A review of the basic purpose underlying my Department's back to education provisions was carried out last year. In the light of this, and of the expenditure constraints facing us this year, the scheme has been revised.
In framing proposals to change elements of the BTEA scheme, I was conscious of the need to ensure that payments were focused on those who most need training or qualifications in order to gain a foothold in the labour market. In line with this, payments under the scheme for the summer period have been discontinued for BTEA participants who were in receipt of an unemployment payment as many students traditionally find seasonal work at home or abroad during the summer months.
Of course, participants in the scheme who fail to find employment during the summer may be entitled to unemployment assistance or benefit, subject to satisfying the usual qualifying conditions. All other participants on the scheme, lone parents and people with disabilities, remain unaffected by this decision and retain payment during the summer period.
558 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [18319/03]
In response to the question tabled by the Deputy on 11 December, 2002, he was advised that the person concerned would be entitled to €262.10 per week from 2 January 2003 if he qualified for full-rate old age contributory pension, that is, a 100% pension.
The person concerned reached age 66 on 29 January 2003 and applied for old age contributory pension on 8 May 2003. On examination of his record he qualified from age 65 for a 98% retirement pension at the weekly personal rate of €144.40 plus a qualified adult allowance of €98.10 increasing to €154.20 and €104.80 respectively from 2 January 2003. As this is higher than his current weekly rate of invalidity pension of €250.30 arrangements are being made to put retirement pension into payment. Arrears of pension less invalidity pension already paid since 31 January 2002 will be issued as soon as possible.
The total rate of pension is currently €259.00. The maximum rate of retirement pension and old age contributory pension, which is payable for a yearly contributions average of 48 or over, is €262.10. The record of the person concerned, when examined does not entitle him to pension at the maximum rate.
559 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will investigate a submission in regard to the position of a person (details supplied) due to the withdrawal of back to education allowance; if she will further investigate the person's application in relation to their entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18321/03]
The back to education allowance is a second chance educational opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate certain groups, including people who have been unemployed for a certain minimum period, to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force.
To qualify for participation in the scheme an applicant must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least six months, 156 days, immediately prior to commencing an approved course of study.
560 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of single persons that are receiving farm assist payments; the average weekly amount paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18323/03]
The farm assist scheme, which introduced special arrangements for farmers on low incomes came into operation with effect from April 1999.
The amount paid to each farmer is dependent on a number of factors, for example, family size, whether the spouse/partner is working and means assessed from all sources. At week ending 21 June 2003, 3,276 single persons were in receipt of a farm assist payment and the average weekly amount paid to these customers was €93.89.
The scheme makes a valuable contribution to supporting those who are at the lower end of the farm income spectrum.
Question No. 561 answered with Question No. 555.
562 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the entitlement as of right of all widows in regard to the fuel allowance; and the situation regarding widows in a limited wage bracket and widows in a more generous income bracket. [18394/03]
The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are in receipt of long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide fully for their heating needs.
Under the scheme an allowance of €9.00 per week is paid to eligible households for the duration of the fuel season which lasts for 29 weeks.
Recipients of widow's (non-contributory) pensions are entitled to a fuel allowance. Recipients of widow's (contributory) pensions may qualify for the allowance if they have a combined household income not more than €50.79 per week or savings-investments not more than €41,901.35 above the maximum pension rate. These rules apply to all widows irrespective of age or place of residence.
The question of removing the means test either for all widows or for widows over a certain age, or increasing the income limit would be a matter for consideration in a budgetary context.
563 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding carer's allowance for persons not eligible on means grounds; the progress which has been made towards granting carer's allowance on a needs agreement basis to those outside the current limit; if an annual respite care grant can be awarded to those not qualifying to provide a form of recognition of service; the extra tax allowance which can be provided to carers not qualifying for the carer's allowance; if the tax allowance is in addition to an allowance being received for caring for children; if assistance or recognition is available to carers of the elderly if outside the income limit; and the reason spouse's income is taken into account. [18399/03]
The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. There are currently 20,600 people in receipt of the allowance at a cost of €160 million last year.
The carer's allowance means test assesses the income of both the carer and his-her spouse or partner. This is consistent with all other social assistance schemes and ensures that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need.
Provision has been made in successive budgets for substantial increases in the means disregards. In April 2003, the weekly income disregards increased to €210 for a single carer and to €420 for a couple. The effect of this increase is that a couple with two children, earning a joint income of up to €24,150, can qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance.
The same couple, if they had an income of €39,750, could still qualify for partial carer's allowance, the free schemes and the respite care grant. It is estimated that an additional 1,700 carers now qualify for the allowance and 2,800 existing carers receive an increased payment as a result of this measure. It is estimated that abolition of the means test could cost in the region of €150 million per annum.
In budget 2003, I increased the annual respite care grant by €100 to €735 and to €1470 for carers who are caring for more than one person. This increase has resulted in a trebling of the grant since its introduction in 1999.
All other matters relating to the provision and availability of respite care are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children.
