Michael Ring
Question:533 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the Government has plans to make some payment to women who are working in the home full time. [21875/03]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Within the social welfare system there are already a number of payments which are made to women working in the home.
Child benefit is normally payable to the mother. Since 2001 there has been a significant investment in the level of child benefit payments. The universal nature of the payment means that it supports those who choose to work in the home and care for their children in that way, as well as assisting those who opt to go out to work and use child care arrangements. With effect from April, child benefit rates for first and second children increased to €125.60 per month with the rate for third and subsequent children now standing at €157.30 per month.
I am committed to improving the position of people who take time out of the paid workforce to care for children or sick relatives. Measures already introduced, including the reduction in the average number of PRSI contributions required for pension purposes to ten and the extra recognition afforded to pre-53 contributions, are making it easier for people with reduced or broken insurance records to receive a pension.
Another improvement relates to the Government commitment to increase the rate of the qualified adult allowance for those over 66 years of age to the full old age pension rate. A report of the PPF working group examined the issues of administrative individualisation was published in September 2002. Arrangements are now in place whereby new pension applicants can opt to have part of the pension paid directly to the qualified adult.
The homemaker scheme was introduced in 1994 to protect the pension entitlement of people who take time out of the paid workforce to care for children or sick relatives. It is being reviewed in the context of an overall review of qualifying conditions for old age contributory and retirement pension. I expect to publish a report it shortly.
Michael Ring
Question:534 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the plans that the Government has to abolish the means test for carer's allowance as mentioned by Minister of State, Deputy Callely, recently while speaking at the Age Action Ireland international conference. [21467/03]
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.
Provision has been made in successive budgets for substantial increases in the income disregards for the scheme. Last April 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 and 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.
There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to expand the income limits for the carer's allowance so that all those on average industrial incomes can qualify. The arrangements for progressing this will be considered in a budgetary context.
Michael Ring
Question:535 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the last time there was an increase in the living alone allowance; her plans to increase it in the budget; the annual cost of this allowance; and the number of people who currently avail of it. [21883/03]
The living alone allowance is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare type payments and are living alone. It is also available to people under 66 years of age who are living alone and receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes.
The allowance was last increased in 1996. The policy in relation to support for older people has been to commit resources to improving the personal pension rates for all pensioners.
At present there are just over 136,000 people receiving the living alone allowance. The majority are over 66 years of age with about 17,000 aged under 66 receiving invalidity type payments. The annual cost of the allowance is about €55.5 million.
An increase in the allowance would have to be considered in the budgetary context.
Michael Ring
Question:536 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people who have applied for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance for each of the past three years; and the number of applications refused. [21884/03]
Michael Ring
Question:537 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people who have applied for the back to school clothing and allowance scheme to date in 2003; and the number of applications which were approved. [21885/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 536 and 537 together.
The health boards administer the scheme on behalf of my Department. The information sought in respect of the years 2000 to 2002, inclusive, in so far as it is available, is set out in the following tabular statement. In 2003, 75,730 applications were received in respect of some 150,000 children in the period to 1 October. This is approximately 3% less than the final total for 2002. The number of applications approved in 2003 is not available at this time.
Back to School Clothing & Footwear Allowance 2002
|
Health Board |
Applications |
Received |
Granted |
Number of |
Refused |
Children |
|
ERHA |
23,820 |
21,621 |
2,199 |
44,643 |
||
|
Midland |
5,871 |
5,335 |
536 |
11,906 |
||
|
Mid-Western |
6,263 |
5,787 |
476 |
12,577 |
||
|
North Eastern |
7,343 |
6,556 |
787 |
14,126 |
||
|
North Western |
6,502 |
6,063 |
439 |
13,599 |
||
|
South Eastern |
9,636 |
8,725 |
911 |
18,857 |
||
|
Southern |
10,714 |
10,081 |
633 |
21,573 |
||
|
Western |
8,032 |
7,591 |
441 |
18,512 |
||
|
Total |
78,181 |
71,759 |
6,422 |
155,811 |
ERHA includes Northern Area Health Board, East Coast Area Health Board and South-Western Area Health Board
2001
|
Health Board |
Applications |
Received |
Granted |
Number of |
Refused |
Children |
|
ERHA |
22,977 |
19,703 |
3,274 |
40,744 |
||
|
Midland |
4,359 |
3,808 |
551 |
8,892 |
||
|
Mid-Western |
6,723 |
5,551 |
697 |
12,320 |
||
|
North Eastern |
6,852 |
5,896 |
956 |
13,208 |
||
|
North Western |
5,598 |
5,015 |
583 |
11,110 |
||
|
South Eastern |
* |
7,931 |
* |
17,390 |
||
|
Southern |
10,337 |
9,417 |
920 |
22,044 |
||
|
Western |
7,358 |
6,648 |
710 |
17,321 |
||
|
Total (excl. SEHB) |
64,204 |
56,038 |
7,691 |
125,639 |
||
|
Total (incl. SEHB) |
* |
63,969 |
* |
143,029 |
*figures not available.
ERHA includes Northern Area Health Board, East Coast Area Health Board and South Western Area Health Board.
2000
|
Health Board |
Applications |
Received |
Granted |
Number of |
Refused |
Children |
|
ERHA |
* |
22,837 |
* |
45,569 |
||
|
Midland |
7,225 |
6,316 |
909 |
9,498 |
||
|
Mid-Western |
6,723 |
6,140 |
583 |
13,641 |
||
|
North Eastern |
8,524 |
7,543 |
981 |
18,099 |
||
|
North Western |
6,409 |
5,756 |
653 |
14,063 |
||
|
South Eastern |
6,740 |
6,424 |
316 |
19,402 |
||
|
Southern |
10,690 |
9,725 |
965 |
21,537 |
||
|
Western |
9,729 |
9,065 |
664 |
16,957 |
||
|
Total (excl. ERHA) |
56,040 |
50,969 |
5,071 |
113,197 |
||
|
Total (incl. ERHA) |
* |
73,806 |
* |
158,766 |
*figures not available.
ERHA includes Northern Area Health Board, East Coast Area Health Board and South Western Area Health Board.
Michael Ring
Question:538 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average length of time it takes to process and decide claims in each of the social welfare schemes; the length of time it takes for each scheme to go into payment once a decision is made; and the average length of time it takes for arrears to issue. [21886/03]
My Department is committed to providing quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and entitlements issued as quickly as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply.
I shall outline the average clearance times for new claims for the month of August and year to date, including August on a scheme by scheme basis. The length of time it takes to process new claims depends on the work that is required to ensure that all the eligibility conditions are satisfied. These conditions vary from scheme to scheme and may include establishment of the customer's social insurance record, an assessment of means where appropriate or an examination to ensure that medical reports meet statutory criteria.
On average the length of time taken to award claims for disability benefit, the unemployment schemes, child benefit and family income supplement ranges from two to three weeks. Claims for old age, widowed and invalidity pensions take six to eight weeks to process and complex cases such as carers, one parent family and disability allowance require ten to 17 weeks.
Once a claim is decided payment is normally made within one week. For the year 2003 to date the average time to issue pension arrears is 2.5 weeks.
Michael Ring
Question:539 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason new payable order books for disability allowance do not include a payment for the week of 31 December, yet continue on with a payment for January 2004; and when this will be rectified for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [22032/03]
The latest renewal of order books for disablement allowance recipients was intended to cover the 26 week period from 1 October. The order for 31 December was omitted due to a printing error. A problem of this nature has not previously arisen and steps are being taken to ensure that there will not be a recurrence. Arrangements are being made to issue a single voucher to all affected beneficiaries in good time for payment on 31 December. My Department will write to them to explain the position shortly.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:540 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will consider offering free travel to all persons who attend hospital on a regular basis, in view of the fact that at present, the carer is the only person entitled to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22228/03]
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 and people who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. Children who are registered as blind or visually impaired with either the National Council for the Blind of Ireland or the National League of the Blind of Ireland are also entitled to free travel. An extension to the free travel scheme could only be considered in a budgetary context.
In regard to travel for people requiring medical treatment, under the provisions of the Health Acts a health board may make arrangements for the conveyance of patients to and from hospitals.