Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
1293 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her Department has plans to raise the household income limit of €317.43 for retention of secondary benefits on the back to work schemes to bring it into line with inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21474/04]
View answer1297 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will ensure that a new threshold be established at €500 in the upcoming budget for retention of secondary benefits on back to work schemes; and if she will discuss the issue with the Minister for Finance. [21594/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1293 and 1297 together.
The income limit to which the Deputies refer applies to people who take up employment under the back to work scheme and similar approved employment schemes. Such people are entitled to retain certain social welfare and other benefits known as secondary benefits, for the duration of the scheme. For most people the most significant secondary benefit is rent or mortgage interest supplement which is paid under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people in full-time employment. However, arrangements have been in place for a number of years which allow people to retain a portion of their rent supplement where they take up employment through approved schemes, subject to a weekly household income limit of €317.43.
While the €317.43 income limit has not changed in recent years, significant changes have been made to the means test. Back to work allowance and family income supplement, in cases where one or both of these are in payment, are now disregarded in the assessment of the €317.43 weekly income limit. PRSI and reasonable travelling expenses are also disregarded in the means test. This means that people who had been unemployed and who commence employment through the back to work scheme can have a weekly household income significantly in excess of the €317.43 limit in question and still qualify to retain 75% of their rent or mortgage interest supplement.
In the first year of their participation in the back to work scheme, a single person can have combined income from the back to work allowance and wages of €418.50, while a couple with two children can have an income of €510.75. Other improvements have also been made. The period for which rent supplement may be retained has been extended to four years on a tapered basis, i.e. 75% in year one, 50% in year two and 25% in years three and four. In addition, the maximum payment limit of €317.43 per month on the amount of supplement payable was abolished for people on the approved schemes. As a consequence many families retain more of their rent or mortgage interest supplement than had been the case prior to these changes taking place.
As a participant in the back to work scheme a person can opt to be assessed under either standard rules or under retention rules, and will be entitled to receive payment under the more favourable option. Under standard assessment rules, rent or mortgage interest supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible person, after the payment of rent or mortgage interest, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a minimum contribution of €13 which each recipient is required to pay from his or her own resources.
Family income supplement is now also disregarded in the standard means test. In addition, where the employment is part-time at less than 30 hours per week, up to €50 is disregarded in the means test. This ensures that a person is better off as a result of taking up such an opportunity. Other secondary benefits include retention of entitlement to back to school clothing and footwear allowance subject to the €317.43 income limit. Income from the back to work allowance scheme is now also disregarded in the assessment for this payment which means that the level of household income can be significantly in excess of the €317.43 limit in certain cases.
The arrangements I have outlined are designed to encourage and assist people in the transition from reliance on welfare payments to full-time employment. One impact of the changes means that more people qualify for support under the standard rules of the schemes in question and are not subject to the thresholds that apply to the special rules governing retention of secondary benefits. Any further changes in the qualification criteria for retention of secondary benefits would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
1294 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will implement the recommendations of the report, The Position of Full-Time Carers, published by the Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs in November 2003; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21517/04]
View answer1348 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount it would cost to provide 50% of carer’s allowance (details supplied) to widows and widowers who are caring for disabled or aged persons in their homes, in view of the strong recommendations contained in the report by the Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs on the position of full-time carers to support such widows and widowers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22487/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1294 and 1348 together.
Supporting carers in our society has been a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced. The report of the joint committee, which I have examined, makes a range of recommendations, many of which relate to my Department and a number of which concern the Department of Health and Children.
One of the recommendations relating to my Department is to pay 50% of the carer's allowance to recipients of widow's and widower's pensions who are providing care for an older person or a person with a disability. The primary objective of the social welfare system is to provide income support and, as a general rule, only one social welfare payment is payable to an individual. The cost of the committee's proposal in this regard is estimated to be in the region of €10 million annually. If the proposal was also to apply to recipients of the one parent family payment, which is an analogous payment, there would be an additional cost. The committee's report also recommends the abolition of the means test for the carer's allowance. It is questionable whether it would be the best use of such resources in the light of other competing demands and I am aware that there are differing views on this issue.
The committee also recommended improvements in the information available to carers. I am pleased to have been able to provide funding of €18,000 to the Carers Association towards the publication and distribution of a new information pack which will provide information about services and supports for carers and their families. The information pack is being compiled by the association and will be distributed throughout the country in libraries, health board offices, clinics, citizen information centres and social welfare offices by the end of the year. It will contain important information for carers on the services and supports available to them and their families. In addition, my Department is finalising plans for a nationwide campaign to increase awareness of carer's benefit and carer's leave. This is planned to take place during October.
I am always prepared to consider changes to existing arrangements where these are for the benefit of recipients and financially sustainable within the resources available to me. Those recommendations involving additional expenditure can only be considered in a budgetary context. I shall bear the committee's recommendations in mind in that context.
1295 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applicants for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003; the number of applicants in County Kerry for each of these years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21518/04]
View answerThe back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides assistance towards the cost of school clothing and footwear for children mainly attending primary or post-primary schools. The scheme operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards. Under the scheme an allowance of €80 is payable in respect of qualified children aged from 2 to 11 years and an allowance of €150 is payable in respect of qualified children aged from 12 to 22 years. A breakdown of the number of applications awarded nationally and the number of applications awarded in County Kerry for the years in question is set out in the following table.
|
Year |
No. of claims awarded nationally |
No. of claims awarded in County Kerry |
|
2000 |
73,386 |
2,499 |
|
2001 |
63,969 |
2,401 |
|
2002 |
71,759 |
2,592 |
|
2003 |
75,202 |
2,765 |
1296 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if services are provided under the aegis of her Department to persons with mental health difficulties; if for the purposes of any such services persons with mental health difficulties are regarded as children until the age of 16 years and as adults thereafter; if she will ensure that the age of adulthood in all such ages is set at 18 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21553/04]
View answerThe Department of Social and Family Affairs provides a range of income support services, including PRSI-based payments, social assistance, means tested, payments, associated secondary benefits and child benefit to a range of people, including people with mental health difficulties. Child dependant allowances are paid to claimants with qualifying dependants under the age of 18 years or, in certain circumstances, up to 22 years. Child benefit is a benefit paid every month for each qualified child normally living with and being supported by the claimant. A qualified child is aged under 16 years or if aged 16, 17 or 18 years in full-time education, or is attending a FÁS Youthreach course, or is physically or mentally disabled and dependent on a parent. Child benefit ceases when the child reaches age 19 years.
My Department does not operate an income support scheme specifically for persons with mental health difficulties. It does operate an insurance-based payment for persons unable to work through illness in disability benefit and an assistance-based scheme for persons who are substantially handicapped from doing work otherwise suitable for a person of that age, experience and qualifications because of, inter alia, a physical or mental disability. Insurance-based payments such as unemployment benefit, and disability benefit can be made to people aged 16 years who meet the PRSI contribution conditions. Most means tested payments, including unemployment assistance are made only to people over the age of 18 years. The exception to this is the disability allowance which is payable from the age of 16 years.
A recently completed review of the income maintenance payments for people who are ill and people with disabilities recommended that no change be made to the minimum age for payment of disability allowance at this stage as it would create a significant gap in the current range of supports for young people with disabilities. There are no plans at this stage to change the age at which disability allowance is payable.
1298 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will extend the free travel pass to cover the whole island of Ireland; if she has discussed this matter with her UK counterpart; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21608/04]
View answerUnder the existing free travel scheme, pass holders who reside in the Republic of Ireland can travel free within the jurisdiction. Similarly, people who live in Northern Ireland and who hold a concessionary travel pass can travel free within that jurisdiction. Under the special cross-Border arrangements, in place since 1995, both pass holders can undertake cross-Border journeys free of charge. The introduction of free travel on an all-Ireland basis would enhance the existing arrangements by enabling pass holders in the Republic to make free onward journeys within Northern Ireland. Similarly, Northern Ireland pass holders would be able to make internal journeys within the Republic free of charge to them.
There are a number of technical and financial issues to be resolved in order to implement an enhanced all-Ireland free travel system on these lines. These issues will require co-operation between my Department and the Department for Regional Development in Northern Ireland, as well as the participation of the relevant northern and southern transport operator companies. I met recently with the Minister of State at the Department for Regional Development in Northern Ireland, to discuss enhancements to the cross-Border free travel scheme and to explore the potential for co-operation between our Departments. Our discussions addressed options for co-funding the scheme, and certain technical issues. I hope to be in a better position to make further progress on this matter at an early date.
