Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 February 2005
90 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding the practice of health authorities holding the pension books of older persons in public nursing homes following the Supreme Court judgement of 16 February 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6103/05]
View answer105 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will consider introducing controls to ensure that social welfare payments given to those in institutional care cannot be abused. [6071/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 105 together.
In relation to payments to people in institutional care, the practice generally has always been that, when social welfare pensioners took up residence in long-stay residential care centres operated by the health boards, the board was appointed as an agent for the purpose of cashing the person's weekly pension or allowance and any charges towards the maintenance of people in these institutions were normally deducted from those payments.
Following instructions in December to the Health Service Executive, no maintenance charges for long-stay care are now being levied. Until such time as alternative arrangements can be made, the Health Service Executive has continued, in a temporary capacity, to act as an agent for the purpose of cashing pension or allowance books. These pension payments are being lodged in all cases to a patient's private property account that is being maintained by the HSE for each individual resident; pensioners have full access to this account whenever they wish.
I understand that the HSE is in the process of writing to all social welfare pensioners in their care to advise them that maintenance charges no longer apply and that pension payments belong in full to the pensioners themselves. Where a pensioner is unable, for whatever reason, to manage their own financial affairs, the HSE is making arrangements to inform the next of kin of the position.
The HSE is also advising pensioners of the various options open to them for receiving their pension payments. These comprise continuation of the existing arrangement whereby the HSE cashes the pension book on the pensioner's behalf and lodges the payment to the patient's private property account; payment of the pension into a bank or building society account or An Post pensions savings account; cashing of the pension at a post office by the pensioner; or appointment of another person, such as a relative, to act as an agent to cash the pension book on the pensioner's behalf.
A national implementation group of the HSE is responsible for ensuring that pensioners are fully advised of these new arrangements, and my Department is represented on this group.
My Department has primary responsibility for issuing payments to pensioners and for ensuring that pensioners are satisfied with the method of payment and the security of their payments. I have asked my officials to liaise with the Department of Health and Children and the HSE to ensure that all appropriate arrangements are made in this regard.
