Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 June 2005
393 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of recipients of family income supplement in each of the past three years; the extent to which this has increased and decreased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24159/05]
View answerThere are 15,503 families currently in receipt of the supplement. The number of persons who applied for family income supplement in the year to December 2004 was 21,020, which represents a substantial increase on 2003 when the numbers of applications received was 18,164. The number received in 2002 was 17,868. The number of persons in receipt of family income supplement at 31 December 2004 was 14,727, with an average weekly payment of €69.68. The number of persons who were in receipt of family income supplement in each of the three previous years was: 2002 — 12,043; 2003 — 12,317 and 2004 — 14,727.
Over the past number of years, improvements to the scheme have been made, particularly with regard to the income limits that apply. This year, I provided for further increases in the family income supplement income limits with effect from January 2005. These increases raised the weekly limit by €39.00 at each point, adding an additional €24.00 to the payments of most existing family income supplement recipients. A minimum weekly rate of €20 applies.
Additionally, my Department undertakes a number of proactive measures to ensure that people are aware of possible entitlement to family income supplement. These include advice to all persons who are awarded one-parent family payment and back to work allowance recipients. All employers are provided annually with information about the scheme in PRSI mailshots.
Information on family income supplement is contained in all child benefit books and can be accessed on the Department's website. The scheme has previously been extensively advertised through local and national media outlets, including newspapers and radio, as well as through poster campaigns and targeted mailshots. These methods of information provision will continue to be used to promote the scheme.
394 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will consider increasing child benefit substantially to compensate for child care, in view of the fact that both parents may be in the workforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24160/05]
View answerMy Department administers a number of child income support measures, including child benefit which delivers a standard rate of payment in respect of all children in a family regardless of income levels or employment status. Child benefit supports all children but delivers proportionately more assistance to those on low incomes and with larger families. It is not intended primarily to meet child care costs. However, the substantial increases in benefit in recent years can make a significant contribution to meeting those costs.
Since April 2005, monthly rates of child benefit have increased to €141.60 in respect of each of the first two children and €177.30 in respect of the third and subsequent children. Monthly rates of child benefit have increased by €103.51 at the lower rate and €127.78 at the higher rate since 1997, increases of 272% and 258% respectively. This level of increase is unprecedented and is in line with the Government's objective of improving income for children generally. The question of further increases in child benefit would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
Officials from my Department have had discussions with the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Health and Children, Education and Science and the Health Service Executive to identify and put in place suitable funding arrangements consistent with the limited, but socially important, responsibility which my Department currently has in this area.
395 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the extent to which the number of recipients of rent allowance has increased and decreased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24161/05]
View answerThe supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a rent supplement to assist eligible people who are unable to provide for their immediate accommodation needs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. Details of recipients of rent supplement in each of the last five years and current recipients of rent supplement are set out in the following table.
|
Year |
Recipients |
|
2000 |
42,683 |
|
2001 |
45,028 |
|
2002 |
54,213 |
|
2003 |
59,976 |
|
2004 |
57,874 |
|
2005* |
58,015 |
396 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to improve or enhance payments of entitlements in respect of recipients of widow’s pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24162/05]
View answerIn recent years, the Government has introduced a number of specific measures which benefit widows and widowers. With regard to those who are over 66 years of age, the Government had committed to bringing their rate of payment into line with that of the old age contributory pension. This was achieved through a series of special increases in recent budgets and the process was completed in budget 2004.
The maximum rate of both old age and widow's/widower's contributory pension is now €179.30 per week. Overall, since 1997, this payment has increased by €89.02 or 98%. The increase in the consumer price index over the same period was 30.7%. Payments for those under 66 years increased by over 70% in the same period.
Widows and widowers are also benefiting from the changes in the household benefits scheme announced over a number of budgets. Under these arrangements, all persons aged over 70 years of age are now entitled to the full range of benefits, regardless of their means or household composition. Widows and widowers with dependent children can benefit from the widowed parent grant introduced in 2000 to provide additional assistance following a bereavement. The grant is currently valued at €2,700 and is paid in addition to the usual after death payments.
Increases in the rates of child benefit are also of benefit to widows and widowers with children. Since 1997, the monthly rates of child benefit have been increased dramatically. Since April, child benefit payments are €141.60 per month for each of the first and second children and €177.30 per month for the third and subsequent children.
Increases in payment supports for widows and widowers have more than covered increases in living costs in recent years. I will continue to look for opportunities to improve their position and, in this regard, the various provisions for widows and widowers under the social welfare code will be kept under review in a budgetary context.
397 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when one-parent family allowance will be restored in the case of a person, details supplied, in County Kildare who has three dependent children and, contrary to his Department’s assertion, is not cohabiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24164/05]
View answerThe person concerned had her entitlement to lone parent allowance terminated on the grounds of cohabitation. It is a condition for the receipt of lone parent allowance that the lone parent is not cohabiting, that is, living with someone as husband and wife. She subsequently appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office. Following an oral hearing, the appeals officer upheld the decision of the deciding officer with regard to cohabitation.
If the circumstances of the person concerned have changed, it is open to her to re-apply for one-parent family payment. Under social welfare legislation, decisions with regard to claims must be made by deciding officers. Appeals against such decisions are decided by appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.
398 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will accept the previously agreed payment of €7.00 per week in respect of recoupment of overpayment in the case of a person, details supplied, in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24166/05]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware from my replies to previous Parliamentary Questions regarding this case, a significant overpayment of diet supplement arose because the person concerned did not notify the community welfare officer that he had commenced employment. The Dublin/mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive has advised that following protracted negotiations with the person concerned, a repayment schedule of €40 per month had been agreed to address the overpayment.
To date only one payment has been made by the person concerned and the executive has recently been in contact with him in an attempt to progress this matter. The specific recoupment arrangements in this case are a matter for resolution between the Health Service Executive and the person concerned.
399 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person, details supplied, in County Dublin has been refused rent allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24167/05]
View answerThe Dublin/mid-Leinster area of the Health Service Executive has advised that it referred the person concerned to her local authority for an assessment of her housing needs, following her application for rent supplement. The local authority advised the executive subsequently that the person concerned was assessed as not being in need of housing, as she has the option of living in the family home and is not at risk of homelessness. In the circumstances, she does not satisfy the statutory conditions for receipt of rent supplement. Her application was rejected by the executive on this basis.
As I stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 397 of 21 June 2005, the executive has advised that it received an appeal in June from the person concerned against this decision regarding her rent supplement eligibility. She will be notified by the executive of the outcome of this appeal as soon as it is completed.
400 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will address the anomalies in the treatment of certain claimants of deserted wife’s benefit (details supplied); if he will implement the necessary changes to ensure that the entitlements established during that period are maintained and preserved; if he will abolish the means test for the persons concerned and, furthermore, will he modify the existing scheme to enable persons who may exceed the present earning limit of €17,776.33 a year to receive a reduced rate of payment, to enable such persons to be eligible for deserted wife’s benefit should their earnings be reduced and come within the earning guidelines in future years. [24168/05]
View answerDeserted wife's benefit is a payment made to a woman deserted by her husband. Entitlement to payment is based on social insurance contributions paid by the wife or her husband. An earnings limit was introduced for deserted wives benefit in 1992. The limit, which applied only to new claims after August 1992, is currently €12,697.38 a year — gross earnings. Where earnings are in excess of €12,697.38 a year, there may be entitlement to a reduced rate of payment of deserted wife's benefit, provided gross earnings do not exceed €17,776.33 a year.
Following the introduction of the one-parent family payment in 1997, the deserted wife's benefit scheme was closed to new applications with effect from 2 January in that year. A parent with dependent children is eligible for benefits under the one-parent family payment scheme, irrespective of gender or the circumstances that gave rise to the lone parenthood. Lone parents are encouraged under the scheme to maximise their income from different sources and the means test for the scheme makes provision for the exemption of earnings and maintenance payments.
With regard to employment, lone parents may earn up to €146.50 per week without affecting their payment. Earnings above this limit are assessed at 50%, up to a maximum of €293.00 per week. In addition, transitional arrangements can apply for parents who have been in receipt of the one-parent family payment for more than a year. If these recipients' weekly income exceeds the upper income limit, they can still retain half their payment for an additional six months. Lone parents are also eligible to avail of the full range of employment support schemes operated by my Department.
The schemes for deserted wives under social insurance have been retained to the extent that existing entitlements already acquired before August 1992, when the earnings limit was introduced for new claimants, and before 1997, when the one-parent family payment scheme was introduced, have been preserved. All new claimants, irrespective of gender or previous claims and entitlements, who seek income support as lone parents are treated equally under the terms of the one-parent family payment scheme.
401 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the regulation with regard to a person drawing unemployment benefit after receiving a redundancy payment; the guidelines for someone drawing unemployment benefit after receiving a redundancy payment; if he will provide a breakdown of any restrictions with regard to this scheme. [24170/05]
View answerSection 47(4) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993 sets out the circumstances under which a person may be disqualified from entitlement to unemployment benefit. One such circumstance relates to customers who receive a redundancy lump sum payment, which, in accordance with the terms of the Redundancy Payment Acts, is in excess of €19,046.07.
In accordance with this legislation, any person, provided he or she is under age 55, who has received a redundancy payment from his or her employer in excess of €19,046.07, shall be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefit for up to nine weeks from the last date of employment. The actual duration of the disqualification is a matter for the deciding officer but the guidelines recommend that the length of the disqualification be linked to the size of the redundancy payment in each case.
Certain payments are disregarded in determining the duration of the disqualification, for example, encashment of pension entitlements where the person has paid into an insurance fund on a voluntary basis, moneys paid in lieu of notice or accrued holiday entitlements. The guidelines also advise that in considering an unemployment benefit claim made by a person who has just been made redundant, account should be taken of a range of factors which could include, for example, the claimant's age, family difficulties and so forth.
In addition, in cases where the customer intends to use some of the redundancy payment to clear or reduce debts which have accrued, deciding officers may offset these debts against the amount received before determining an appropriate period of disqualification, for example, arrears of mortgage or rent, arrears of telephone/electricity/gas bills and particularly debts to moneylenders. Regard may similarly be had to costs related to any exceptional needs.
402 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position for persons on social welfare payments who change the payment system from book to bank account and who feel they lose a week’s payment in the process; if he will report on the system; if a week’s loss will be avoided; and if the system will be changed to avoid the perception of loss. [24172/05]
View answerMy Department provides people receiving social welfare payments with a choice of payment options. People who choose payment of pensions by electronic fund transfer — EFT — to personal bank accounts do so on a voluntary basis. The majority of those who opt for the EFT facility do so at the start of their claim and are paid on a regular weekly basis once their claim is put into payment.
At present, customers who opt to change from payable order book to EFT move to a different payment cycle as a result. To address this issue, payments for pension customers paid by EFT were changed from two weeks to one week in arrears in November 2004. The full alignment of EFT payments with that of other payment methods, including the elimination of the week in arrears payment, is something which I am anxious to progress and the necessary arrangements will be made in the near future.
404 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the situation with regard to the granting of supplementary benefits by community welfare officers to immigrants and others in need; his views on the stories of persons obtaining grants towards purchasing cars and so on due to racist taunts on public transport; the number of times such grants were given; the number of times grants of over €1,000 were given for the purchase of cars or other transport means; the reason such perceptions still exist if they are not based on fact; and if special grants for immigrants on any social or cultural grounds are given. [24175/05]
View answerThe supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The main objective of the scheme is to make up the difference between a person's means and their needs. Where a person has access to resources, through the social welfare system or otherwise, the relevant legislation requires that this be taken into account in determining entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance.
From 10 April 2000, asylum seekers have been provided with full board accommodation, including meals and other services, under the direct provision system operated by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In this situation, they receive a weekly allowance of €19.10 per adult and €9.60 per child to provide for personal requisites.
Asylum seekers who applied for asylum before 26 July 1999 but whose cases had not been decided and people who have been given permission to remain in Ireland on the basis of being the parent/s of Irish born children are entitled to seek employment. In addition, any person who has been through the asylum process and has been granted refugee status can also seek employment. If these people are unable to secure work, they will qualify for unemployment or other social assistance from my Department on the same basis as any Irish resident, subject to the normal eligibility conditions. Applications made after May 2004 are subject to the statutory habitual residence condition.
The executive has discretion, within the rules of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, to make an exceptional needs payment to any person, including an asylum seeker, on a once-off basis if he or she has a special need or expense which he or she is unable to meet from his or her own resources. Such payments typically relate to public transport costs for interviews, equipment for a child, small household items and so forth.
I am aware that there have been stories from time to time that asylum seekers and refugees are in receipt of special payments through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme for high cost items such as cars. These reports are without foundation; in so far as it is possible to identify the individual cases about which the allegations were made, no such payments are, or have ever been, made for that purpose through the scheme or through any other social welfare support system. More generally, no special grants or payments are issued under the scheme to any group of people on social or cultural grounds.
With regard to these stories, it is relevant to note that the majority of non-nationals currently residing in the State are not asylum seekers or refugees. They are mainly EU citizens or people from other parts of the world who have been granted work permits and who are in employment. There are also significant numbers of non-nationals who are studying in this country. Whether studying or working, they are people with their own financial resources to meet their own needs with regard to their living expenses, accommodation, car purchase and so forth without any recourse to the social welfare system.
Unfounded racist stories or taunts of the sort referred to by the Deputy in his question are always unacceptable. They serve only to hinder the development of mutual understanding and acceptance among the increasingly diverse range of people that comprise Irish society today.
