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Household Benefits Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2014

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Questions (359)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

359. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the hardship the decision to discontinue the telephone allowance is causing to the persons affected, particularly those who have had to disconnect their landlines because of this cut and accordingly have to cancel their home alarm systems which require a telephone line; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7513/14]

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Written answers

The overall concern of the Government in recent budgets has been to protect the primary weekly social welfare rates. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in relation to protecting people from poverty. To allow us to protect these core payments, we have had to look very carefully at other additional payments including the household benefits package.

The cost of the telephone allowance scheme had risen each year with the number of eligible customers also increasing significantly. In 2007 there were some 316,000 people receiving the telephone allowance compared to almost 396,000 at the end of September 2013, an increase of 25%. Each year almost 10,000 extra customers became eligible for the allowance because of the increased number of pension recipients.

I am keenly aware of the impact on the Department’s customers and particularly those who are living alone. In Budget 2014, I was able to maintain the rate of the living alone allowance at €7.70 per week. While the decision to the telephone allowance was a difficult one it allowed my Department to maintain at the same rates the other elements of the household benefits package, such as the free electricity/gas allowance and the free television licence. These are very valuable supports for customers. We have also maintained the value of the fuel allowance and free travel.

The monthly allowances under the household benefits package are a contribution towards the cost of services; they are not intended to meet those costs in full. The telephone allowance was introduced at a time when telephones were expensive and uncommon and a landline service was the only option available to the customer. The market has changed enormously since the introduction of the allowance, with several companies providing a range of services and rates with bundled services including television, telephone and broadband and pay-as-you-go mobiles.

The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government operates the seniors alert scheme which provides grant support for the supply of equipment such as personal alarms, smoke detectors and security lighting to enable older people without sufficient means to continue to live securely in their homes. The budget allocation for 2013 was €2.35 million. There has been no reduction in this funding in Budget 2014.

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