asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that widows who claim disability benefit are not given the full benefit; and whether he contemplates any review of their plight.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Widows' Disability Benefit.
26.
Mr. O'Leary
It is general principle of the social welfare schemes that only one benefit should be paid to a claimant in respect of any period even though more than one of the contingencies for which benefit is provided has arisen in that period in a particular case. This principle has, however, been considerably modified in its application to widows by the Social Welfare (Overlapping Benefits) Regulations, 1953 to 1965, under which disability benefit can be paid in addition to widows' contributory or non-contributory pension. Under the regulations, a widow in receipt of a contributory pension who qualifies for disability benefit is paid half the appropriate personal rate of disability benefit; if her pension is non-contributory, the rate of benefit payable depends on the rate of pension and can range from half the appropriate personal rate of disability benefit to as much as the full rate, plus appropriate adjustments in respect of any dependent children.
Mr. O'Leary
Does the Minister not think the time has come to review the position whereby a woman with, say, six children falls sick and finds her allowance cut? This woman is in receipt of a widow's pension. Does the Minister not think that the time has come to review this whole matter?
To what allowance is the Deputy referring?
Mr. O'Leary
The disability benefit.
Special provision is made to allow of payment of disability benefit at half the rate in such a case, whereas normally the overlapping benefit regulations provide that two benefits may not be paid at the same time.