asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she is aware that a person (details supplied) in County Dublin living with his common law wife and their three children cannot claim tax relief as they are not a married couple and that his common law wife is not allowed to claim entitlements that may be open to her under the social welfare code as they are both classed as a married couple; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Entitlements.
5.
The taxation aspect of this question is a matter for the Minister for Finance.
In relation to social welfare, the woman in question is not being prevented in any way from claiming her entitlements under the social welfare code. She was in receipt of the maximum rate of unmarried mother's allowance for herself and her two children until 27 June 1984. Payment ceased after the woman notified the Department that she was cohabiting with the father of the children who has been in receipt of unemployment payments since 19 July 1982. Additional allowances were paid to him in respect of the woman and the two children with effect from 28 June 1984.
In January 1986 separate payments were sought by those involved and this was put into effect from 15 January 1986 with weekly payments of £34.75 being paid to the man and £43.80 being paid to the woman. These are the maximum rates of payment for a recipient of unemployment assistance with an adult dependant and two children. The weekly payment being made to the woman was increased by £7.70 from 22 March 1986 following the birth of her third child. It would be open to the woman in question to apply for unemployment assistance in her own right but she would then of course have to satisfy the statutory conditions of the scheme.