asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the measures taken to alleviate hardship because of the introduction of the Equality Act are to be continued after November 1987; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
11.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
5.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to extend the £20 transitional payments after 31 December next; and if not, the provision which will be made to offset the hardship on such families.
12.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the cushion payments provided for a large number of families affected by the EC policy directive will expire; if they will be renewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
23.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in view of the hardship that will arise from the discontinuation of the cushion payment for families who stood to lose as a result of the manner of the implementation of social welfare equalisation, he will indiicate the measures, if any, he intends to take to protect families against hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
62.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the action, if any, he proposes to take with regard to assisting the 20,000 families from whom the £10 per week payment is to be withdrawn consequent to the Government's attempt to assist those who have been disadvantaged under the equality directive; if he will give a clear indication of the steps, if any, which are now to be taken in relation to these hard pressed people, particularly in the period coming up to Christmas; and the initiative, if any, he proposes to take in this respect.
63.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total number of persons currently in receipt of the £10 cushion payment for those who lost out as a result of social welfare equalisation; the cost of continuing the payment for a further 12 months after the planned expiry date in December; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
64.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to continue the £20 and £10 social welfare payments after 12 November 1987; if so, the length of time the extension will operate; if it will operate after December 1987; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 11, 12, 23, 62, 63 and 64 together.
The £10 and £20 alleviating payments were introduced by the previous Government in November 1986 to assist families who suffered reductions in income arising from the full implementation of equal treatment for men and women under the social welfare system. The payments were to compensate claimants who lost the adult dependant increases in their payment either because their spouse was working or was in receipt of a social welfare payment. The payments are to last for a maximum period of one year and were to cease entirely in the week commencing 17 November 1987.
In recognition of the hardship which would be caused to families by the abrupt cessation of these payments, the present Government have decided that they are to be continued at their present rates until the end of March 1988, The question of phasing out the payments from April 1988 onwards will be considered by the Government in the context of the budget.
The cost of continuing these payments at their present levels for a further year is estimated to be close to £20 million. At present about 10,000 persons are receiving the £10 payment and about 11,000 persons are receiving the £20 payment.
Will the Minister indicate how many dependants are involved in the figures of 11,008 and 12,000. Will the Minister say why the scheme, which was to have been introduced with this cushion payment enabling people who were in difficulty and were not covered by this scheme to go to community welfare officers, was not introduced?
There are 10,000 people in receipt of the £10 payment and half the child dependant allowances each week. There are 11,000 in receipt of the £20 payment. Is the Deputy aware that there is a scheme for essential household goods, rental and mortgage? I understand that 2,850 people received that additional benefit which amounts to an average weekly payment of £7.20.
Am I correct in assuming that about 3,000 people have been taken off that list since the beginning of the year? I recall that on the last occasion I questioned the Minister about this scheme he informed me that 13,000 were in receipt of that benefit.
People are being taken off the list all the time. People do a lot of things, some die, some get work and some get better. The circumstances of people change and automatically the number on the list decreases. We are talking about two categories, the elderly and the long term ill, and the long term unemployed. If such people obtain employment or their circumstances change substantially they are removed from the list.
I estimate that about 3,000 people have been removed from that list since I raised the matter,
That is probably about right because the numbers are declining all the time. The number of people on that list at present is 21,000 and quite recently it stood at 21,500. That factor is taken into consideration when calculating the cost of the scheme in the context of the budget. More information will become available in the next few months on the real cost for next year.
The Minister will be aware that because of the implementation of equality legislation a wife is now no longer automatically regarded as a dependant of the husband. At that time a husband could never be regarded as a dependant of his wife but now the husband can be regarded as a dependant and can be means tested out of receiving any unemployment assistance. I have come across difficult cases where there is estrangement between husband and wife and where the husband is now totally dependent on the wife's income from her work. Does the Minister intend to deal with such cases in his review.
The Deputy will be aware that the implementation of the equal treatment measures caused a great deal of difficulty and it was because it caused hardship for certain people that alleviating measures were introduced for a period. Wives got an increased payment, as the Deputy will be aware. In the course of the preparation of any budget a Minister for Social Welfare must consider any hardship cases that have arisen. The most obvious ones are those who are on the alleviating payments and they will be a priority from my point of view in the coming year. The circumstances referred to by the Deputy, which are a direct result of equal treatment, can cause problems.