asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the guidelines under which assistance is given with mortgage repayments; if he will confirm that it is the practice that persons on unemployment benefit are not considered for mortgage assistance; if so, if he will issue instructions to the community welfare officers allowing them the discretion to grant mortgage assistance to persons on unemployment benefit especially where the absence of such assistance for the 15 months of unemployment benefit will almost certainly lead to repossession of the house and rehousing of the family concerned by the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Rent/Mortgage Supplement.
33.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme a person can receive assistance in the form of a weekly supplement to help meet the cost of rent or mortgage commitments. Under these arrangements a payment towards mortgage interest can be granted where the interest exceeds £3 per week.
Entitlement to supplements is determined by the health boards and in general, they are calculated so as to leave the client with a disposable income, after payment of his rent or mortgage interest, which is equivalent to the basic supplementary welfare allowance rate appropriate to his family circumstances, less £3.
Other factors, such as possible over-accommodation, whether there were other non-dependent adults living in the household who could reasonably be expected to contribute towards the repayments etc., would also be taken into consideration.
There is no question of unemployment benefit recipients being excluded, as a category, from these provisions. However, it is possible that individual claimants may be disallowed on income grounds, especially where pay-related benefit is also in payment. If the Deputy has a particular case in mind, with which there have been difficulties, I will be glad to have the matter investigated on receipt of the details.