asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of dependent spouses of (a) the long-term unemployed (b) the short-term unemployed and (c) the total cost of giving both groups from July, 1989, £42 per week.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Adult Dependants.
9.
The latest Central Statistics Office dependency analysis of the live register indicates that there are some 39,500 adult dependants of long-term unemployment recipients and some 29,000 of short term recipients. The estimated cost of increasing the adult dependant allowance rate to £42 in respect of these and analagous allowances over and above the increases provided in the budget would be £58 million in a full year.
The increases in social welfare payments announced in the budget are of particular benefit to families on the lowest payments, namely unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowance. Personal rates of unemployment assistance are being increased by 12 per cent for long-term claimants and 8 per cent for short-term. There will be a minimum payment of £10 for dependent children which particularly benefits families on the lowest payments. In additon the allowances for dependent spouses or unemployed persons are being streamlined so that in future there will be two rates, a long-term rate of £29 and a short-term rate of £26.90.
Overall the package of welfare improvements in the budget will substantially improve the position of families of the unemployed and others on the lowest social welfare payments.
Does the Minister agree that families dependent on long-term social welfare are living in poverty as defined by the ESRI in their recent report? Does the Minister further agree that simply helping the recipients and bringing up the rates even by as much as 12 per cent does not really have a major impact on the family and that one of the most effective ways of helping families would be to increase the allowances for the dependent spouse, which at the moment is as low as £27 a week? Given the figures the Minister has outlined of a cost of £29 million in 1989, would he not agree that this would have been a more effective way of helping families who are dependent on long-term unemployment assistance?
The increases given in the budget are substantial and are directed towards the long-term unemployed in particular. For example, a husband, a wife and five children will benefit to the extent of £13 a week. Deputies will recognise that this is directing resources towards particularly the larger families and towards families generally. That has been done by a particular formula in this budget and it is a very successful formula.
Would the Minister not agree that a more effective way would be to increase the spouse's allowance because, although he gives the example of the family with five children — the example he used in the course of his remarks this morning — when one talks about a family with one, two, three or four children, one finds the position is very different? Why does the Minister give the high increase of 12 per cent to the actual recipient only and not to the dependent spouse?
The increases in respect of families with five children or more are greater. Obviously for families with fewer than five children, the rates would be somewhat less. The total package is a very good one. The increase in the basic rate also meets the requirement of the single person who one must bear in mind, in that the single rate is being increased from £42 to £47, covering a fairly large number of people. We have only a certain amount of money. We have taken a certain mixture or blend in order to cater for families as well as single persons on a very low rate.