Vol. 394 No. 4
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he accepts the findings of the recent NESC report that families with children are experiencing serious levels of deprivation and poverty; and if he will consider improvements in the child benefit scheme to assist such families.
49.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to a recent study (details supplied) on behalf of the Combat Poverty Agency, which showed that current social welfare allowances for children were inadequate to meet the basic calorific requirements of teenage children; if he will increase the allowance for children; if he will consider the introduction of a tiered allowance, with higher payments for older children; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 49 together.
I am very much aware of the financial needs of large families, and have already made substantial progress in improving the level of social welfare payments to such families.
I would like to remind the two Deputies that although the reports they refer to are of relatively recent publication, the surveys on which they are based were carried out some time previously — in 1986 and early 1987 in the case of the ESRI study, and from November 1987 to April 1988 in the case of the Combat Poverty Agency study. Neither study, therefore, takes account of the measures taken by the Government in the last two budgets to improve the lot of families with children. These measures include increases in the child dependent allowance paid to Social Welfare recipients and improvements in child benefit and the Family Income Supplement.
This year, the Government has directed an additional £32 million in support to children. There were a number of ways in which this could have been spent, including those suggested by the Deputies. We decided that the best way of targeting the funds to those most in need was the package we presented. This package included an increase in the level of child benefit for the fifth child, thus directing the child benefit increases where they are most needed. We also introduced a new £200 child-related tax exemption for those at work on low incomes, again focusing the help on families who need it most. Expenditure on the family income supplement has been increased by 20 per cent and, for those ances paid to Social Welfare recipients have been streamlined, bringing the minimum payment up to £10 per child. Furthermore, this allowance is now paid up to the age of 19 where the child is in full-time education.
I assure the House that, as resources permit, we will continue the work we have begun in improving the situation of families with children.
