Vol. 396 No. 2
31 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will instruct his officers to ignore the maintenance clause written into so many transfers of property in view of the fact that social welfare offices are disallowing allowances such as the free fuel allowance; and if his attention has been drawn to the embarrassment which this can cause to families.
To qualify for an allowance under the national fuel scheme an applicant must be unable to provide for his or her own heating needs. Applicants whose heating needs are provided for under a legally binding clause in a deed transferring property are not regarded as meeting this condition unless the parties involved are not in a position to honour their obligations under the deed. In this way entitlement to fuel allowance is determined in the light of the de facto position in relation to the applicant's heating needs.
