Vol. 397 No. 7
74 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider extending the child dependant allowance in respect of disability benefit, unemployment assistance recipients whose children are over 18 years of age, attending second level schools and not in receipt of any income grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Last year I took a major step in addressing this problem, by allowing for payment of child dependant allowances up to the age of 19, where the child is in full-time education, and the parent is in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment. This year I am extending the age limit up to 20 in such cases, with effect from next September. Next year the Government plan to continue child dependant allowances in such cases up to age 21 in line with the age limit applicable in the case of widows and other lone parents.
Extending the arrangements to other groups irrespective of age limits would have financial implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
75 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason the full amount of arrears of a widow's pension due to a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not yet issued.
The balance of widow's pension arrears due to the person concerned is being issued today.
The delay in issuing these arrears arose during a special exercise to deal with a backlog of work. The inconvenience caused to the person concerned is regretted.
77 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to include expenses in respect of travel to and from work in the deductions that may be made from income before calculating income for the purposes of qualification for family income supplement.
Payments under the family income supplement scheme are calculated by reference to the claimant's gross weekly income. This gross income is deducted from the relevant weekly income limit and payment is calculated at 60 per cent of the difference. Allowance for deductions or expenses from gross salary, such as travel expenses, are not made. To do so would serve to increase the payments to recipients and this result can be more simply effected by raising the income limits and maximum payment levels for family income supplement as is usually done each year. I will announce shortly substantial increases in both the income limits and maximum payments which will represent a significant increase in family income supplement payments with effect from July of this year.
