Vol. 421 No. 4
308 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details by category of (a) the number of social welfare recipients who will receive a net reduction of £7 per week from July 1992, (b) the total net income this will save his Department and (c) the total number of men and women who will be affected by the per week reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the £10 temporary alleviating payment, which has since been reduced to £6, which was paid following the implementation of EC Directive 79/7 on equal treatment between men and women in matters of social security. This payment was made to men whose spouses no longer qualified as adult dependants by virtue of having income in excess of £50 per week from employment.
Following on the introduction of the new dependency arrangements in November 1986, the then Government introduced the alleviating payments for a period of twelve months. During 1987, the Government decided to continue these payments beyond the twelve month period and to phase out the payments over a period of time. Phasing out began in 1988 with the payment being gradually reduced each year to its present level of £6.
However, arising from recent decisions of the European Court of Justice, it has emerged that the alleviating payments are themselves in conflict with the principle of equal treatment and cannot be continued. These payments are being discontinued therefore with effect from the end of July 1992, coinciding with the date of implementation of this year's Budget increases.
