Michael Bell
Ceist:15 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of claims paid to date under the 1984/1986 EC Equality Directive; and the total amount paid to date.
Written Answers. - Equal Treatment Arrears.
Michael Bell
Ceist:20 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of (a) the amount of benefit paid to social welfare recipients under the equality payments scheme (b) the number in each social welfare category (c) the total amount paid to date and (d) the percentage paid of the total due; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Proinsias De Rossa
Ceist:36 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of women who have applied for payments of arrears of social welfare, arising from the delays in implementing social welfare equalisation during the 1980s; the number of applications approved; the total amount paid out so far; the average payment made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 20 and 36 together.
The provisions for paying Equal Treatment arrears to married women for the period December 1984 to November 1986 are contained in the European Communities (Social Welfare) Regulations, 1992 (S. I. No. 152 of 1992). The Regulations provide for (a) the payment of a higher personal rate in the case of certain social welfare payments, (b) the extended duration of unemployment benefit, (c) payment of a household supplement in respect of a dependent husband and/or dependent children and (d) payment of unemployment assistance. Payment of arrears due is being made on a phased basis in 1992, 1993 and 1994. The total cost is estimated at £62 million.
Payment of arrears due under Phase 1, that is the higher personal rates and extended duration of unemployment benefit, commenced last August and are expected to be completed by February 1993 at an estimated cost of £22 million. Arrears under Phase 2, that is the payment of household supplement and unemployment assistance, will be made in two equal instalments in 1993 and 1994 at an estimated total cost of £40 million.
Claimants with potential entitlements were identified from my Department's records and were issued with claim forms last June and July. To date some 78,000 completed claim forms have been returned. A total of 19,306 claimants have received payments under Phase 1 at a cost of £4.51 million — the average payment per claimant being £234. The following is a breakdown of the numbers of claimants paid in each social welfare category:
|
Disability Benefit |
13,014 |
|
Unemployment Benefit (including Pay-Related Benefit) |
2,346 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
127 |
|
Occupational Injuries Benefit |
76 |
|
Combination of Benefit (mainly Disability Benefit and Unemployment Benefit) |
3,743 |
The expenditure to date of £4.51 million represents 20.5 per cent of the allocation of £22 million for Phase 1 payments and 7.3 per cent of the total allocation of £62 million.