Vol. 433 No. 6
72 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the household budgeting facility to County Meath which was recently introduced in Dublin; and if he will give details of the benefits of this facility for low income families with debt problems.
The household budgeting scheme is operated on behalf of the Department of Social Welfare by an Post. Customers who are receiving their unemployment payments by postdraft at a Post Office can authorise An Post to pay a regular amount towards various household bills. The amount involved is deducted by An Post from their weekly unemployment payments.
Household budgeting is a free service which has been designed as an aid to managing household finances for those who wish to avail of it. A person may choose to pay regular contributions to any of the following utilities — ESB, Bord Gáis, local authority (rents and mortgages) and Telecom Éireann. Having deductions made in this regular way will help customers to cope with ongoing expenses and will also assist in clearing arrears. I am confident that this scheme will also help to reduce recourse to moneylenders. Total weekly deductions are limited to a maximum of 25 per cent of a person's net weekly unemployment payment.
The scheme is currently in operation in Dublin and will be extended to other counties on a phased basis. Extension of the scheme is dependent on securing agreement with the various local authorities, and also on the transfer of unemployment payments to the postdraft method of payment operated by An Post. Progress to date has been very good and I expect a number of additional counties to come onto the new scheme in the near future. I am not yet in a position to indicate when it will be possible to extend the household budgeting scheme to County Meath but I can confirm that it is the intention to have the scheme available as soon as possible in every county.
