Vol. 438 No. 7
89 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 and similar categories of persons who are not entitled to the partial old age pension in view of the fact that their qualification stamps were paid prior to 1953; and if he will review the matter with a view to removing the cut off year.
To qualify for an old age contributory pension a person must have entered insurance at least ten years before reaching pension age, have at least 156 contributions paid and have a yearly average of at least 20 contributions registered since January 1953 when the unified system of social insurance came into effect, or the time he commenced insurable employment, if later.
Social insurance paid before 1953 under the National Health Insurance Acts can be taken into account in satisfying the first two conditions but cannot be used in calculating the yearly average.
90 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider the decision in a case of persons (details supplied) in Dublin 5 in which they lost their entitlement to free electricity allowance because their dependent child who is in full time education passed the age of 21.
One of the conditions applicable to the receipt of free electricity allowance is that the claimant must reside alone or only with certain excepted categories of people. These categories include any dependant children up to age 18. In the case of a dependent child in full-time education, the age limit is extended to 21 years. This is in line with the rules governing entitlement to child dependant allowances payable with various social welfare pensions.
The person concerned was awarded a free electricity allowance from December 1991. At the time, one of his two daughters was aged 20. However, after she reached age 21, she no longer qualified as his dependant and his allowance was no longer payable.
If there is a change in the composition of his household, it is open to the person concerned to re-apply for the free electricity allowance at any time.
91 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the benefit of free telephone rental allowance to pensioners on low income with serious medical conditions, whose pensions are paid from a source other than the Irish or the British Department of Social Welfare; and if the cost of such an extension would be small.
The free telephone rental allowance administered by my Department is available only to people who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments and who are either living alone or only with children or persons who, because they are so permanently incapacitated, could not get help in an emergency. The number of people getting the allowance at present is about 114,000 at an annual cost of about £20 million.
People in receipt of pensions from other countries may, depending on the level of their pensions, qualify in addition for old age pension at a reduced level from my Department. In that event, they could also qualify for free telephone rental allowance subject to satisfying the normal conditions of the scheme. Extending the allowance to additional categories would have financial implications. Statistics to enable a costing of the proposal put forward by the Deputy are not readily available, but if he has a particular type of situation in mind I would be happy to consider the matter further.
Two important improvements in the free telephone rental allowance were announced in last month's budget. A pensioner being cared for by a recipient of a carer's allowance will in future retain entitlement to the free telephone rental allowance where previously it would have been discontinued because the living alone condition would no longer have been satisfied. Also, a pensioner aged 75 or over and no longer living alone will retain entitlement to the free telephone rental allowance.
92 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons in Dublin in receipt of contributory old age pensions.
93 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of widows in Dublin in receipt of a contributory widows pension.
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together.
At 31 December 1993, there were 28,000 people in receipt of an old age contributory pension, and 16,659 people in receipt of a retirement pension in Dublin (City and County). On the same date there were 24,075 widows in receipt of a widow's contributory pension in Dublin (City and County).
94 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the long delay in processing the appeal for the clothing allowance on behalf of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3.
It is understood from the Eastern Health Board that, following the receipt of certain information in relation to the claim, the Board's Appeals Officer is now in a position to consider the appeal in this case. The Appeals Officer has indicated that the case will be examined without delay and the appellant advised of the outcome.
