Pat Gallagher
Ceist:104 Mr. P. Gallagher (Laoighis-Offaly) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to improve social welfare provisions for widows; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4627/95]
Written Answers. - Widows' Social Welfare Provisions.
A large number of measures, which were announced in this year's budget, will directly improve the position of many widows as follows: a general 2.5 per cent increase in widowed persons weekly social welfare payments which will be effective from mid-June 1995 instead of the normal effective date of end of July and will benefit all widows and widowers; for widowed persons with children an increase of £7 per month in child benefit for each child, together with an extension of the age at which child benefit is payable, to 18 years that is up to the 19th birthday, for those in full time education or attending certain FÁS courses, effective from September 1995. The new child benefit rates will mean an increase from £20 to £27 a month for the first and second child and from £25 to £32 a month for the third and subsequent children. Currently widowed persons care for approximately 19,000 children; child dependant allowances for widowed persons will continue up to age 22 years for those in full-time education. An increase of £5 for each child in primary and second level schools in the back to school clothing and footwear allowance, bringing these payments to £40 and £55 respectively; extension of the free colour television licence to all qualified recipients from October. This will benefit widowed persons who currently qualify for free television licence; an increase from £5 to £10 in the amount of additional means disregarded for the purposes of qualifying for free fuel; the children of widowed persons who are in third level education may qualify for the enhanced student summer jobs scheme and widowed persons sons or daughters who qualify for unemployment assistance will now get a minimum of £25 per week.