Noel Ahern
Ceist:100 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost to give a nominal £25 per week to all adults who give full time care and attention to elderly or disabled persons, irrespective of means. [10011/95]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The carer's allowance is a social assistance scheme which provides an income maintenance payment to people who are providing elderly or incapacitated pensioners with full-time care and attention and whose income falls below certain limits.
There are an estimated 30,000 carers providing full time care and attention to elderly or incapacitated people. Of these, some 5,800 are in receipt of a carer's allowance. The cost of paying those not in receipt of a carer's allowance a minimum of £25 a week, irrespective of means, would be £32 million in a full year. Expenditure on the carer's allowance, which provides for a maximum weekly payment of £62.50 from next month, will be over £20 million this year.
Mary Wallace
Ceist:101 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Sligo has not been awarded the widower's pension in spite of the fact that he paid PRSI all his life; the reason this person is still paying PRSI in spite of the fact that he is now seventy-six years of age. [10014/95]
According to the records of my Department, the person concerned is working in a self-employed capacity and has paid PRSI contributions since 1984 at the Class K1 rate — 2.25 per cent. This contribution rate comprises the health contribution, 1.25 per cent and the employment and training levy, 1 per cent only. Class K1 contributions do not provide cover for any social welfare benefits.
The social insurance system was extended in April 1988 to self-employed people under pension age 66 years to give them coverage for contributory old age and survivor's pensions. As the person concerned was aged over 66 at that time, he was not liable for social insurance contributions as a self-employed contributor at the PRSI Class S1 rate, but continued to be liable to pay PRSI at the Class K1 rate.
Survivor's pension is payable on the insurance record of a widower or his late spouse provided PRSI contributions at an appropriate class have been paid and the qualifying contribution conditions are satisfied on either record.
As the person concerned was not insurable for survivor's pension and there is no record of social insurance for his late spouse, he is not qualified for survivor's pension. It is open to him, at any stage, to apply for an old age noncontributory pension which is payable subject to a means test.