The free schemes administered by my Department include free travel, free electricity allowance free natural gas allowance, free telephone rental allowance and free television licence. Free travel is available to all persons in the State aged 66 years and over and to certain disabled people under age 66. The other free schemes are available to persons in receipt of a welfare type pension and who are either living alone or who otherwise satisfy the living alone conditions.
The position regarding entitlement to the free schemes in the case of couples where the qualified spouse dies is that the surviving spouse can qualify in his/her own right at age 60 provided the other conditions of the schemes are met. In the specific case mentioned, the late husband was not awarded the free electricity allowance or the free telephone rental allowance at any stage. Consequently, his widow, who is 63 years old, does not qualify for the schemes in question. However, she will qualify in her own right on reaching 66 years of age.
Information as to the number of people in circumstances such as this is not available. The estimated cost of the free schemes this year will be in excess of £90 million. Further extensions to those schemes will be considered in the light of perceived need and the availability of additional financial resources.
