Vol. 460 No. 3
487 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the consideration, if any, he has given to introduce innovative and wide-ranging additional benefits to recipients of the survivors spouse benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1252/96]
The free schemes administered by my Department are free travel, free electricity allowance, free natural gas allowance, free telephone rental allowance and free television licence. Free travel is available to all persons resident in the State aged 66 years or over and to certain disabled people under the age of 66. The other free schemes are available to people, usually aged 66 or over, who are in receipt of a welfare type payment and who are either living alone or who otherwise satisfy the living alone condition. In addition, widows between the age of 60 and 65 whose late husbands had entitlement to the free schemes retain that entitlement notwithstanding their age. This category may also be eligible for the free electricity allowance subject to satisfying the other conditions for getting the allowance.
Any further extension of the free schemes to include surviving spouses, regardles of age, would have financial implications which could only be considered in the light of available resources.
