Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 1997

Vol. 474 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

35 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason his Department differentiates between single or married applicants and lone parents on community employment schemes; and the reason lone parents are allowed retain a portion of their social welfare entitlement whereas single or married people are not so entitled. [20229/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

The contingencies of lone parenthood and unemployment are provided for in differing ways under the social welfare code. The situation described by the Deputy, whereby a lone parent in receipt of the one parent family payment will have a higher net income than people who were previously in receipt of an unemployment payment in cases where community employment allowances represent the sole source of income, arises as a result of specific policy decisions taken to deal with these quite separate contingencies.

It is worth noting that the ESRI's report Lone Parents in the Republic of Ireland: Enumeration, Description and Implications for Social Security contains several references to the risks of poverty associated with lone parenthood. Specifically, the report states that "when the income data for households of different types are analysed to calculate relative risks of poverty, unmarried lone parents emerge as the highest risk category". Internationally, the report indicates that studies of lone parents in the United Kingdom, the USA and other countries report a pattern of poor socio-economic status, marginal attachment to the labour force and generally low standards of living. The report concludes, "There are reasons to hypothesise that lone parents in Ireland may also be susceptible to such patterns".

Community employment provides part-time employment opportunities for unemployed people with a view to their reintegration into the labour market and also to provide a resource for local development and for the voluntary and community sectors. While community employment participants are drawn predominantly from the unemployed, a limited number of places is made available to lone parents in order to provide them with an avenue back to the active labour force and thereby reduce their dependency on the social welfare system.

Community employment participants who were previously unemployed receive a weekly allowance with increases for adult and child dependants where appropriate in lieu of their unemployment payment. In addition, they are free to avail of other work opportunities which may arise in the non-community employment period.

Lone parents, on the other hand, are not obliged to satisfy the availability for work condition required of unemployed people. Their community employment allowance is treated in the same way as any other income they may have and is taken into account as part of their means for the purpose of determining the weekly rate of one parent family payment payable in their case.

The one parent family payment is a payment for both men and women who, for a variety of reasons, are bringing up a child or children on their own. No distinction is made between married and unmarried persons in this context. It is available to a person who is unmarried, widowed, separated, a prisoner's spouse, or a person whose marriage has been annulled and who is no longer living with his or her spouse. It is a means-tested payment which takes account of any income or earnings which the lone parent may have. The nature of the payment acknowledges the particular difficulties faced by lone parents faced with rearing children on their own.

In summary, therefore, the different treatment by my Department of single or married people and lone parents on CE schemes does not discriminate against the former category. Rather, it reflects the different nature of the contingencies of unemployment and lone parenthood.

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

36 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will withdraw the means-testing of young people living at home with their families who apply for unemployment assistance. [2336/97]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

The value of free board and lodging enjoyed by an applicant is one of the items which falls to be taken into account in the assessment of means for the purposes of determining entitlement to unemployment assistance.

The assessment in an individual case is determined by reference to the parental income i.e. after deductions for tax, PRSI, union subscriptions, rent or mortgage payments and a parental allowance. This income is allocated equally among the non-earning members of the household and constitutes the assessment applied to any son or daughter who claims unemployment assistance. The maximum assessment that can be applied to any applicant is limited to 17 per cent of net parental income. In the absence of such a limit, many applicants from families on average incomes with a low number of non-earners would not be entitled to any payment. The Deputy will be aware that, in 1995, I increased the minimum weekly payment of unemployment assistance from £10 to £25 for people who are assessed with the benefit of board and lodgings.

I believe it is important, in the context of a scheme like unemployment assistance as applied to young people, to strike a proper balance between using limited resources in the most effective way in order to address need and providing a reasonable degree of financial independence to young unemployed people living at home. In that context, I do not believe that it would be the best use of resources to abolish the means-testing of all young people, living in the family home, who apply for unemployment assistance.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

37 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the persons to whom part payment of disability allowance for those in part-time residential care will be paid; whether this payment will be taken into consideration by the Government or Government agencies and possibly affect other benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2315/97]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

Under current provisions, disability allowance is not payable to persons who are resident in an institution or health care facility. In recognition of the fact that people who are in residential care on a part-time basis incur additional expenses, I have provided in this year's budget that from April, disability allowance will be payable at half-rate directly to disabled persons who are in residential care for part of a week, but otherwise reside at home. Full details of the new arrangements will be contained in the forthcoming Social Welfare Bill, 1997, which I expect to publish before the end of February.

Under existing provisions many people in part-time residential care are not entitled to any form of income support.

Accordingly, the new arrangements will provide these people with an income support payment in their own right. In addition, entitlement to disability allowance acts as a passport to other benefits, such as free travel, and these benefits will now be available to people receiving half-rate disability allowance on the same basis as applies to disability allowance recipients generally. Similarly, where disability allowance is assessable in relation to any other State service, then half-rate disability allowance will likewise be assessable.