Vol. 486 No. 6
238 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs whether a person (details supplied) in County Mayo benefited in her disability means assessment when the Irish punt was stronger than sterling in view of the fact that she is being penalised for the exchange rate now; and how often exchange rate assessments are carried out. [3042/98]
239 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if those in receipt of benefit reaped the advantage when the Irish punt was strong and UK sterling was weak by a reduced UK means assessment. [3043/98]
240 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is entitled to arrears of disability allowance for the periods when the Irish punt was stronger than sterling and therefore her means were worth less. [3088/98]
241 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the rate of disability allowance or disabled person's maintenance allowance and the rate of United Kingdom means in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo for each of the years from 1994 to 1997; and whether the rate changed in accordance with the sterling exchange rate. [3089/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 238, 239, 240 and 241 together.
My Department took over responsibility for the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme, now known as disability allowance, from the health boards on 2 October 1996. At the time of transfer the person concerned was being paid disabled person's maintenance allowance by the health board, the rate due at transfer was £20.50 a week on the basis of her weekly means, as assessed, of £44. Her means derived from the weekly value of the UK statutory pension. My Department paid disability allowance of £20.50 from 2 October 1996 until 4 June 1997 when her payment was increased to £23.50 a week in line with the increases provided for in the 1997 budget.
Beneficiaries of social assistance payments, including disability allowance, are required by law to report increases in their means and periodic reviews are undertaken to ensure that the correct entitlement is in payment. It is also open to beneficiaries to request a review in order to have their payments increased in line with any reduction in their means including any reductions due to currency fluctuations.
The entitlement of the person concerned was reviewed in January 1998 when it was found that her statutory pension had increased to stg£50.90. The means attributable to this pension have been assessed at IR£57 a week entitling her to a disability allowance of £11.50 a week. Payment at the correct weekly rate £11.50 a week plus £5 a week fuel allowance has been made with effect from the review date, namely, 21 January 1998. In the event that the value of her UK pension declines due to currency fluctuations, it is open to her to apply to have her entitlement to disability allowance reviewed.
243 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of asylum seekers or refugees in the Eastern Health Board area who are in receipt of rent supplement for private rented accommodation from their local community welfare officer. [3096/98]
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme asylum seekers may qualify for a rent supplement. Asylum seekers are accommodated in hostels, bed and break-fasts and private rented accommodation. According to the Eastern Health Board rent supplements are paid to 1,250 asylum seekers in private rented accommodation in their health board area. In addition, there are a further 1,100 asylum seekers in hostel or bed and breakfast type accommodation, the cost of which is borne by the Department of the Environment and Local Government.
244 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposed changes, if any, there are for people in the rural environment protection schemes regarding the £2,000 exemption limit in relation to people in receipt of social welfare benefits. [3364/98]
In assessing income from farming for unemployment assistance purposes, up to £2,000 received by a farmer under the rural environment protection scheme — REPS —is disregarded. This represents a more favourable treatment of income from this source than income from other sources. The reason for this is to encourage farmers to avail of the REP scheme. Any decision to extend the scheme would have regard to the costs of increasing the limit, the likely impact on scheme take-up by farmers and the equity implications of increasing the disparity in treatment of incomes from various sources.
245 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason the 1997 Christmas bonus was not paid to community employment workers who, while on schemes, opted for class A stamps; and the estimated cost involved in making that payment. [3372/98]
The purpose of the introduction of class A PRSI for community employment —EC —workers, which was provided for in the Social Welfare Act, 1996, was to enhance the PRSI status of community employment workers and to put them on a par with other class A workers. The Deputy will be aware that the social welfare secondary benefits of butter vouchers, free fuel allowance and the Christmas bonus, are payable only to recipients of long-term social welfare payments. Since former CE workers who qualify or re-qualify for unemployment benefit after their period of CE finishes are in receipt of a short-term payment, they are accordingly ineligible for the social welfare secondary benefits.
246 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will review the decision to refuse the person (details supplied) in County Dublin unemployment assistance who, although registered as a third level student, does not attend college but is writing a thesis in her spare time, and in view of the fact she has evidence that she is looking for work and is available for work. [3391/98]
The person concerned made an application for unemployment assistance on 7 February 1997. Following examination of her case a deciding officer disallowed her claim on the grounds that she was not available for work due to the fact that she was a full time student. She was writing a thesis and receiving a higher education grant on the basis that she was a full-time student. She appealed against this decision to the independent social welfare appeals office. The appeals officer upheld the deciding officer's decision. An appeals officer's decision is final in the absence of new facts or fresh evidence. She made a repeat claim for unemployment assistance on 4 November 1997. On the basis of information supplied her claim was disallowed on the grounds of non-availability for work as she was still studying full-time. To date no appeal has been received against this decision.
