Vol. 496 No. 3
342 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will ensure that the budget recognises the inequality of children's allowances payments to twins in comparison to triplets; if he will ensure that, immediately after the budget, the parents of twins will receive an equal payment for each child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22433/98]
Child benefit is payable at double the normal rate for each child where three or more children are born together. In September of this year, I introduced a new payment of 150 per cent of the normal child benefit rate for twins, in recognition of the additional difficulties which may be faced by the parents of twins. The full year cost of this measure amounts to some £4.8 million.
The question of further enhancing these arrangements is a matter for consideration in a budgetary context, in the light of the resources available and of other competing priorities.
343 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on whether it is discriminatory that assistance is not given for full-time educational attendance in respect of students whose parents are in receipt of unemployment benefit as distinct from unemployment assistance; if a person in receipt of unemployment benefit in this category can be worse off by virtue of losing other benefits; the plans, if any, he has to introduce changes to this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22496/98]
Child dependant allowances are payable in respect of all children up to the age of 18 years. Where a claimant is in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment, child dependant allowances are payable where children are in full time education up to the age of 22 years, or up to the end of the academic year after the 22nd birthday. This applies to long-term payments such as pensions; it does not apply to short-term payments such as disability benefit, unemployment benefit, short-term unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowance.
Similarly, certain social welfare secondary benefits, comprising the christmas bonus, butter vouchers and the free fuel allowance, are payable only in conjunction with long-term social welfare payments.
The more favourable treatment of people on long-term payments is in recognition of the fact that families with children on longterm payments face a higher risk of poverty.
344 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people in County Cork in receipt of welfare payments while awaiting processing of their application for asylum. [22421/98]
345 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people in the Southern Health Board region receiving rent allowance while awaiting processing of their application for asylum. [22426/98]
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 344 and 345 together.
The supplementary welfare allowance SWA, scheme is administered by the health boards on behalf of the Department. There are 83 asylum seekers and their families in receipt of basic supplementary welfare allowances in the Southern Health Board area. Forty one of these households are also in receipt of rent supplements under the SWA scheme. All of the people concerned live in Cork City and county.
346 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved for a free telephone rental allowance. [22520/98]
The person concerned applied for a free telephone rental allowance in October 1998. The information supplied on the application form indicates that neither he nor his spouse is so incapacitated as to need full time care and attention. As this is a basic requirement for entitlement in their case, his application was refused on the grounds that they did not satisfy this condition.
If there is any relevant change in their circumstances, he should notify the Department and his entitlement will be reconsidered.
347 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to extend the PRSI dental or optical treatment benefit schemes to cover pensioners who have full PRSI eligibility based on their United Kingdom or foreign social insurance records but have to obtain one Irish PRSI contribution to be eligible; if he will extend the schemes in these circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22564/98]
Entitlement to dental and optical benefits under the treatment benefits scheme is conditional on having sufficient PRSI contributions paid or credited to qualify. Under EU regulations, which provide for the protection of the social security rights of migrant workers, account can be taken of periods of insurance completed in other member states to satisfy these contribution conditions, provided that the person was last insured under Irish legislation before the date of claim.
The EU regulations provide that normally the legislation of one member state is applicable at any one time and that is the legislation of the country of employment or last employment. Irish legislation, therefore, would not be applicable under the EU regulations in the case of pensioners who were last insured under the legislation of another member state. There is, accordingly, no legal basis in such cases to take account of their periods of insurance completed in other states for the purposes of claims to treatment benefits.
If, as the Deputy suggests, provision was made in Irish legislation to go beyond the EU regulations and take account of periods of insurance completed in other member states to qualify for treatment benefits, then pensioners with insurance in those states could come to Ireland to obtain these benefits without ever having been insured here, with the cost to be fully borne by Irish PRSI contributors and taxpayers. It would also mean that they would in many cases retain entitlement to corresponding benefits under the legislation of the country where they were last insured.
Under the EU regulations pensioners resident in Ireland who are in receipt of a pension from one or more other member states are entitled to the full range of health services free of charge, the cost of which is financed by the competent state, the state to whose legislation the pensioner has been subject for the longest period or the state of last insurance. The provision of such services is arranged through the issue of medical cards to the persons concerned, irrespective of their level of income. The health services provided include dental and optical benefits under the appropriate health board schemes.
In the circumstances, I do not consider that an extension of the scheme on the lines proposed by the Deputy would be warranted and I have no plans at present to do so.
348 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason it is necessary for the private RSI number and other private information of the applicant to be completed on the same form as that completed by the landlord in relation to the rent supplement assessment form under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme; his views on whether this is an unnecessary intrusion upon the applicant; the steps, if any, he will take to address this intrusion at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22635/98]
Entitlement to SWA rent supplement is determined by the health boards. Supplements are normally calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to their family circumstances, less £6. This £6 represents the minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. In addition to the minimum contribution, applicants are required to contribute any assessable means in excess of the appropriate SWA rate. Applicants are also required to furnish evidence of residence and of the rent level from time to time.
Rent supplement cases are reviewed regularly. The rent review form issues directly to the tenant who approaches the landlord to complete the form. The form is then returned to the health board by the tenant.
All social welfare payments, including rent supplement payments, are recorded and processed using the RSI number as the unique identifier, supplemented by personal details. Putting the RSI number on the SWA review form facilitates the speedy processing of claims and payments relating to rent supplement.
This use of the RSI number is in keeping with practice governing the processing of all welfare payments and it is not considered to be an unnecessary intrusion upon the individual.
349 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on the proper way to inform social welfare applicants of decisions made on their applications with specific regard to the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will ensure that all applicants are given decisions properly signed and typed with a contact telephone number and sufficient information as to the way in which the decision was arrived at. [22693/98]
350 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person in receipt of a carer's allowance, caring for an invalided spouse, is not entitled to a back to work allowance. [22694/98]
351 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has been refused the back to work allowance; the reason the communication was given to him in a vague way with a letter where the name of his official was not typed; and the reason this practice is continuing in spite of assurances that applicants would be informed in a professional manner on decisions made on their applications. [22695/98]
It is proposed to take Question Nos. 349, 350 and 351 together.
The purpose of the back to work allowance scheme is to assist long-term unemployed people and lone parents to take up jobs as either employees or self-employed persons by providing them with some financial security during the initial years of their return to work.
To qualify for the back to work allowance, applicants must be at least 12 months unemployed and have an entitlement to unemployment assistance or be in receipt of the one parent family payment. The carer's allowance is not a qualifying payment for the purposes of the back to work allowance. A condition for the receipt of that allowance requires the carer to provide full-time care and attention to the person being cared for.
The notification of the decision to disallow the claim issued to the person concerned on 24 October 1998 and was signed and dated by the deciding officer. The form also contains the Department's address and a contact telephone number. It informed the person concerned that his application was not successful because he was not in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment at the time of application. It is my Department's policy, as enunciated in its customer action plan, to provide clear and accurate information to customers and to simplify forms and leaflets. In this connection all forms issued in connection with the back to work allowance are being reviewed to ensure that they are consistent with the Department's customer service standards and the Deputy's comments will be taken on board in this regard.
352 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will ensure, in the forthcoming budget, that old age pension payments will be a percentage of gross industrial earnings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22749/98]
The Government is committed to a strong social welfare pension based on social insurance, including the achievement of an old age pension rate of £100 per week by 2002.
An important step towards achieving this objective was taken through the £5 per week increase granted in the 1998 budget and the Government will continue its work in this area in the forthcoming budget. The level of increase in social welfare pensions in the 1998 budget was ahead both of the expected increase in the consumer price index and the increase in average earnings.
The Pensions Board recommended that social welfare pensions should be increased in line with prices at a minimum and that it would be desirable to aim, over the medium term, to increase social welfare pensions in real terms in line with the growth of earnings in the economy.
353 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a participant in a back to work scheme (details supplied) in County Tipperary has lost his rent allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22925/98]
Participants in the back to work allowance scheme may retain their entitlement to a rent supplement, subject to certain conditions. Participants must make a minimum contribution, usually £8.10, towards their accommodation costs, their gross household income must not exceed £250 per week and their rent supplementation is subject to a maximum payment of £250 per month. Recipients are also required to contribute any assessable means in excess of the appropriate basic supplementary welfare allowance rate towards their rent.
Entitlement to rent supplement is reviewed yearly in these cases. A rent supplement review form is issued for completion requesting details of any change in address or circumstances. Documentary evidence that gross weekly income is less than £250 must also be provided to ensure there is continued entitlement to a rent supplement.
In this particular case, the person concerned failed to comply with one of the conditions in that he did not provide the information requested by the local community welfare officer. Furthermore, the community welfare officer was unable to interview him at the address in respect of which the rent supplement had been in payment, despite making several attempts to do so over a three month period from 12 December 1997 to 24 February 1998. In the circumstances, the community welfare officer had no option but to suspend payment of rent supplement in this case on 24 February 1998.
The person concerned has not contacted the health board in connection with the suspension of the rent supplement since that date.
