Vol. 499 No. 3
90 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the cost of rent allowance, supplementary welfare rent allowance and mortgage interest supplement for each of the years from 1992 to date in 1999; and his views on the way in which these schemes will develop. [2630/99]
Detailed information on the total expenditure on rent and mortgage interest supplements under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme for the years 1992 to 1999 is set out on the following tabular statement, which I will make available to the Deputy.
Expenditure on rent supplements has increased substantially over the last few years. This was mainly due to increases in rent levels rather than recipient numbers. In July 1996, following the publication of the housing review group report, an interdepartmental committee was established under the aegis of the Department of the Environment and Local Government to examine the implications of transferring the administration of rent and mortgage interest supplements to the the local authorities. It comprises representatives from the Departments of Health and Children, Social, Community and Family Affairs, and Finance as well as the Environment and Local Government. I understand that the committee will report shortly. Any further development of these schemes will be considered in the light of the findings of that report.
|
Year |
Rent Supplement |
Mortgage InterestSupplement |
|
£m |
£m |
|
|
1992 |
23.00 |
7.00 |
|
1993 |
38.70 |
9.20 |
|
1994 |
44.80 |
9.20 |
|
1995 |
53.00 |
9.40 |
|
1996 |
62.60 |
10.50 |
|
1997 |
75.30 |
10.00 |
|
1998(P) |
87.90 |
9.10 |
|
1999(E) |
102.90 |
8.10 |
91 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will re-examine the home heating allowance and consider its extension to late April of each year; and if he will significantly increase this allowance in view of heating poverty. [2603/99]
The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are on long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. A payment of £5 per week – £8 per week in smokeless zones – is paid to eli gible households for 26 weeks from mid-October to mid-April.
In order to be eligible for assistance under the national fuel scheme, the person must satisfy a means test. A person may have a combined household income of up to £15 per week over and above the maximum rate of the relevant pension or benefit and still qualify for the fuel allowance. That £15 additional income limit will be increased to £30 from the commencement of the next heating season in October this year. Improvements in the rate payable cannot be looked at in isolation from the improvements in the primary weekly payment rates. In that regard, substantial increases in all the social welfare primary payments ranging between £3 to £6 per week effective from June 1999 were announced in the recent budget. Any extension of the duration of the scheme would have significant cost implications. To extend the scheme for a further two weeks to the end of April would cost £4 million.
92 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will report on the introduction of the sickness allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2519/99]
The 1997 Social Welfare Act provided for the introduction of a new means tested sickness allowance scheme. This scheme is intended to bridge the gap which exists in the social welfare code whereby people who are incapable of work due to illness but do not satisfy the contribution conditions for disability benefit or the qualifying conditions for disability allowance must have recourse to the supplementary welfare allowance in order to secure income support.
It was originally envisaged that the sickness allowance scheme would commence late in 1997. However, the level of computer systems development work which would be required to introduce this scheme is such that it could jeopardise the critical work which is necessary in order to ensure that all of the Department's computer based payments systems are fully prepared for the year 2000 and for the introduction of the euro. Accordingly, it has been necessary to defer the introduction of the scheme, pending progress on these preparations.
93 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs whether his pro rata contributions based pension proposals will extend, where appropriate, to both the PAYE and the self-employed sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2592/99]
I have announced the introduction of a special old age contributory pension for a very specific group of people. These are self-employed people who were 56 years of age or over in April 1988 when social insurance was extended to the self-employed. As a result, this group narrowly failed to qualify for a pension, through no fault of their own, as they did not satisfy the requirement of having entered insurance at least ten years before pension age. The pension is not being extended to employees as that group are not in the same insurability position as the self-employed group.
Title to this new pension will be created from April next and payment will commence from October. It will be payable to those self-employed who were aged 56 or over when they entered social insurance in April 1988 and who have at least five years reckonable contributions paid since then.
As the Deputy may be aware, both self-employed and employed people can qualify for a standard old age contributory pension if they satisfy the qualifying conditions, namely, that they have entered social insurance before reaching the age of 56; have 156 full employment contributions paid, from April 2002, this will increase to a minimum of 260 paid contributions and to a minimum of 520 from April 2012; and have a yearly average of at least 20 contributions, or 24 in the case of a retirement pension, paid and or credited from 1953, or the time they started insurable employment, if later, to the end of the tax year prior to reaching pension age.
Where a person fails to satisfy the yearly average qualifying condition, he or she may qualify for a pro rata old age contributory pension, which was introduced in November 1997, if the yearly average is between ten and 19 and at least 260 contributions have been paid in total.
95 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has to create greater awareness among the farming community of the supplementary welfare allowance system in view of the severe financial difficulties being faced by many farm families and the very low level of take up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2598/99]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides entitlement to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme is administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department. The main purpose of the SWA scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes and for people confronted with an emergency situation, such as, for example, a fire in the family home.
SWA weekly payment rates are the lowest within the social welfare system as the SWA scheme is not intended to meet long-term or recurring needs. Instead, where such needs are identified, relevant existing schemes are enhanced and new schemes are developed in a manner that is specifically tailored to the needs in question. Such schemes typically have either a more generous means test or higher weekly payment rates than SWA or both, thus ensuring that the individuals and families are better off than they would be on SWA.
Farmers are not debarred from seeking assistance under the SWA scheme but the unemployment assistance smallholder's assistance scheme is the primary means through which the social welfare system provides for the needs of farmers on low incomes. In the event that a person does not qualify for an unemployment payment or is awaiting a decision on his claim, he or she can apply for SWA at their local health centre and the community welfare officer will assess them on the basis of their present circumstances and immediate needs.
96 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his Department has experienced problems in the changing from the administration of the family income supplement on net rather than gross income; if so, if these problems have been cleared up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2621/99]
The introduction of net income assessment for the purpose of determining entitlement to family income supplement (FIS) commenced on 1 October 1998. This change has already had a positive effect on the number of families qualifying for this supplement. There are now 13,555 FIS recipients, the highest number recorded since the scheme was introduced in 1984. It is envisaged therefore that the numbers in payment will show a significant increase in the short to medium term.
Whilst the number of new FIS claims has significantly increased since the introduction of this measure, the necessary arrangements have been put in place to process claims expeditiously. If the Deputy is aware of any specific problems in this regard my Department will be happy to discuss the matter with him.
