Seán Ryan
Ceist:135 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason people over age 66, who are not in receipt of benefits from his Department, are not entitled to the living alone allowance. [6302/99]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
It is understood that the Deputy is referring to people who, while resident in Ireland, are in receipt of social security pensions paid by institutions outside the State.
The purpose of the living alone allowance of £6 per week is to recognise the extra cost of living alone. It is payable as an addition to weekly social welfare pensions to people aged 66 years of age or over, who are in receipt of certain social welfare-type payments and who reside alone.
There are no plans to extend this allowance to people in receipt of a social security pension/ benefit from a country covered by EU regulations or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement.
I would point out, however, that this does not preclude low-income pensioners from qualifying for the free schemes, provided that they are in receipt of a qualifying payment – for example, in this instance, from another EU member state – or that they satisfy a means test and are living alone or with certain categories of excepted people.