Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:127 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the anomalies under the social welfare code; and the steps, if any, being taken to deal with these anomalies. [21958/99]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Code.
The Deputy is no doubt aware that the current social welfare system is a very complex and wide ranging system which provides a comprehensive range of services to those in our society who are in need of them.
With a view to streamlining and simplifying the system my Department undertakes a wide range of reviews of the effectiveness of its various schemes. Such reviews are intended to ensure that the social welfare schemes continue to operate effectively and fulfil their objectives in the light of current needs. Any consequential changes to social welfare legislation are normally incorporated in the annual Social Welfare Bill which implements the budget improvements in social welfare.
For example, in 1998, I took the opportunity to correct a particular anomaly in the back to work area enterprise allowance scheme, formerly known as the area based allowance scheme. Under the former scheme people taking up self employment in areas covered by the area partnership companies could receive transitional support amounting to 100 per cent, 75 per cent, 50 per cent and 25 per cent of social welfare payments over a four year period. From January 1998 I extended the scheme to the entire country thus ensuring equal treatment for all social welfare applicants seeking to establish a self employment enterprise under the scheme.
In 1999, I also took the opportunity to rectify a number of anomalies which had come to my attention. These relate to the payment of pensions to self employed persons who were over the age of 56 years when social insurance was extended to the self-employed in April 1988. I also introduced a new bereavement grant scheme to replace the old death grant scheme and extended the scope of the scheme to public service employees who pay a modified rate of PRSI contribution and to the self-employed. The 1999 Social Welfare Act also included provisions for the continued payment of disability allowance to existing recipients who go into hospital or institutional care and for changes in the arrangements whereby lone parents can retain their entitlements under the former schemes of deserted wife's benefit and assistance and prisoner's wife's allowance.
With regard to future plans to simplify the system, my Department will continue its series of reviews of its programme expenditure and in this context the scope for simplification within the various schemes will be examined in a systematic manner. The current programme of expenditure reviews for the year April 1999 to April 2000 in my Department is as follows: (1) free schemes (travel, electricity, TV licence, phone rental); (2) one parent family payment; (3) back to school clothing and footwear allowance; (4) urban and Gaeltacht school meals schemes; (5) illness and disability payment schemes; (6) supplementary welfare allowance – SWA; (7) money advice and budgeting service – MABS and (8) community development programme – CDP.
The first five of these are already under way. The SWA and MABS reviews will commence early in the new year and the CDP review will commence in mid year. A comprehensive review of the qualifying conditions for entitlement to old age (contributory) and retirement pensions is cur rently being undertaken by an interdepartmental group chaired by my Department. Particular attention will be focused on the yearly average test. It will also deal with the treatment of pre-1953 contributions and the commitment in the Programme for Government to allow women who take time out for family reasons to continue contributions for pensions purposes.
In addition a working group comprising officials of my Department, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Health and Children as well as representatives of the social partners are due to report to me shortly on the underlying issues affecting the participation of women in mainstream education, training and employment programmes.