Vol. 511 No. 3
279 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will examine the anomaly in the payment of allowance to social welfare recipients who have dependants over 18 years old in full-time education, with specific reference to the affect of this anomaly on long-term unemployment benefit recipients on community employment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24556/99]
The position is that 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 only; it does not apply to short-term payments such as disability benefit, unemployment benefit, short-term unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowance. Former community employment workers who qualify for unemployment benefit are accordingly not entitled to the continued payment of child dependant allowances for children aged over 18 and in full-time education.
The more favourable treatment of people on long-term payments is in recognition of the fact that families with children on long-term payments face a higher risk of poverty.
The question of extending entitlement to child dependant allowances to short-term welfare claimants on the same basis as applies to long-term welfare claimants, including claimants of unemployment benefit, is a matter for consideration in a budgetary context.
