Vol. 514 No. 6
252 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will amend the widow's non-contributory pension guidelines, similar to those in receipt of a lone parent's allowance, in order that widows who go on a community employment scheme will not have a reduction in benefits. [5165/00]
Recipients of the one-parent family payment – OFP – which includes some widows and widowers with dependent children, are allowed to earn up to £115.38 per week without their payment being affected. Accordingly, lone parents participating on community employment schemes – CE – receive their OFP in addition to their CE earnings. The earnings disregard applying to the OFP means test is designed to recognise the additional costs and difficulties which a lone parent may face in moving into employment or training and to ensure that the financial implications of making such a move are straightforward and easily understood by them.
A widow or widower who does not have dependent children and is receiving a widow/er's non-contributory pension will, like many other social welfare recipients, relinquish entitlement to their social welfare payment for the duration of their participation on a CE scheme.
