Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Michael Noonan
Ceist:
218
Mr. Noonan
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the estimated full year cost of extending the free schemes at present available to persons over 66 years of age to all widows and widowers and to all widows and widowers over 60 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12101/00]
The free travel scheme is available to all people resident in the State aged 66 years or over, to all carers in receipt of carer's allowance, to carers of people in receipt of prescribed relatives and constant attendance allowance and also to certain people with disabilities under that age who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.
The other free schemes are generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who pass a means test. They are also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.
Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of the free schemes retain that entitlement provided that prior to the death of the spouse or partner, the couple were permanently residing together. This is to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlements following the death of a spouse.
A review of the free schemes was published by the policy institute, Trinity College Dublin, and launched by me last week. The review estimates that the cost of extending the free schemes to all widows and widowers regardless of age, income or household composition would be in the region of £28 million per annum and the cost of extending these to all widows and widowers over age 60 would be in the region of £20 million per annum.
The review notes that widows and widowers do not have the type of needs which require the same type of targeting as older people or people with disabilities and for this reason, it does not recommend that the free schemes be extended further for this category.
The review considers that the free schemes share a common set of objectives in the area of social inclusion. These are defined as: to provide assistance to those living alone by targeting them with specific benefits providing both income and social inclusion gains; to support older people and people with disabilities in their wish to remain in the community as opposed to institutional care; to support Government policy which seeks to acknowledge the value of older people in society.
The review put forward 12 priority proposals for consideration. I am pleased to say that I have already implemented two of these proposals in budget 2000. These extend the free schemes to all people aged over 75 regardless of income and household composition and also to carers in receipt of the carer's allowance. In addition, I have provided in the Social Welfare Act, 2000, that the cost of the schemes will be funded from the social insurance fund for those in receipt of contributory pensions.
I also intend to move towards the establishment of a single household benefits scheme in future budgets. This will amalgamate the existing separate free schemes administered by my Department into a single household benefits scheme with a streamlined application process.
The report examines a large number of issues and requires detailed consideration. I will carefully examine all the recommendations made in this report in the context of future budgets and available resources.
