Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Denis Naughten
Ceist:
232
Mr. Naughten
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the plans he has to remove the means test for eligibility for the disabled person's maintenance allowance in light of the fact that in a number of instances parents lodged this money into an account for their disabled son or daughter and used their own moneys to maintain the disabled person in order to provide support for the disabled person when the parents are deceased; if he will review the current situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16570/00]
As in the case of all other social assistance payments, disability allowance, formerly disabled person's maintenance allowance, is subject to a means test. The purpose of the means test is to ensure that limited resources are directed towards those with little, if any, additional income. For the purposes of assessing means, any savings which a person might have are treated as capital and are assessed along with the value of property and any cash income.
Under the current arrangements for assessing capital, the first £2,000 is disregarded, the next £20,000 is assessed at 7.5% and the balance is assessed at 15%. This means that a single person can have capital of up to £38,347 and still qualify for a minimum payment of disability allowance.
As I indicated to the Deputy recently in response to a related parliamentary question, provision has been included in the Social Welfare Act, 2000, for the introduction of a new method of assessing the value of capital for social assistance purposes with effect from October this year.
The new method of assessing capital will operate as follows: the first £10,000 of capital will be disregarded; capital between £10,000 and £20,000 will be assessed on the basis of £1 weekly means for each £1,000 of capital; capital between £20,000 and £30,000 will be assessed on the basis of £2 weekly means for each £1,000 of capital; and capital above £30,000 will be assessed on the basis of £4 weekly means for each £1,000 of capital.
Under the new arrangements a single person will be able to have capital of up to £41,999 and still qualify for a minimum payment of disability allowance.
Any further relaxation of the means test would have financial implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context in light of available resources and having regard to the Government's other priorities.
If the Deputy has a particular case in mind and provides the necessary details, I will arrange to have it examined by my Department.
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:
233
Ms Shortall
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the reason it has been necessary for an adult seeking to enter third level education, as a mature student coming out of existing full-time employment, to be on the live register for six months prior to being eligible to avail of all of the normal grants and financial assistance; if that is still the case; the plans, if any, he has to change the arrangements in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16655/00]
The back to education allowance is a second chance educational opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities to improve their skills and qualifications with a view to returning to the work force.
To qualify for participation an applicant must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least six months, 156 days, immediately prior to commencing an approved course of study.
The back to education schemes administered by my Department were established to assist people who have been out of the workforce for a period and whose opportunities of obtaining employment would be enhanced by participation in the schemes. The requirement to be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for a minimum period has always been a feature of these schemes. There are no plans at present to abolish or modify the existing conditions in that regard.
The broader issues of adult education are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science.
