Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 9 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

54 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will advise of social welfare allowance expenditure under exceptional needs payment and urgent needs payment for each of the past years 1998, 1999 and to date in 2000; the top seven items that are the most common payment under the exceptional needs payment-urgent needs payment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25075/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

The legislation governing the supplementary welfare allowance scheme makes provision for a health board to make a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. These payments are known as exceptional needs payments.

There is no automatic entitlement to an exceptional needs payment. Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or health board payment. Exceptional needs payment are payable at the discretion of the health board taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

Urgent needs payments may be used to assist persons who would not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance.

For example, in the aftermath of a flood or a fire immediate needs such as food, clothing or household goods can be met where appropriate through the payment of urgent needs payments.

Total expenditure on exceptional needs payment was approximately £21.31 million in 1998, £21.86 million in 1999 and £18.88 million to date in 2000. Expenditure on urgent needs payments was £86,000 in 1998, £76,000 in 1999 and £71,000 to date in 2000. The top seven items of exceptional needs payments/urgent needs payments expenditure are as follows: household appliances, child clothing, rent deposits, furniture, adult clothing, funeral expenses and household bedding. A detailed analysis of expenditure in each of these years is contained in the attached tabular statements.

Tabular Statement 1

Break down of ENP/UNP expenditure to date in the year 2000.

	Expenditure	Total Expenditure
	£	£
HousingHousehold Appliances	2,974,856
Furniture	1,173,227
Rent deposit	1,771,211
New Accommodation Kit	732,813
Bedding	931,006
Floor Covering	780,149
Repair/maintenance	455,317	8,818,579
Clothing
Child Clothing	1,405,622
Adult Clothing	1,557,753	2,963,375
FuneralFuneral Expenses	983,184
Burial Expenses	222,831	1,206,015
Child Related
Pram/Buggy	786,672
Cot	483,972
Homeless Children	137	1,270,781
Bills
Rent/Mortgage Interest
Arrears	1,059,409
Household	487,778	1,547,187
Illness
Confinement Costs	316,498
Hospital Requirements	163,132	479,630
General
Travel Costs	702,541
Insufficient Means	378,027
Household Budget	42,194
Heating	85,503
Lost/Stolen Money	58,628
Other	1,327,213	2,594,106
Urgent needs payments	70,705	70,705
Grand total		18,950,378

Tabular Statement 2

Break down of ENP/UNP expenditure for year ended 1999.

	Expenditure	Total Expenditure
	£	£
HousingHousehold Appliances	3,880,537
Furniture	1,535,629
Rent deposit	1,946,874
Bedding	1,142,861
Floor Covering	874,017
Repair/maintenance	488,235	9,868,153
ClothingChild Clothing	2,482,046
Adult Clothing	1,875,361	4,357,407
FuneralFuneral Expenses	1,259,717
Burial Expenses	144,607	1,404,324
Child RelatedPram/Buggy	867,598
Cot	505,126
Homeless Children	1,825	1,374,549
BillsRent/Mortgage InterestArrears	1,090,321
Household	451,737	1,542,058
	Expenditure	Total Expenditure
	£	£
IllnessConfinement Costs	275,451
Hospital Requirements	160,367	435,818
GeneralTravel Costs	650,065
Insufficient Means	370,533
Household Budget	52,428
Heating	82,034
Lost/Stolen Money	62,222
Other	1,660,951	2,878,233
Urgent needs payments	76,324	76,324
Grand total		21,936,866

Tabular Statement 3

Break down of ENP/UNP expenditure for year ended 1998.

	Expenditure	Total Expenditure
	£	£
HousingHousehold Appliances	4,315,225
Furniture	1,533,817
Rent deposit	1,514,657
Bedding	1,206,607
Floor Covering	1,017,059
Repair/maintenance	571,635	10,159,000
ClothingChild Clothing	2,142,508
Adult Clothing	1,316,892	3,459,400
FuneralFuneral Expenses	1,412,944
Burial Expenses	186,156	1,599,100
Child RelatedPram/Buggy	801,074
Cot	460,003
Homeless Children	2,123	1,263,200
BillsRent/Mortgage InterestArrears	832,158
Household	409,442	1,241,600
IllnessConfinement Costs	278,401
Hospital Requirements	160,499	438,900
GeneralTravel Costs	709,618
Insufficient Means	349,461
Household Budget	85,358
Heating	77,152
Lost/Stolen Money	58,843
Other	1,872,768	3,153,200
Urgent needs payments	85,600	85,600
Grand total		21,400,000

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

55 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his response to the finding in the review of the one parent family payment that lone parents face a greater risk of poverty than most other families; and if he has any plans to increase the income disregards for working lone parents or to recommend a specific additional income disregard for each child. [24968/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

The review of the one-parent family payment published on 5 September 2000, is the first review of this scheme since it was introduced in January 1997. The review is one of a series being undertaken under the Department's expenditure review programme which was put in place as part of the strategic management initiative.

The main focus of the review was the OFP scheme and the extent to which it achieves its objectives. The review paid particular attention to the needs of lone parents and their children generally and to the desire for this group to avoid long-term dependency on the social welfare system. It also examined various other issues relating to lone parenthood. The review provides valuable information which will form a basis for consideration of the future direction of OFP.

On foot of the proposals in the review, I intend to introduce a number of policy initiatives as follows. The first major action programme that is being prepared relates to employment and education opportunities. I am concerned at the continued high poverty rates for lone parents and their children and at the fact that long-term welfare dependency has become a reality for many of those on OFP.

In the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness we are committed to seeking reduction in poverty for children and women. Lone parenthood is a key issue for both and is one of the main contributors to the rates of consistent poverty which currently affect them.

I am encouraged by the significant growth in the number of lone parents at work with about 60% of OFP recipients now having some level of earnings. I believe that this is the best route out of poverty. On foot of the proposals in the review and following discussions with the relevant agencies, I have been considering a range of measures to overcome the barriers to employment which currently exist.

The pilot family services project which is currently under way in Cork, Waterford and Finglas, Dublin, has as its objective the provision of a high quality information service about the range of supports available to families from State and voluntary agencies, for example, in the areas of education, training and employment. This project is currently being reviewed and will be developed further in the light of this.

I recently launched an information campaign to ensure that all lone parents are fully aware of the various supports and options which are available. This involved the sending of a newsletter to all one-parent family payment clients outlining the existing work, training and education opportunities available to them. However, the information campaign is only the first strand in a planned and comprehensive programme of measures which will form my Department's strategy to motivate, encourage and support lone parents to join the active labour force. The next phase of the programme, which will get under way shortly, will involve individual interviews for selected categories of lone parents, for example, those who will shortly lose entitlement to OFP because they will no longer have a qualified child in their household attendance at these interviews will, of course, be voluntary.

The Department is developing plans for the localisation of the administration of the one parent family payment scheme. I believe that the devolvement of the administration of the OFP scheme to a local level will be an important step in helping to make the scheme itself and related services more accessible to lone parents.

On the issue of maintenance, I believe that support from the ‘absent' parent should play a much more important role in providing support to lone parents and increasing their overall income. The review sets out a comprehensive analysis of the options in this area which I am considering in detail.

With regard to the income disregards which are a feature of the scheme and which are designed to help and encourage lone parents to consider training and employment as a viable option, I have no immediate plans to increase the level of these disregards. The review found that the disregards are adequate at present to support the level and nature of employment, much of which appears to be part-time, being undertaken by lone parents. The situation will be monitored and reviewed as appropriate.