Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 21 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.

Nora Owen

Ceist:

314 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will consider extending the bereavement grant to class K contributors, in view of the fact that the grant is available to all other classes and that this extension would not involve a large cost to the Exchequer. [26306/00]

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

Persons who pay or have paid social insurance contributions at classes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, N or S are covered for bereavement grant. Contributions paid at PRSI class K consist of a health contribution only and do not include any social insurance element. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate to extend entitlement to a bereavement grant to persons who have class K contributions only.

However, persons making class K contributions will normally have either paid contributions at one of the other relevant PRSI classes during the course of their working lives or their spouses will have paid such contributions. In this regard, it should be noted that entitlement to payment of a bereavement grant can be based on the social insurance record of a spouse. Payment of a bereavement grant will be made once the required qualifying conditions are fulfilled. In this regard, a broad range of options are available. A bereavement grant is payable: (a) on the death of a person who has been getting a contributory pension or on the death of his/her spouse or qualified dependants; or (b) on the death of a person who has been getting orphan's contributory allowance or on the death of his/her guardian; or (c) if the person on whose social welfare record the claim is being made has at least 156 weeks PRSI paid since entry into insurable employment; or (d) if the person on whose social insurance record the claim is being made has at least 26 weeks PRSI paid since entry into insurable employment; and either (i) 39 PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year; or (ii) a yearly average of 39 PRSI contributions paid or credited over the three or five tax years before the death occurred or pension age was reached (age 66 at present); or (iii) a yearly average of 26 PRSI contributions paid or credited since 1979 (or since starting work if later) and the end of the tax year before the death occurred or pension age was reached; or (iv) a yearly average of 26 PRSI contributions paid or credited since 1 October 1970 (or since starting work if later) and the end of the tax year before the death occurred or pension age was reached.

The relevant tax year is the last complete tax year before the year in which the death occurs or pension age was reached. A claim should be made within 12 months of the date of death. Once the qualifying conditions are satisfied, a bereavement grant is payable to the spouse, personal representative or next of kin of the deceased person.