Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 21 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Schemes.

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

339 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the average weekly value of the free schemes to qualified families; and the average weekly value of these schemes to seniors aged over 75 years. [26609/00]

Michael P. Kitt

Ceist:

342 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if free schemes for people over 75 years of age could be granted on the basis of one allowance payable in any one residence to people aged 75 years or over where the pensioner is not the registered account holder for electricity, gas or telephone. [26728/00]

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

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 339 and 342 together.

The free travel scheme is available to all people resident in the State aged 66 years or over. The other free schemes, including the electricity-gas allowance, telephone rental allowance and television licence schemes, are generally available to those aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare 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 to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlements following the death of a spouse.

From October 2000 all people aged 75 years and over are entitled to the free schemes regardless of income or household composition.

The average annual value of the electricity allowance, telephone rental allowance and TV licence amounts to £412.37 annually per recipient, based on the direct cost to my Department. The cost of the free travel scheme is based on an annual notional figure of £60 per free travel pass. Higher usage may confer a significantly higher benefit to the recipient. Therefore, a person in receipt of all free schemes benefits by an esti mated additional £472 per annum or £9 per week. These amounts apply to all recipients of the free schemes including those recipients who are over 75 years of age.

The electricity-gas and telephone rental allowances are based on residency and are credited directly to the person's account by the ESB, Bord Gais and Eircom. All account set-ups and cross-organisational checks are done using the pensioner's utility account number.

A pensioner who is entitled to an electricity-gas and telephone allowance must ensure that the electricity-gas meter and phone is in his/her own name to enable the ESB-Bord Gais and Eircom to credit the allowance to their account. If the pensioner lives in the home of another person, he/she will qualify for the allowance provided the electricity/gas and telephone account of the residence in question is in the pensioner's name.

If the pensioner is not the registered consumer of electricity/gas for their home he or she should arrange with the local ESB-Gas office to become the registered account holder before making application for the allowance.

If, at the time of application for the telephone allowance, the applicant does not have a telephone, or is not the registered account holder for the telephone in their home, he/she should contact the nearest Eircom office and arrange for either a new telephone installation to be provided or to become the registered telephone account holder for an existing telephone, as applicable.

A review of the free schemes was published in April this year by the Policy Institute, Trinity College, Dublin. The surveys carried out as part of the research for the review of the free schemes highlighted the value that recipients placed on the benefit in kind approach of the free schemes. It was considered that the payment of the benefit directly to the service provider was one of the major advantages. This ensures that there is no time lag or administrative delay in receiving the benefit.

Question No. 340 taken with Question No. 333.