Michael Ring
Ceist:301 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who is a part-time fireman is not in receipt of unemployment benefit. [28339/00]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
To qualify for an unemployment payment a person must be available for and genuinely seeking work. Reviews of recipients' efforts to find work are carried out on an ongoing basis. Part-time firemen may qualify for unemployment benefit but, like other recipients, they must meet the basic requirements of the scheme.
Under social welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims and the insurability of employment must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.
In the context of a review of his entitlements, the person concerned was asked to provide details of his efforts to find work. Based on his response a deciding officer disallowed his claim from 23 February 2000, on the grounds that he was not available for or genuinely seeking work.
The person concerned appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office. On 9 May 2000, an appeals officer upheld the deciding officer's decision.
The decision in this case does not have implications for this category of workers generally and each case is judged on its own merits. In any case where a person is not genuinely seeking and-or not available for work, this must be taken into account when determining the claimant's entitlement.
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:302 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the estimated cost for each £1 increase in weekly payments under the supplementary welfare allowance in 2001. [28378/00]
The purpose of the supplementary welfare allowances – SWAY – scheme is to provide a basic weekly allowance to people who have little or no income. Any person living in the State who satisfies a means test and who has applied for any other benefit, assistance or allowance to which they may be entitled, may be eligible to receive assistance under the SWA scheme.
The current personal rate of SWA is £76 and £47 for a qualified adult.
It is estimated that to increase the SWA rate by £1 per week would cost £1.23 million in 2001.
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:303 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the estimated cost of increasing the income disregard for carer's allowance to £100, £150, £200, £250 and £300 respectively where £100 and £150 are single earners; the incomes that would be permitted for all or part of the carer's allowance at the above disregard rates; and the likely numbers of extra carers who might be granted the allowance at each of the above rates. [28379/00]
The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support for carers on low incomes who look after people, including children, who need full-time care and attention.
Based on the research carried out in the review of the carer's allowance, which was published in October 1998, the current number of full-time carers is estimated to be around 50,000 people, covering carers of older people and adults and children with disabilities. There are currently 16,302 carers in receipt of carer's allowance. These figures show that 33% of full-time carers are in receipt of a carer's allowance payment which is an increase of 77% in the number of carers in receipt of the allowance since this Government took office. This large increase is reflected in the expenditure on carer's allowance, which was £36.5 million in 1997 and is projected to be £78.3 million this year, representing an increase of 115%.
As with all other social assistance schemes, a means test in which the income of both the applicant and his-her partner is assessable is applied to the carer's allowance to ensure that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need.
The means test has been eased significantly in the past few years, most notably with the introduction of disregards of income from employment and other sources. The effect of these changes means that a couple with two children could have a joint annual income in the region of £9,200 and qualify for the maximum carer's allowance while a couple with up to £19,500 could qualify for a minimum rate of carer's allowance, and also receive an annual respite care grant and the free schemes.
The following estimates have recently been prepared using data supplied by the Revenue Commissioners.
It is estimated that increasing the income disregard by £25 for a single carer from £75 to £100 and by £50 for a joint income couple from £150 to £200 would result in an additional 2,700 new carers qualifying for payment and 2,800 existing carers receiving an increased payment.
This would mean that a single person with no children could be in receipt of income in the region of £6,000 and qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance or be in receipt of income up to £10,000 and still qualify for a minimum payment, plus free schemes and respite care grant. A couple with two children could be in receipt of a joint income in the region of £12,000 and qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance while a couple in receipt of £22,300 could still qualify for the minimum carer's allowance, plus free schemes and respite care grant.
This measure would cost in the region of £7.5 million. It is estimated that increasing the income disregard by £50 for a single carer from £75 to £125 and by £100 for a joint income couple from £150 to £250 would result in over 5,000 new carers qualifying for payment and 2,800 existing carers receiving an increased payment.
This would mean that a couple with two children could be in receipt of a joint income in the region of £15,000 and qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance while a couple in receipt of £25,000 could still qualify for the minimum carer's allowance, plus free schemes and respite care grant. This measure would cost in the region of £16 million.
It is estimated that increasing the income disregard by £75 for a single carer from £75 to £150 and by £150 for a joint income couple from £150 to £300 would result in an additional 6,600 new carers qualifying for payment and 2,800 existing carers receiving an increased payment.
This would mean that a single person with no children could earn in the region of £8,600 and qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance or be in receipt of income up to £13,000 and still qualify for a minimum payment, plus free schemes and respite care grant. A couple with two children could be in receipt of a joint income in the region of £17,800 and qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance while a couple in receipt of £27,800 could still qualify for the minimum carer's allowance, plus free schemes and respite care grant. This measure would cost in the region of £24 million.
The question of further improvements to the carer's allowance and for carers generally is being considered in a budgetary context, taking account of our key priorities in the care area, as set out in the review of our action programme.