Michael Ring
Ceist:925 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if an application for carers allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo could be reviewed in light of budgetary changes on means. [2049/01]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The person concerned, who is a farmer, applied for a carer's allowance on 4 February 1999. He was refused on the grounds that he was not in a position to provide the full-time care and attention to the pensioner involved. He was notified of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of appeal on 8 April 1999.
As the Deputy will know, certain budgetary changes have been made by me since then. Accordingly in order to establish whether he now has an entitlement to carer's allowance his case has been referred to an investigative officer of my Department for a means assessment and to establish whether the conditions for receipt of the allowance are fulfilled. His entitlement will be further examined in the light of the investigative officer's report.
Under social welfare legislation, decisions in relation to claims 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.
Michael Ring
Ceist:926 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo would be better off financially to claim old age pension rather than on the widow's contributory pension. [2050/01]
The person concerned has been in receipt of a widow's contributory pension since February 1983. It is currently payable at the maximum rate of £89.10 a week. Entitlement is based on the social insurance record of her late husband. She is also getting a fuel allowance of £5.00 a week. The person concerned would not be financially better off claiming old age non-contributory pension as the current maximum rate of this pension, £85.50, is less than the maximum rate of widow's contributory pension.
In the case of old age contributory pension, entitlement is based on a person's own social insurance record. The person concerned has not claimed old age contributory pension to date. According to my Department's records, she was insurably employed intermittently over the period 1975 to 1991 but does not have sufficient contributions to qualify for an old age contributory pension. If she would like a formal decision on her entitlement, she should apply by completing the relevant pension claim form and sending it to my Department.
Questions No. 927 answered with Question No. 886.
Questions No. 928 answered with Question No. 911.
Michael Ring
Ceist:929 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when benefits under free schemes will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [2162/01]
The person concerned had been in receipt of electricity allowance, a free television licence and a telephone allowance at a previous address. He reapplied for these allowances in December 2000 following his change of residence. The Department has asked him to supply the necessary additional details in respect of himself and his partner, to enable a decision to be made in this case. As soon as this information is received, his entitlement will be reviewed and he will be advised of the outcome. His entitlement to fuel allowance will also be decided at that stage.
Jim Higgins
Ceist:930 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason for the delay in making a decision on the pension appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [2304/01]
The person concerned was in receipt of widow's non-contributory pension at the weekly rate of £69.50. Following a review of her entitlement, her means were found to have increased and her rate of payment was reduced accordingly to £57.50 per week. In addition to her basic rate of pension, the person concerned is also in receipt of a living alone allowance of £6 per week and a fuel allowance of £5 per week.
An appeal was received in the social welfare appeals office from the person concerned. Her case was examined by an appeals officer who requested that certain aspects of the means assessment be clarified. The papers have been referred to the local social welfare inspector for this purpose. On receipt of the inspector's reply the appeals officer will consider the appeal further.
Brian O'Shea
Ceist:931 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals he has to extend entitlement to child benefit to cover students in full-time education up to the age of 22 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2461/01]
Child benefit is a universal payment which is payable in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education or who have a physical or mental disability.
The policy direction over recent years has been to concentrate resources on improving child benefit – CB – for all families. Since I came into office I have increased the lower rate of CB from £30 to £42.50 per month, and the higher rate from £39 to £56 per month. The increases I recently announced in Budget 2001 will raise child benefit to £67.50 per month for the first two children and £86 per month for the third and subsequent children from June 2001. Most notably, this is only the first of three years of increases which will see Government investment in the payment rise by £1 billion by 2003, which is almost a threefold increase. Any proposals to extend child benefit entitlement to all students up to the age of 22 and in full-time education would be costly and would have to be considered in the light of available resources and overall budgetary priorities.
Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:932 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason women who worked for 15 to 16 years continuously and who are now looking after children, are unable to qualify for unemployment benefit on a pro rata basis. [2471/01]
The conditions for receipt of unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance require, inter alia, that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking work. In order to satisfy these conditions a person must demonstrate that he or she is making reasonable efforts to secure suitable full-time employment or self-employment. A person who leaves existing employment, whether to work full-time in the home caring for children or otherwise would, in the normal course, not be deemed to satisfy the conditions for receipt of an unemployment payment.
The application of the rules governing entitlement to unemployment payments in particular types of work situations is under review at present but there are no plans to alter these fundamental conditions for the receipt of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance. A person who spends time out of the workforce either to care for children up to 12 years of age or for an incapacitated person, may avail of the homemakers scheme under which period spent caring for children or incapacitated persons may be disregarded in calculating a person's old age contributory pension entitlements. Up to 20 years may be disregarded in this (reply appeals incomplete).
Question No. 933 answered with Question No. 904.