The living alone allowance is a weekly payment of £6 per week made to people receiving certain social welfare payments who are residing alone. The scheme, which normally applied to people aged 66 years of age or over, was extended, with effect from 4 April 2001, to persons who are receiving disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind person's pension or unemployability supplement.
A number of measures have already been undertaken by my Department to ensure that recipients of these payments are made fully aware of their potential entitlement to this allowance.
The extension of the living alone allowance to these recipients was advertised in all provincial, national, daily and Sunday papers in the week commencing 6 April. A freephone number was also provided from 9 April to 12 April 2001, whereby customers could obtain further information concerning this allowance.
All recipients of blind person's pension and unemployability supplement were written to directly and advised of their potential entitlement to the living alone allowance.
All disability allowance recipients who are paid through the post office were notified of the living alone allowance in their new personalised payable order books with effect from April 2001.
All invalidity pension recipients who are paid through the post office will be notified of the allowance in their new personalised payable order books which will issue from 2 August 2001.
Recipients of disability allowance and invalidity pension who are paid by electronic fund transfer will in the next few weeks receive a direct mailshot. This will include details on the qualifying conditions for the allowance and advice on how to apply.
Details of all social welfare budget changes, including those to the living alone allowance, were advertised on Aertel.
In the case of new claimants of disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind person's pension and unemployability supplement, their entitlement to living alone allowance will be examined in conjunction with their primary claim entitlement.
As of 1 June 2001, just under 7,000 new applications for the living alone allowance have been received. In addition, anyone submitting a late claim for this allowance will have their payment backdated to 4 April 2001 or to the date of their primary claim entitlement as appropriate.