Liam Aylward
Ceist:802 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will make provision in the forthcoming budget to include the fuel allowances in the free schemes for persons over 70 years of age. [21638/01]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The free schemes share a common set of objectives in the area of social inclusion. The main objectives of the schemes are to provide assistance to those living alone by targeting them with specific benefits providing both income and social inclusion gains; to support older people and people with disabilities in their wish to remain in the community as opposed to institutional care; and to support Government policy which seeks to acknowledge the value of older people in society. A person may receive a payment under the free schemes if they are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, other qualifying payments or are aged 66 or over and satisfy a means test.
The free schemes are seen by many as a recognition of older people's contribution to society, most particularly the free travel scheme, which is universally available to those aged over 66 years. As the Deputy is aware, I extended entitlement to the free schemes to all people aged 70 and over regardless of their income or household composition.
The purpose of the national fuel scheme is different to that of the free schemes and is designed to assist householders who are on long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. In order to receive a payment a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare or health board payment and satisfy a means test.
While there are some similarities in the operation of the free schemes and the national fuel scheme in so far as they both perform an income maintenance function there are significant differences in the objectives of the schemes, as outlined above, which in turn means different qualification criteria apply to each scheme. I recognise the importance of fuel allowance to pensioners and I am also conscious of the need to simplify the social welfare system, whenever possible. However, the question of aligning the qualifying conditions for fuel allowance and free schemes has to be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of alternative proposals for delivering improvements in social welfare supports to pensioners and others. In this regard I do not intend introducing an age element in the qualification criteria for the national fuel scheme