Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

816 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason it has become the practice to reduce the rent allowance of persons who commence community employment, having been told that their secondary benefits will remain as they were on unemployment benefit or assistance according to a sliding scale. [1200/02]

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

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and neither I nor my Department have any function in deciding entitlement in individual cases. Under the terms of the SWA scheme payment of a weekly or monthly supplement may be made in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs.

SWA is subject to a means test. Rent supplements are normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to their family circumstances, less 7.62, £6. This 7.62, £6 represents the minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. Many recipients pay more than 7.62, £6 towards their rent because applicants are required to contribute any additional assessable means that they have over and above the appropriate basic SWA rate towards their rent.

SWA is not normally payable to people in full time employment. However, special arrangements have been in place for a number of years now which allow people on approved schemes such as community employment to retain part of their rent or mortgage interest supplement, subject to a gross household income limit of 317.43, £250 per week and certain other conditions. Fol lowing discussions with the social partners, under Partnership 2000, substantial improvements in the conditions relating to the retention of rent and mortgage interest supplements were introduced from 6 April 2000. The 317.43, £250 per month limit on the amount of rent supplement payable was abolished and the sharp withdrawal of support at the end of the third year was removed, the supplement now being withdrawn on a tapered basis over a 4 year period i.e. 75% in year 1, 50% in year 2 and 25% in year 3 and 25% in year 4. As a result, many participants in CE schemes now retain a greater amount of rent supplement than they would have done under the earlier arrangements. This is particularly the case for families. In no circumstances do the new rules result in a lower rate of rent supplement than is payable under the standard rules of SWA. All CE recipients are entitled to either the gradually reducing amount that can be retained under the transitional arrangements or the amount that is normally paid under the standard rules of SWA, whichever is the greater.

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

817 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the financial assistance available within his Department for a person with less than 39 contributions or credits who breaks a limb and is unable to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1249/02]

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

An individual who breaks a limb and is unable to work would normally apply for disability benefit from my Department. To qualify for disability benefit an individual must be incapable of work and satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. Short-term benefits such as disability benefit require the claimant to have paid a minimum number of contributions, 39 weeks and to demonstrate a recent attachment to the workforce by having a minimum number of contributions in a recent tax year. In some instances where an individual's average weekly income in the relevant tax year is below a certain level a reduced rate of disability benefit may be payable. Where an individual does not have sufficient contributions to qualify for disability benefit or is only qualified for a reduced rate they may qualify for assistance under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and neither I nor my Department have any function in deciding entitlement in individual cases. Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, health boards can provide a basic weekly payment to eligible people who have little or no income. In addition to the basic payment assistance is also available in the form of supplements which may be paid in respect of such needs as rent, diet or heating and exceptional needs payments where in the opinion of the health board exceptional circumstances exist. An assessment of a person's means, whether this be cash income or benefit in kind, is carried out and where there is a shortfall in a person's means a payment may be made to bring that person's income up to the supplementary welfare allowance rate appropriate to their family size.

Question No. 818 answered with Question No. 813.