Paul McGrath
Ceist:186 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated cost to the Exchequer of increasing the threshold for family income supplement by ?20, ?30 and ?40. [28734/03]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The estimated full year costs of increasing the FIS weekly earnings thresholds are as follows:
|
Increase |
Estimated Cost |
|
€20 |
€6.79 million |
|
€30 |
€10.56 million |
|
€40 |
€14.58 million |
Michael Ring
Ceist:187 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people approved for the back to education allowance in the past year; and the number of applicants who were previously unemployed for six months, for 12 months or 18 months. [28680/03]
Michael Ring
Ceist:188 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people approved for the BTEA scheme for each year since it commenced; the costs for each year; the costs for third level education; and the costs for second level education. [28681/03]
Michael Ring
Ceist:189 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people in receipt of the BTEA scheme in third level education and second level education. [28682/03]
Paul McGrath
Ceist:192 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will provide for new entrants, in each of the past five years, to the BTEA scheme, the number of successful applicants who were in receipt of unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit for periods (details supplied) prior to being approved for the scheme. [28688/03]
Paul McGrath
Ceist:193 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will provide for new entrants, in each of the past five years, to the BTEA scheme, the number of successful applicants who were in receipt of farm assist for periods (details supplied) prior to being approved for the scheme. [28689/03]
Paul McGrath
Ceist:194 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will provide for new entrants, in each of the past five years, to the BTEA scheme, the number of successful applicants who were in receipt of carers allowance for periods (details supplied) prior to being approved for the scheme. [28690/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 to 189, inclusive, and 192 to 194, inclusive, together.
The information requested, in so far as it is available, is as follows. Since its inaugural year, in excess of 10,000 people have availed of the BTEA scheme. The following are details of participants in the scheme since 1990:
|
2nd Level |
3rd Level |
Total |
|
|
1990-1991 |
NA |
67 |
67 |
|
1991-1992 |
NA |
184 |
184 |
|
1992-1993 |
NA |
363 |
363 |
|
1993-1994 |
NA |
914 |
914 |
|
1994-1995 |
NA |
1,228 |
1,228 |
|
1995-1996 |
NA |
2,228 |
2,228 |
|
1996-1997 |
NA |
3,150 |
3,150 |
|
1997-1998 |
NA |
3,852 |
3,852 |
|
1998-1999 |
454 |
4,503 |
4,957 |
|
1999-2000 |
625 |
4,765 |
5,390 |
|
2000-2001 |
762 |
4,843 |
5,605 |
|
2001-2002 |
883 |
4,431 |
5,314 |
|
2002-2003 |
1,505 |
4,968 |
6,473 |
Expenditure details are available from 1993 as follows:
|
2nd Level |
3rd Level |
Total |
|
|
€ million |
€ million |
€ million |
|
|
1993 |
NA |
NA |
1.40 |
|
1994 |
NA |
NA |
2.54 |
|
1995 |
NA |
NA |
4.19 |
|
1996 |
NA |
NA |
7.49 |
|
1997 |
NA |
NA |
18.87 |
|
1998 |
1.18 |
19.56 |
20.74 |
|
1999 |
2.33 |
22.92 |
25.25 |
|
2000 |
3.10 |
25.98 |
29.08 |
|
2001 |
4.02 |
26.53 |
30.55 |
|
2002 |
6.21 |
29.18 |
35.39 |
New entrants to the BTEA scheme in the past five years who were in receipt of unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance, farm assist or carers allowance prior to taking up a third level course are as follows:
|
Unemployment AssistanceUnemployment Benefit andFarm Assist |
Carer'sAllowance |
|
|
1998-1999 |
1,666 |
NA |
|
1999-2000 |
1,371 |
NA |
|
2000-2001 |
1,136 |
6 |
|
2001-2002 |
1,096 |
10 |
|
2002-2003 |
1,581 |
15 |
A detailed breakdown of periods of attachment to a qualifying payment as requested is not available. Preliminary indications show that 7,498 have been approved for participation in the scheme for the 2003-2004 academic year of which 5,375 are pursuing third level courses and 2,123 are pursuing second level courses. A sample of these applications shows that 53% of applicants were a year or less in receipt of unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance and farm assist prior to commencing an approved course of study.
A survey of new entrants to the scheme in the past three years who were in receipt of carers allowance prior to commencing a course of study shows that 21% were in receipt of carers allowance for between six months to 12 months, 21% between 12 months and 24 months and the remainder for two years or more.
Michael Ring
Ceist:190 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will provide a copy of the rules and regulations for implementing the changes in the rent allowance scheme. [28683/03]
The Abridged Estimates Volume for 2004 takes account of five policy measures on rent supplement that is payable under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The legislation governing the payment of rent supplement requires amendment to implement these policy measures. Its preparation is ongoing within my Department in consultation with the health boards. When the necessary legislation has been amended I will arrange to have copies forwarded to the Deputy.
Michael Ring
Ceist:191 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people currently in receipt of rent allowance; if she will provide a breakdown of the annual costs of rent allowance for the past five years; and the numbers in receipt of rent allowance for the past five years. [28684/03]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards. Under the scheme payment of a weekly or monthly supplement may be made in respect of rent to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs. The purpose of rent supplement is to meet a person's immediate income maintenance needs.
As of 21 November there were 59,355 people in receipt of a rent supplement. Projected expenditure is €330 million for 2003. Details of recipient numbers and expenditure on rent supplements in each of the past five years are set out in the following tabular statement:
Annual expenditure on rent supplement and number of recipients, at the end of December, in respect of the years 1998 to 2002, inclusive.
|
Year |
Recipients atend December |
AnnualExpenditure |
|
1998 |
40,000 (estimate) |
111.74 million |
|
1999 |
41,873 |
127.74 million |
|
2000 |
42,683 |
150.72 million |
|
2001 |
45,028 |
179.41 million |
|
2002 |
54,213 |
252.20 million |
Questions Nos. 192 to 194, inclusive, answered with Question No. 187.
Michael Ring
Ceist:195 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, when a person is being assessed for farm assist and the social welfare office is examining the telephone and electricity bills of their household, there are specific guidelines in place by her Department to determine the portion of these charges that can be categorised as farm expenses when compared with private use; and the guidelines that social welfare officers work under in these instances. [28739/03]
In determining the means of a farmer for the purposes of the farm assist scheme account is taken of the gross yearly income that the farmer and his or her spouse or partner may reasonably expect to receive, less any expenses necessarily incurred in carrying on the business. Where expenses are shared between domestic and farm use, for example a private car used in connection with the work of the farm or the cost of electricity and telephone charges, the onus is on the applicant to provide the necessary information so that the extent of domestic-farm use may be determined.
Where an inspector is satisfied that verification is not possible, reasonable figures given by the applicant will be accepted. Alternatively, the inspector will make an estimate of the expenses attributable to the farm based on comparable enterprises in the locality.
If there have been any changes in circumstances since the last means assessment the farmer may request a means review. If a farmer disagrees with a means assessment she or he may appeal the decision to the social welfare appeals office.
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:196 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will change the regulations governing entitlement to free electricity, free television licence and so on, where adult dependants aged over 22 years with no income are still in full-time education. [28740/03]
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:197 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applicants in the past three years who have lost their entitlement to free electricity, free television licence etc., where their adult dependants are aged over 22 years with no income and are still in full-time education. [28741/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together.
The household benefits package comprises the electricity-gas allowance, telephone allowance and free television licence schemes. It is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who fulfil a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. People aged over 70 years can qualify regardless of their income or household composition.
In order to be eligible for the schemes a person who is under 70 years of age must, as well as receiving a qualifying payment, be living alone or with certain excepted persons. An adult dependant or qualified adult is an excepted person for the purposes of the household benefits package. A qualified adult is an applicant's spouse or partner who is being wholly or mainly maintained by the applicant.
A dependent child under 18 years, or under 22 years if in full-time education, is also regarded as an excepted person. A dependant aged over 22 years is not regarded as an excepted person for the purpose of the schemes. There are no figures available on the number of applicants who have been refused household benefits for this reason.
Significant improvements have been made in the free schemes in recent budgets in terms of the qualifying conditions and the coverage of the schemes. The current arrangements will be kept under review in a budgetary context.
Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:198 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons receiving unemployment assistance in Donegal on 1 June 2001, 1 October 2001, 1 June 2003 and 1 October 2003; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28756/03]
The numbers of people receiving unemployment assistance in County Donegal in the first week of June 2001, October 2001, June 2003 and October 2003, broken down by local office is as follows.
|
Local Office |
June 2001 |
October 2001 |
June 2003 |
October 2003 |
|
Killybegs |
230 |
232 |
217 |
211 |
|
Dunfanaghy |
493 |
529 |
545 |
553 |
|
Donegal |
256 |
236 |
208 |
191 |
|
Buncrana |
1,133 |
1,131 |
1,081 |
1,042 |
|
Ballybofey |
736 |
668 |
495 |
492 |
|
Dungloe |
837 |
821 |
786 |
820 |
|
Letterkenny |
1,649 |
1,636 |
1,667 |
1,705 |
|
Ballyshannon |
319 |
316 |
282 |
268 |
|
Total |
5,653 |
5,569 |
5,281 |
5,282 |
The overall decrease in persons claiming unemployment assistance between June 2001 and October 2003 amounted to 371 persons or 7%. The number of persons claiming unemployment assistance throughout the State increased by 16% over the same period. The decrease of 371 persons occurred in the context of 2,245 redundancies in County Donegal being notified to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment during the period January 2001 to end-October 2003.
My Department, through its employment support services, in conjunction with other agencies, will continue to assist those persons on the live register make the transition to work, education and relevant training. In 2002 as many as 2,948 persons in receipt of unemployment assistance were referred to FÁS in County Donegal under the terms of the employment action plan. Of these 2,120 or 72% had ceased their unemployment claims by the end of October 2003 and a further 129 or 4% had been referred for education or training.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:199 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason carer's allowance was refused in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28765/03]
The person concerned applied for carer's allowance in June in respect of her two sons. Following the necessary investigations she was awarded the allowance for one of her sons at the reduced weekly personal rate of €94.60 having been assessed with weekly means of €41.09 derived from her husband's earnings. She was also awarded a dependant child allowance of €8.40 per week.
She was refused a 50% increase in her allowance in respect of her other son on the grounds that she was not providing full-time care and attention to him as prescribed in regulations. She was notified of this decision, the reason for it and of her right to appeal within 21 days to the social welfare appeals office. There is no record of an appeal having been lodged in this case.
On 11 November the person concerned informed my Department that she had taken up part-time employment for ten hours per week. On this basis a new means assessment was carried out and her weekly means increased to €78.79. The weekly rate of payment of carer's allowance was reduced accordingly to €57.10 per week effective from 27 November.
The person concerned has been notified of this decision. She was requested to return her payable order book to my Department after cashing the order dated 27 November. She was again notified of her right to appeal within 21 days to the social welfare appeals office.
Under social welfare legislation decisions on claims must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. They are statutorily appointed and I have no role in making such decisions.