Vol. 577 No. 4
307 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will reconsider her Department's refusal to make the one-parent family payment to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31477/03]
The person concerned was refused a one-parent family payment by a deciding officer of my Department in January. Her claim as a separated parent was rejected on the grounds that although her husband is residing abroad, they are not regarded as legally separated. She appealed the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. Following an oral hearing in October the appeals officer upheld the decision to reject her claim. The decision stands in the absence of any new evidence or information. At present she is in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance at the weekly rate of €141.60.
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 regard to making such decisions.
308 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will consider reducing the 15 month waiting period before persons who are on unemployment assistance qualify for the receipt of Christmas bonus, in view of the considerable hardship caused to young families at Christmas time if they have been dependent on social welfare for a significant length of time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31538/03]
The 2003 Christmas bonus was paid, as in previous years, to recipients of all long-term social welfare payments, including retirement and old age pensioners, widow's, widower's and one-parent families, carers, invalidity pension and disability allowance recipients, persons in receipt of long-term unemployment assistance and farm assist and people on employment support payments.
The focus of the Christmas bonus has always been on long-term welfare payment recipients who rely on the social welfare system for financial support over the long-term. There are no plans to extend entitlement to the bonus payment to the short-term schemes, such as unemployment assistance of short duration. Any such extension could only be considered in a budgetary context having regard to the resources available.
309 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person who works three hours a week as a home help is entitled to unemployment assistance yet still is available for full-time employment; and if their home help work precludes them from receiving unemployment assistance. [31539/03]
Social welfare legislation provides that all unemployed persons must satisfy the conditions of being available for full-time employment and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to unemployment assistance. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions on an ongoing basis is not entitled to an unemployment assistance payment.
A person who engages in part-time work for three days or less per week may qualify for unemployment assistance in respect of the remaining days of the week provided he or she continues to be available for full-time employment. They must also continue to satisfy all of the other statutory conditions for the receipt of an unemployment assistance payment.
Persons employed as home helps are eligible to apply for unemployment assistance for any days or weeks during which they are not engaged in home help duties provided they are otherwise available for full-time employment and genuinely seeking work. To qualify for payment they must be fully unemployed for at least three days in any period of six consecutive days. An income derived from participation in the home help service is not, in general, taken into account as means for the purpose of determining entitlement to unemployment assistance.
