Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 November 2004
101 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the arrangements in place for recovering maintenance from spouses and unmarried partners of people on one-parent family payments to contribute to the cost of those payments; his future plans for these arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28158/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplicants for one-parent family payment are required to make ongoing efforts to seek adequate maintenance from their former spouses, or, in the case of unmarried applicants, the other parent of their child. Normally, such maintenance is obtained by way of negotiation or by court order, though separated couples are increasingly using my Department's Family Mediation Service which is being progressively extended countrywide. Since 2001, one-parent family payment claimants are allowed to retain 50% of any maintenance received without reduction in their social welfare entitlements, as a further incentive to seek support themselves.
Where social welfare support is being provided to a one-parent family, the other parent is legally liable to contribute to the cost of this payment. In every case where a one-parent family payment is awarded, the maintenance recovery unit of my Department seeks to trace the liable relative involved in order to ascertain whether s/he is in a financial position to contribute towards the cost of one-parent family payment. This follow up activity takes place within two to three weeks of award of payment.
All liable relatives assessed with maintenance liability are notified by the Department and issued with a determination order setting out the amount of contribution assessed. The amount assessed can be reviewed where there is new information about, or changes in, the financial or household circumstances of a liable relative. The Department requires regular, normally weekly, payment of the contributions assessed in this way.
There are currently 1,779 liable relatives contributing directly to my Department. As a result of maintenance recovery unit activity, savings of €8.5 million were achieved in 2002 and €14.2 million in 2003. Savings for 2004 are estimated at €14.9 million. These savings are composed of direct cash payments by the liable relative to the Department and of scheme savings. Savings on scheme expenditure arise where maintenance recovery activity leads to the liable relative beginning to pay maintenance in respect of a spouse and/or children and the consequent reduction or termination of a one-parent family payment. In 2004 to date, a total of 509 one-parent family payments were cancelled while a further 303 payments were reduced as a result of maintenance recovery activity.
In implementing maintenance recovery provisions to date the Department has concentrated on those cases where the liable relatives concerned, being in employment or self-employment, would be in a better financial position to make a contribution towards the relevant benefit or allowance being paid by the Department to their families.
Legislation allows the Department to seek recovery from liable relatives through the courts in appropriate cases. A total of 152 cases have been submitted for court action from 2001 to date. The majority of these cases have resulted in either orders being written against the liable relative in court or alternatively in the liable relative agreeing to pay a contribution to either the Department or the lone parent. Further cases are in the course of preparation by the Department for court action.
102 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the call from 42 voluntary organisations to reverse cuts in the rent supplement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28190/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra107 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to recent remarks by a person (details supplied) who has criticised the restrictions placed on the rent supplement; his views on those remarks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28194/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra120 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that following changes in the rent supplement scheme in 2003 many women in domestic violence situations are having difficulty withdrawing from such situations due to the new rent restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28222/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra131 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will give an updated report into any new arrangements being introduced whereby local authorities will be assigned responsibility for meeting long-term housing needs of some 19,000 households dependent on rent supplement for 18 months or longer. [28113/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 102, 107, 120 and 131 together.
Rent supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department. A growing number of people have come to rely on rent supplements on a long-term basis over the years. However, people with a long-term housing need require a long-term social housing solution, not a social welfare payment in lieu. The new arrangements announced by the Government in July mean that local authorities will progressively assume responsibility for meeting these long-term housing needs, including those of people dependent on rent supplement for 18 months or longer. The rent supplement scheme will continue to provide short-term income support.
The housing authorities will be able to make better use of funding that is currently channelled through the social welfare system and I consider that the new arrangements provide the best solution for disadvantaged people with ongoing housing needs. The necessary funding is being transferred from the social welfare Vote to the housing authorities from January 2005 to cover both the cost of the new system and the cost of administering it. The new system will be implemented initially in seven local authorities and my Department is assisting in this process. It is intended that the system will be commenced in all local authority areas by the end of 2005 and will be fully operational in all areas by 2008.
The changes introduced in the rent supplement scheme earlier this year will also assist by re-focusing the scheme on its original objective of providing short-term maintenance support rather than long-term housing solutions. The likely impact of the measures was assessed in advance and the manner of their implementation was carefully designed to ensure that the interests of vulnerable groups were protected. There are no circumstances in which women in domestic violence situations have to remain in such situations due to these changes. All applicants for rent supplement who have been assessed by a local authority as being in need of housing, receive rent supplement immediately, regardless of how long they have been renting in the private sector or even if they never rented before. Nobody who needs rent supplement is refused if they have a housing need.
If an applicant for rent supplement has not had their housing need assessed by a local authority, they are not excluded from receiving rent supplement on that account. They will be advised, however, by the community welfare officer to have their needs assessed by the authority first. If the local authority considers that they have a housing need and the authority cannot immediately meet that housing need, then rent supplement is payable.
Furthermore, the health boards have discretion to award rent supplement in any cases where they feel it is appropriate to do so. The instructions issued to health boards on implementing the new arrangements earlier this year state that the new arrangements do not restrict the discretion given to them to award a supplement in any case where it appears to the board that the circumstances of the case so warrant. The principal criteria upon which such a determination might be made include the safety and well-bring of the applicant or a situation where an applicant is being made homeless or forced to use homeless facilities unless rent supplement is paid. Such cases could include people who find themselves caught up in violent domestic situations who have to move accommodation because of fears for their safety or well being.
My Department is actively monitoring the impact of the measures. A working group was established earlier this year under the Sustaining Progress agreement to enable the social partners to assess the impact of the changes to the rent supplement scheme. The working group concluded that the new measures were not having any significant adverse impacts, having regard to the design of the measures.
I am aware that a range of voluntary organisations have been critical of aspects of the changes in the rent supplement scheme. However, more than 31,000 rent supplements have been awarded since the measures came into effect at the end of January this year. I have instructed my Department to conduct a review of the measures and I expect that it will be concluded soon.
