The changes in the arrangements for the assessment of capital for social assistance schemes, as announced in budget 2005, will be advertised in the national and provincial newspapers in the coming weeks. In addition, use will be made of television screen advertising in credit unions throughout the country. My Department's information officers in our social welfare local offices will be available to assist people who wish to make any inquiries regarding the assessment of their capital as it affects their payments.
My Department is fully committed to ensuring that the general public and, in this instance, pensioners who are currently in receipt of a reduced pension because of capital assessment are made aware of the new capital assessment formula. In that regard the pension services office has commenced a review of the entitlements of some 6,000 people who applied for old age non-contributory pension and 1,300 people who applied for widow's or widower's non-contributory pension. Where the review indicates that an increase in payment is warranted, the increase will be put into effect immediately and backdated to the start of June 2005.
All disability allowance claims affected by the new arrangements are currently being reviewed and the customers concerned will be notified of any change in their weekly rate of payment arising from the review. In the case of recipients of carer's allowance, the improvements in capital assessment came into effect in April 2005 in line with other improvements introduced in that scheme. All relevant claims are currently being re-assessed and customers will be notified of the outcome of those re-assessments. All relevant one-parent family payment claims that were refused on grounds of capital assessment have been identified and we are in the process of notifying the customers concerned of any change in their entitlements. In the case of unemployment assistance and pre-retirement allowance recipients, instructions have been issued to all local offices of my Department to review all relevant claims and to re-assess the means in accordance with the new formula.
My Department produces a comprehensive range of information booklets covering each social welfare payment. Our main information publication, entitled "Guide to Social Welfare Services", is currently being updated to include the new arrangements for capital assessment as well as all other changes to our schemes. In addition, our range of information leaflets about the various schemes affected is being updated. Our information booklets are available from our network of social welfare local offices, the network of citizens information centres, CICs, throughout the country and from our LoCall leaflet line: 1890 20 23 25.