Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 September 2005
748 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will explain the policy rationale behind the decision to transfer recipients of deserted wife’s benefit to one-parent family payment; if he will investigate this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25257/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned is currently in receipt of deserted wife's benefit, DWB. This benefit is a payment made to a woman deserted by her husband. An earnings limit was introduced for the deserted wife's benefit scheme in 1992. A recipient of deserted wife's benefit can earn up €12,698.38 gross per year without the rate of deserted wife's benefit being affected. Earnings between €12,698.39 and €17,776.33 per year will cause a reduction in the rate of benefit, on a sliding scale. No payment is made where earnings exceed €17,776.33 per year.
The one-parent family payment was introduced with effect from 2 January 1997, and at that stage the deserted wife's benefit scheme was closed to new applicants; however, existing entitlements to DWB already acquired by recipients at that point have been preserved. Under the one-parent family scheme the earnings limits range between some €7,600 per year and €15,236 per year, at which point a transitional payment may apply for a period of six months, followed by a cessation of the one-parent payment.
As part of an ongoing review of deserted wife's benefit recipients undertaken by my Department, the person concerned was requested to forward a P60 for the 2004 tax year. The yearly earnings disclosed by the P60 show that the person's yearly earnings exceed €12,697.38. Therefore, her rate of payment will be reduced from €154.30 per week to €61.70 per week, as she no longer qualifies for the maximum rate of payment. If this person's circumstances change she should notify the one-parent family section of my Department which also administers the remaining deserted wife's benefit cases and her entitlement will be further reviewed.
