Social Welfare Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 February 2022

Wednesday, 23 February 2022

Ceisteanna (170, 171, 172)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

170. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the criteria for the living alone allowance increase discriminates against single persons who paid class D PRSI but who cannot qualify under the current criteria for the scheme given that they have not been married or in a civil partnership; the number of applications that have been refused on those criteria in each of the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10379/22]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

171. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to address discrimination on the grounds of civil status in the qualifying criteria for the living alone increase to ensure that those who paid class D PRSI and were not married or in a civil partnership can qualify; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10380/22]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

172. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will change the eligible benefits to include the living alone increase for those who paid class D PRSI; the number of additional persons would qualify if this was implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10381/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 170, 171 and 172 together.

Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments, both cash and non-cash, on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature.

The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is one of those secondary payments. It is not a scheme or a stand-alone payment in itself, but rather it is a supplement to a primary social protection payment of €22 per week made to people aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. For those aged 66 or over, these payments include State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-contributory), Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension, Widow's/Widower's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme and Deserted Wife's Benefit.

Accordingly, there are no circumstances where the Living Alone Increase can be paid to people who are not in receipt of a primary qualifying payment from my Department. Any decision to allow those who are not in receipt of a qualifying payment to receive the Living Alone Increase - and thereby establish it as a scheme - would have budgetary and administrative consequences and would have to be considered in the context of Budget negotiations.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet from their own resources. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

My Department would not have records on the amount of people currently aged 66 or over who are not in receipt of a primary social welfare payment, regardless of the class at which they paid PRSI previously. As the Living Alone Increase (LAI) is not a stand alone scheme, data is not available to furnish an answer to the query.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.