I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 520 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.
PRSI Class D provides social insurance coverage for permanent and pensionable employees in the public service, other than those who were recruited after 6 April, 1995, doctors and dentists employed in the civil service, Gardaí, commissioned army officers and members of the army nursing service. Public servants recruited on or after 6 April 1995 are liable to pay PRSI contributions at the ordinary Class A contribution.
The contributions payable by an employee at the modified rate of contribution determines the range of benefits and pensions towards which these contributors can build up entitlement. Subject to having the required number of PRSI contributions, employees who paid Class D contributions accrued entitlement to the following payments:
a) Carer’s Benefit
b) Guardian’s Payment Contributory
c) Occupational Injuries Benefits
d) Parent’s Benefit
e) Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension.
I hope this clarifies the matter.
