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Dáil Éireann - Volume 497 - 25 November, 1998

Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.

146. Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of adult dependants aimed for under the various schemes; if he will give a breakdown of the relationship with the main claimant; if he will give a breakdown with reference to age category and sex; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24944/98]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern): An increase in respect of a qualified adult is payable with most weekly social welfare payments. This increase is paid in respect of the spouse of a claimant, or a person who is living with the claimant as husband and wife, and who is neither claiming a social welfare, or similar, payment in his or her own right nor working with earnings of more than £90 per week. An increase is also payable in respect of the former spouse of a divorced claimant or a separated spouse provided that the former spouse or separated spouse is being maintained by the claimant and is not living with someone else as husband and wife. Where a claimant has children resident with him or her a qualified adult increase may be payable in respect of a person, aged over 16 years, who is caring for the children.

Data in respect of the total member of qualified adults by scheme and the gender breakdown, where available, is outlined in Table 1. The age breakdown of qualified adults, where available, is outlined in Table 2. Data on the relationship between a social welfare claimant and the person in respect of whom a qualified adult increase is payable is not available.

Table 1 — Number of qualified adults by sex, September 1998

Scheme

Qualified Adults

Total

Male*

Female*

Old Age(Contributory) Pension

325

15,917

16,242

Retirement Pension

447

21,885

22,332

Old Age(Non-Contributory) Pension

725

5,316

6,041

Pre-Retirement Allowance

164

5,303

5,467

Disability Benefit (Short-Term)

292

4,570

4,862

Disability Benefit (Long-Term)

143

2,236

2,379

Invalidity Pension

4,639

7,570

12,209

Injury Benefit

n/a

n/a

149

Interim Disability Benefit

n/a

n/a

70

Disablement Benefit

n/a

n/a

226

Disability Allowance

1,335

2,086

3,421

Blind Pension

44

138

182

Unemployment Assistance

2,248

29,866

32,114

Unemployment Benefit

420

7,926

8,346

Smallholders

107

3,492

3,599

Supplementary Welfare Allowance

600

3,300

3,900+

* Male-Female breakdown estimated.

† Estimated.

[715] [716] Table 2 — Age profile of qualified adults, September 1998, (estimated)*.

Scheme

<35

36-45

46-55

56-65

>65

Old Age (Contributory) Pension

6

31

377

4,140

11,688

Old Age (Non-Contributory) Pension

15

29

264

2,527

3,206

Retirement Pension

54

106

977

9,342

11,853

Invalidity Pension

340

1,981

4,392

4,736

760

Pre-Retirement Allowance

28

142

1,704

3,321

272

Blind Persons Pensions

14

39

41

60

28

Disability Allowance

492

712

1,144

932

141

Supplementary Welfare Allowance (estimated)

1,800

830

760

400

110

* Age profile details are not available for the remaining schemes outlined in Table 1.

147. Mr. Browne (Wexford) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people in receipt of carer's allowance; the amount of moneys involved; and the plans, if any, he has to make the means test more appropriate for those who need the carer's allowance. [24961/98]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern): The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment to carers on low incomes who live with and look after certain people who need full-time care and attention.

There were 11,138 persons in receipt of the carer's allowance at the end of September 1998 at an estimated annual cost of £45 million.

In An Action Programme for the Millennium, the Government is committed to progressively relaxing the qualifying criteria for the carer's allowance to ensure that more carers can get the benefit and increasing the value of the allowance in real terms.

In line with these commitments, an overall review of the carer's allowance was completed by an interdepartmental committee, chaired by my Department, and was launched by me last month.

The review examined the means test and considered that it should be maintained as a way of targeting scarce public resources towards those who are most in need. The means test applied to the carer's allowance is one of the most generous means tested payments in terms of the assessment of household income.

The Government has agreed that the specific proposals in relation to the carer's allowance will be examined further in the context of the 1999 budget as will the issue of the rate of payment.

148. Mr. Browne (Wexford) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will consider over the next three years making all social welfare increases payable from 1 January; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24962/98]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern): The 1998 budget provided for increases of £5 per week for old age pensioners and £3 per week for those under 66. These improvements came into effect from the beginning of June — two weeks earlier than in previous years, at an additional cost of over £7 million.

The cost of further bringing forward the dates of increases to the beginning of January would have very significant cost implications. By way of illustration, the cost of bringing this year's budget increases forward from the beginning of June to the beginning of January 1998 would have cost an additional £74 million.

The question of future increases in social welfare payments, including the timing of these increases, are matters to be examined in a budgetary context in the light of available resources and having regard to the commitments contained in the Government's programme, An Action Programme for the Millennium, Partnership 2000 and the National Anti-Poverty Strategy.

149. Mr. Browne (Wexford) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will introduce taxi vouchers instead of the current free travel for pensioners living in remote areas where public transport is not available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24963/98]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern): The free travel scheme operated by my Department is available to all people living in the State age 66 years or over as well as to certain people with disabilities under that age who are in receipt of social welfare type payments.

The scheme provides eligible people with free travel on a range of services provided by the CIE group of companies as well as on the services provided by 73 private transport operators. The vast majority of these private contractors operate in rural areas.

My Department is always willing to consider further applications from licensed private transport operators who may wish to participate in the free travel scheme.

The free schemes were originally designed to benefit mainly older people in receipt of a social welfare type payment who were living alone and required additional assistance. However, over the years, additional categories of people have been included. It is proposed to undertake a fundamental review of the free schemes, commencing in early 1999, to assess whether the objectives of these schemes are being achieved in the most [717] efficient and effective manner and the Deputy's proposal will be examined as part of this review.

150. Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on the situation whereby a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has been refused the disablement benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24992/98]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern): The person concerned is in receipt of an invalidity pension from my Department as he is permanently incapable of work.

He applied to my Department for disablement benefit on 5 November 1998. This benefit is payable under the occupational injuries scheme to an insured person who suffers loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or disease arising out of or in the course of insurable employment in this State.

He was refused disablement benefit on the grounds that the disease from which he is stated to be suffering did not arise out of insurable employment in this State. He was notified of this decision and the reasons for it on 12 November 1998.

He has also been advised to contact the appropriate agency in the jurisdiction where this occupational disease is stated to have occurred so that his entitlement to benefit(s) under that country's legislation can be examined.

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