Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their advocacy and help for older people. It is much appreciated. I have worked with many of those in the room.

I wish to raise a couple issues. Cliff edges were mentioned a number of times in our earlier discussion as well as this one, and I come across it daily. People coming into the constituency office was mentioned and it is the same in my office. One of the issues that has come up that I wish to get a comment on is gross income versus net income. I gave the example to the Department officials when they were last in of a lady who unfortunately is disqualified from fuel allowance because of her gross versus net income. Not only is she losing out on fuel allowance but she is also losing out on secondary benefits such as the warmer homes scheme, which she does not qualify for as well.

It is wrong, and I am sure that our guests have come across that in their work over time.

On the IQA, I have had both sides of the argument in the last week, would you believe. I have had one where there was a joint account and it disqualified a person and then another one where the person did not want to go ahead with it until I explained that they would qualify because they did not have an account in their own name. The accounts were in their partner's name and they would actually qualify. I met them yesterday and they got that payment. That is the difference and I suppose there is an argument there for both ways.

One big issue I have come across, which has been mentioned by ALONE recently, is the whole back office area. Unfortunately, I have been dealing with a number of people who have had bereavements in the last couple of weeks and in one recent engagement, I had to deal with up to six different Departments for that person, be it for pensions or other Departments that their spouse was involved with. That is very hard to do during that particular time. Also, the issue with regard to means is that the supplementary welfare is €5,000 and the funeral expense grant is done at the moment through the community welfare officer, so it is only €5,000 versus €20,000 in most other welfare payments. That is a problem for people as well. Back office and consolidation need to be looked at, in my opinion. If we were not available or the organisations here were not available, that person would be making six phone calls or emails if they were able to do that.

It has been said by others that this is a listening exercise. That is very much what we are doing today. However, on a day-to-day basis, we come across older people who for technology reasons - which has also been mentioned this morning - have to go to their local TDs, Senators or public representatives to get assistance. Consolidation, for me, is key to providing everybody with what they are entitled to, and I think that has been mentioned a couple of times today. It is startling to hear that when the Government runs advertisements, payments go up because people get to know what they are entitled to. That is something that needs to be worked on. I would like to get a comment on how we can improve that further or whether we need the Government to consolidate.

Again, I thank our contributors today for all the work they have done and I seek a comment on those means test limits, particularly on supplementary welfare, which is €5,000. When I get people sitting in front of me, it is the savings they have for that rainy day and unfortunately, some of them are experiencing that rainy day. It is a very low amount of money. The additional needs payments have been mentioned. I am blue in the face talking about the amount of forms that have to be filled in and the amount of requirements for additional needs payments. Even after the advertisement by the Government and the Minister when she was in with us previously, it is very hard for older people to come around and get together all the documents that are needed for that. Again, I thank the witnesses and the Chair for his time.