Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications for one parent family allowance that have been refused or reduced in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6263/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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There is a statutory obligation on all claimants of one parent family payment to satisfy, and to continue to satisfy, the conditions for entitlement to the payment.

In 2004, a total of 16,810 new claims for one parent family payment were received. Of this number, 3,999 were refused as they failed to meet the qualifying conditions of the scheme. Of the 12,811 cases awarded, 2,269 were awarded at a reduced rate. Reduced rate payments arise when a person has earnings from employment, where maintenance is being paid by a spouse or the other parent of a child, and-or where the person has other means, for example, capital.

It is estimated that some 60% of one parent family recipients are currently in full or part-time employment. A number of these recipients are earning gross wages of less than €146.50 per week, €7,618 per annum. As this is below the minimum income disregard threshold, it does not affect their rate of one-parent family payment. Where recipients have gross earnings between €146.50 weekly and the maximum statutory earnings limit of €293.00 per week, 50% of the amount of gross weekly earnings above €146.50 is taken into account as means and the one parent family payment is consequently paid at a reduced rate. At the end of December 2004 there were approximately 18,000 recipients on reduced rates of one-parent family payment.