Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason his Department insists that the carer's allowance received by carer's be included as means for assessment of eligibility for secondary benefits such as back to school clothing and footwear allowance; the steps he will take to ensure this is excluded in order that persons who would otherwise qualify would receive their just entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30938/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year. The scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. A person may qualify for payment of a back to school clothing and footwear allowance if he or she is in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive scheme payment, is participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education or training course, and has household income at or below set levels.

Under the scheme an allowance of €80 is payable in respect of qualified children aged from two to 11 years and an allowance of €150 is payable in respect of qualified children aged from 12 to 22 years. The upper income limit this year for eligibility for a back to school clothing and footwear allowance, BSCFA, for a couple with one child is €368.10 per week. The upper income limit for a lone parent with one child is €250.90 per week. These limits ensure a household where the total income derives from carer's allowance will qualify for back to school clothing and footwear allowance. The household income limits under the scheme are indexed each year in line with the contributory old age pension rate in the case of couples, or widow's or widower's contributory pension in the case of lone parent applicants. Applicants are eligible for BSCFA if their household income is not more that €50 above the relevant reference pension rates. Under the scheme, household income is assessed generally in accordance with standard supplementary welfare allowance means test rules. There are a number of special exceptions in place to disregard income from family income supplement, higher education grants, and the first €120 a week of earnings of a rehabilitative nature. There are also special arrangements in place to allow retention of the allowance when people take up back-to-work or back-to-education opportunities.

Income from carer's allowance is taken into account as means for clothing and footwear allowance scheme purposes. If the household in question has additional income from other sources, such as employment, then it may not qualify for back to school clothing and footwear allowance on means grounds. However, I am keeping the qualifying conditions for the scheme under review and the particular issue of carer's allowance raised by the Deputy will be considered in that context. Changes in the scheme's eligibility conditions, in addition to the normal indexation of income limits, must be considered in the context of the budget and in the light of increases I intend to provide in social welfare rates generally.