Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 429: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has not received assistance with an ESB arrears bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6039/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), an exceptional needs payment may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the Executive based on the particular circumstances of the case. Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment. The Dublin/Mid-Leinster Area of the Executive have advised that no application has been received from the person concerned for an exceptional needs payment.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 430: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the criteria for and the qualifications necessary to qualify for the new half care carers payment for persons that have other social welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6049/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

From September 2007 people in receipt of another social welfare payment who are also providing full time care and attention to a person will be able to retain their main welfare payment and receive another payment, depending on their means, the maximum of which will be equivalent of a half rate carer's allowance. A person currently in receipt of a carer's allowance who may have an underlying entitlement to another social welfare payment will be able transfer to that payment and receive up to a half rate carer's allowance. This does not apply to persons in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or benefit, given the nature of these payments.

In order to qualify under these new arrangements people will have to satisfy all of the qualifying conditions which currently apply to carer's allowance. These include the requirement that applicants must be providing full time care and attention to a person who needs such care, be aged 18 or over, be habitually resident in the state and satisfy a means test. In addition, the person being cared for must need continuous supervision and frequent help throughout the day with their personal needs or continuous supervision to avoid danger to themselves and require full time care and attention for at least 12 months. It is estimated that approximately 18,000 carers will benefit from this measure at cost of some €57 million in a full year.