Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 346: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of supplementary welfare allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; if same is under review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13853/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The Dublin/Mid-Leinster Area of the HSE has advised that the person concerned is an asylum seeker in receipt of a direct provision allowance of €19.10 granted to her when she resided at accommodation provided previously through the Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform. She has left the accommodation provided and moved to reside with relatives.

Her application for asylum has been refused and she has appealed the decision. Payment at the rate of €19.10 will continue pending a decision on her appeal.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 347: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the entitlement offered to those persons who work beyond the age of 65 who become ill, when illness benefit stops at age 65; his plans to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13869/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Illness Benefit is a payment for people under 66 years who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the relevant PRSI conditions. A person who continues to work beyond age 66 may qualify for the State Pension (contributory), based on their social insurance record and this payment is not affected if the person subsequently becomes ill and is unable to work. Alternatively, a person who does not have the requisite number of contributions to qualify for State Pension (contributory) may qualify for the State Pension (non-contributory), subject to satisfying the means test. In recent budgets the means test for non-contributory pensions has improved significantly. The basic income disregard has increased to €30 per week and a specific earnings disregard of up to €200 per week has been introduced. Entitlement to the State Pension (non-contributory) is similarly unaffected in the case where a person who has been working becomes ill.