Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when mortgage assistance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18381/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme which includes rent and mortgage interest supplements is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive.

A mortgage interest supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence.

The Executive have advised that the person concerned applied for a mortgage interest supplement but that the information supplied was insufficient to process the application. The Executive has further advised that it has contacted the person concerned and advised her of the additional information needed to process her application. On receipt of this her application will be processed and the Executive will notify her of the position.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 was refused a back to work allowance; if this decision will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18383/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The back to work allowance scheme is part of my Department's programme of initiatives designed to assist long term unemployed people, lone parents and other social welfare recipients to return to the active labour force. The allowance provides a monetary incentive designed to make return to work financially attractive and viable. It is not intended that back to work allowance be paid in all cases where a person takes up employment. It is designed to support people who would not otherwise be able to return to the workforce for financial reasons.

Applications should be made in advance of taking up employment. This allows my Department to determine the eligibility of the applicant before they re-enter the workforce. This condition is clearly stated on the information leaflet which accompanies the application form.

The person concerned commenced employment on 19 July 2005. Her application for the back to work allowance was received in my Department on 22 February 2006, over seven months later. The allowance was refused on the grounds that the application was late. In effect, the person in question had demonstrated that they were outside the intended target group for the scheme. Following a request from the applicant the decision was reviewed. It was decided that the original decision not to grant the allowance should be upheld. The applicant was informed of this on 15 March 2006.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position in relation to a person who is in receipt of a pre-retirement allowance and whose spouse takes up employment; if their spouses employment status would impact upon their payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18386/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Pre-retirement allowance is a means tested payment. A person whose spouse/partner takes up insurable employment with an employer will be assessed with the spouse/partner's earnings less deductions for Income Tax, PRSI, Superannuation, Trade Union subscriptions and Health Insurance premiums.

If the spouse/partner works 3 days or less a week, a disregard of €50 plus travel allowance, where appropriate, is allowed. If s/he works 4 days or more, a total disregard of €100 is allowed. This includes the travel allowance. The customer will be assessed with half of the means of the spouse/partner.

If the spouse/partner becomes self-employed, gross earnings are assessed, less expenses necessarily incurred in running the business. The disregards that apply to a person working for an employer do not apply to a person in self employment.

If the spouse/partner were to take up seasonal employment the seasonal earnings would be assessed during the working season only. When the seasonal work ends, the means derived from seasonal earnings are no longer assessed.