Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 319: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason for the delay in awarding child benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [10061/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A child benefit claim was received from the person concerned in October 2006. Following correspondence with the person concerned, it has now been confirmed that the child is residing in Ireland on a permanent basis since September 2007. Child Benefit has been awarded from 1 October 2007 and payment will be lodged to the person's nominated bank account on 1 April 2008. Further correspondence has issued to the person concerned, asking her to confirm where the child was resident between October 2006 and September 2007. It is necessary to establish where the child resided between these dates to determine any entitlement to Child Benefit for this period. When a reply is received, the claim for that period will be processed and the person concerned will be advised accordingly.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 320: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Dublin has been refused supplementary welfare allowance; if he will re-examine the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10067/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes mortgage interest supplement, 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 Health Service Executive has advised that it sought documentation in relation to a mortgage from the person concerned. A decision will be made on her application for mortgage interest supplement as soon as the person concerned contacts the community welfare officer and provides the relevant documentation.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 321: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person in receipt of carer's allowance is automatically covered for credits towards their old age contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10156/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Credited contributions, or 'credits' as they are termed, are intended to protect the entitlements, particularly the pension rights, of employees and other persons participating in the social insurance system when they are ill or unemployed. A person who is providing full time care and attention as a carer is awarded credits on the same basis as if they were out of the workforce due to illness or unemployment. Under the current statutory provisions governing the award of credited contributions, recipients of the carer's allowance may be awarded credits if they switched to that payment from another credit-bearing payment such as jobseeker's allowance. From April 1999, formal provision was made for the award of credits to claimants of carer's allowance who have left insurable employment to engage in caring duties. People in receipt of carer's benefit or on care's leave are awarded credits at the same rate as their last paid contribution.

Recipients of carer's allowance, who are not entitled to credits, may be eligible for home-maker's disregards which preserve the carer's entitlement for contributory pension purposes. The home-maker scheme provides that years spent working in the home while caring on a full-time basis for a child up to 12 years of age or an incapacitated person will be disregarded in calculating a person's yearly average number of contributions for State Pension (contributory) purposes. The provisions apply from the contribution year commencing on 6 April 1994 and up to 20 contribution years may be disregarded.

The award of credits is subject to certain conditions. For example, when a person has no paid or credited contributions for a period of two years, they cannot be awarded further credits until a further 26 contributions are paid. In recognition of their caring role, this rule is waived where claimants of carer's allowance were eligible for home-makers disregards immediately prior to claiming carer's allowance. This, in effect, means that credits will be awarded where a person who has a gap of two years in their paid or credited contributions was eligible for home-makers disregards before claiming carer's allowance. This will protect the position of people who did not give up work to become carers but may have qualified for home-makers disregards due to child-minding duties and who subsequently became carers after a two year period had expired.

From June 2006 the number of hours a person can engage in employment, self employment, education or training outside the home and still be eligible for carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant was increased from 10 to 15 hours per week. Where a carer remains in employment he or she will continue to pay the appropriate social insurance contribution. All aspects of the carer's allowance scheme and supports for carers are kept under review and ways of increasing and expanding services for carers will continue to be examined.