Written answers

Tuesday, 28 April 2009

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Grant Payments

11:00 pm

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 353: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will allow for additional flexibility in the farm assist means test in view of the financial hardship being caused by Government cuts in supports to Agriculture; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16388/09]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Support for farmers on low incomes is available through the farm assist scheme which is a means-tested payment broadly similar to the jobseeker's allowance scheme. It features a more generous means test, which takes account of the specific nature of farming and, unlike jobseeker's allowance, farmers claiming this payment do not need to be available for work outside of the farm in order to qualify.

Increases in social welfare rates provided in recent years mean that it is now easier for low income farmers to qualify y for support under the scheme. For instance, the personal rate of payment has been increased by €6.50 from €197.80 to €204.30 a week from the beginning of January, while the increase for a qualified adult has been raised by €4.30 from €131.30 to €135.60 a week. Increases for qualified children have also gone up from €24 to €26 a week. This means, for example, that a low income farming family with 3 children can now receive a maximum weekly payment of €417.90, i.e. an increase of €16.80 a week (4.2%), which is ahead of the projected average increase in the Consumer Price Index of 2.5% for 2009.

Improvements in the method of assessing earnings from insurable employment, which were introduced in September 2007, provide further gains for families claiming farm assist, where either spouse is also in insurable employment. In addition, the capital disregard in the means assessment increased from under €12,700 to €20,000, from June 2005. Any further improvements in the assessment of means would have to be considered in a budgetary context.

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