Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 358: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the child dependant allowance has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that this child is now four months old. [16707/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The person concerned has been awarded an increase, in respect of her son, in her one-parent family payment from 11 December 2008. Arrears of €488.00 issued to her on 23 April 2009. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.

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

Question 359: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if it is appropriate that a community welfare officer should ask applicants with maintenance liabilities, seeking rent supplement under the social welfare system, to seek court assistance in having a variation of the original amount of maintenance payment; the way a mother of a child can deal with such an instance or the preparatory application forms or direction her Department can give in such instances to ensure that the child or mother does nor suffer a delay in payments or expectation of income towards their welfare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16710/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.

An individual making an application for rent supplement who has recently become unemployed may have maintenance liabilities which they would have been in a position to meet while in employment. If the level of maintenance payments is now such that an individual finds they have inadequate funds with which to meet their basic needs, including accommodation needs, the most appropriate course of action would be for the individual to seek to renegotiate their maintenance liabilities to take account of their current financial circumstances.

Where maintenance orders have been made through the courts, either parent can at a later date apply to the court for the issue of a summons against the other party for the purpose of obtaining a 'Variation Order' to have the amount of maintenance varied. Information and advice on free legal aid for the purpose of applying to the court for a maintenance order or a variation of a maintenance order or responding to a maintenance summons can be obtained by contacting the local Citizen's Information Centre or nearest law centre.

In instances where welfare support is provided to single parents in the form of one-parent family payment, the other parent (liable relative) is legally required to contribute to the cost of this payment. Liable relatives who earn less than €18,000 per annum or whose main source of income is a social welfare payment are not deemed by the Department to be in a financial position to meet weekly maintenance payments and accordingly are not assessed with a maintenance liability.

Where welfare support is provided to single parents in the form of one-parent family payment and/or rent supplement and the amount of maintenance in payment has been reduced by court order or for any other reason, it is open to that person to contact the Department or the relevant Community Welfare Officer to seek a reassessment of their entitlements to take account of the change in their financial circumstances.