Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the action she has taken to ensure that her Department is notified when a person in receipt of a payment from her Department enters full-time permanent nursing home care. [23298/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There is an obligation, under Social Welfare legislation, on customers to notify the Department of any change in their circumstances which may affect their entitlement to payment. Customers are informed of this requirement when notified of the decision on their claim and at subsequent reviews.

When a person in receipt of a social welfare payment enters full-time permanent nursing home care they continue to be entitled to their payment, and if aged 70 years and over also remain eligible for the telephone allowance.

The only area where a change in entitlements can arise is where the person is in receipt of Household Benefits - electricity or gas and free television licence. Where a person fails to notify the Department of their change of address, there is a range of control measures in place to address such circumstances. For example: - The various utility companies notify the Department where there is a change of address on a customer's account or where supply is terminated. Payment is immediately suspended in all such cases. - When notification of a change of address is received on any payment scheme where household benefit is also in payment, the household benefit claim is automatically stopped. - Only one household benefits claim is payable per household and controls are in place to prevent payment of more than one entitlement at the same address. - Special projects are undertaken to review customer's ongoing entitlement having regard to specific review criteria. In addition, regular reviews are undertaken to determine a person's ongoing entitlement to household benefits. Customers are issued with continuing eligibility certificates for completion and return within a specified time.

The Department is committed to ensuring that social welfare payments are available to those who are entitled to them and to ensuring that abuse of the system is prevented and dealt with effectively when detected.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when she will reform the back to work enterprise allowance in order that all job-seekers can avail of the scheme within three months of starting their claim. [23291/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In order to respond effectively to the growing numbers on the Live Register and the current employment situation, it was decided in the context of the recent supplementary budget to refocus resources on the enterprise strand of the back to work allowance which supports people into self employment. These changes significantly strengthen the supports for job-seekers wishing to move to self employment.

Claimants who qualify for jobseeker's benefit are being afforded immediate access to a new short term enterprise allowance, provided they have 104 contributions paid or have established entitlement to statutory redundancy from their latest period of employment. It is payable at the same rate and for the same duration as jobseeker's benefit.

For job-seekers on the live register, the qualifying period required for access to the back to work enterprise allowance scheme has been reduced from 2 years to 12 months provided an entitlement to jobseeker's allowance is established. Those who do not have an underlying entitlement to jobseeker's allowance can access the scheme, as before, subject to the 2 year qualifying period.

These changes to improve access to the scheme were made in conjunction with a reduction in the period for which the allowance is payable from 4 years to 2 years at 100% of existing social welfare entitlement in the first year and 75% in the second year. Tullamore people who previously participated in the back to work enterprise allowance scheme may apply a second time after a period of at least 5 years has elapsed.

The qualifying conditions will continue to be monitored in the context of the objectives of the scheme and changing economic circumstances.