Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 227: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for lone parents allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28602/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned claimed one parent family payment from 1 April 2010. Her claim has been sent to an inspector for investigation of her means. The inspector will interview her in the next few weeks and a decision will be made on her claim as soon as the inspector has completed her report. The person concerned is currently in receipt of supplementary welfare at the weekly rate of €186.40.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the living alone allowance in the context of the December budget as there has been no increase since 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28607/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The living alone increase is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes.

The priority has been to increase personal rates of pension in addition to enhancing the household benefits package which includes TV licence, telephone, electricity/gas and the fuel allowance rather than supplements like the living alone increase. The objective is to use resources to improve the position of all pensioners to the fullest extent possible rather than focusing on particular groups.

Social welfare changes for 2011, including any changes to the living alone increase, will be considered later this year in the context of next year's Budget preparations, having regard both to needs and to the resources available to meet those needs.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for jobseeker's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28773/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned submitted an application for Jobseeker's Allowance on 19 December 2009. The payment of Jobseeker's Allowance is subject to a means test. The means of the person concerned were found to be excess of the prescribed limits for receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance and they were notified of this decision on 10 March 2010. An appeal has been received and the file is currently with a Social Welfare Inspector for further investigations.

You should note that a person may apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance from their local Community Welfare Officer while any application for Jobseeker's Allowance is being processed.