Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

295. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of widowed or surviving civil partner grant applications received by her Department from persons who were not formally married or entered into civil partnership but living together with dependent children over the past three years; the number of instances per year in which such applications were successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41806/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The social welfare code recognises three types of relationship between couples which includes those who are married, civil partners and cohabitants. The term civil partner only applies to a person who has registered their civil partnership. Cohabitants are same sex or opposite sex couples who are living together.

Widowed or surviving civil partner grant is a once-off payment of €6,000 to widows, widowers or surviving civil partners with dependent children. It is not payable to someone who was not married to, or in a registered civil partnership with another person.

The following table shows the number of applications for widowed or surviving civil partner grant received since 2010. A total of 183 claims have been disallowed during that period. Of this cohort, four were disallowed because the application was received from a person who was not the spouse or civil partner of the deceased.