Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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294. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will receive the full SWA payment of €186 per week, rather than the reduced rate of €100 per week, while the person is awaiting a decision on a disability allowance claim. [14357/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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With effect from January 2010 new age related payments were introduced affecting persons availing of supplementary welfare allowance (SWA). The applicable maximum personal rate of SWA for a person between the ages of 18 and 24 is €100 per week. There are a number of exemptions where the age reduction does not apply:

- those in receipt of a higher rate of payment immediately before the new age penalty rates applied;

- those with qualified children;

- those in the care of the HSE during the preceding 12 months before their 18th birthday.

The person concerned does not meet these criteria; his previous disability allowance application was made in August 2011. The correct rate of SWA pending the outcome of his appeal in relation to his current disability allowance application is €100 per week.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.