Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

294. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on a situation facing elderly persons in receipt of a contributory State pension, living alone increase, fuel allowance, household benefits package and a medical card, who live alone in under-occupied homes and who would consider taking in a person to help address the homeless and housing emergency, but risk losing many of their entitlements if they do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7960/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The payment of the living alone allowance, fuel allowance and household benefits package (HHB) is considered secondary, or non-primary, in nature which is incorporated into the person’s qualifying payment. The effect of the living alone allowance is to increase the rate of payment to such people, recognizing that there are economies of scale associated with living with another person. In relation to the qualifying criteria for a medical card, this is under the remit of the Minister for Health.

These secondary payments are in some cases subject to a means or household composition test. A person does not have to live alone to receive fuel allowance or HHB, however they must only live with certain excepted people or someone who is in receipt of a qualifying payment in their own right. In the case of HHB a person aged 70 or over is not subject to a means or household composition test.

Significant costs would arise if the criteria for these schemes were relaxed to allow persons in under occupied houses to accept tenants without affecting their secondary entitlements. There would also, clearly, be significant administrative challenges in determining whether such co-residents of pensioners would in fact become homeless if they could not reside at the pensioner’s address.

While a pensioner allowing another person to live with them might reduce such additional allowances previously held by the householder, the economies of scale from living together should mean that a weekly contribution by the person moving in would more than compensate for any such reduction in payments from my Department.

The criteria for the Department’s supplementary schemes are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. The guidelines for supplementary schemes are kept under review. However, any decision to change the requirement for these schemes would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.