Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:146 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the anomalies still existing under the social welfare code; and the steps being taken to deal with these. [6811/03]
Written Answers - Social Welfare Code.
As part of its normal business, my Department undertakes a range of reviews of the effectiveness of its schemes and services. Such reviews are intended to ensure that the schemes continue to operate effectively and fulfil their objectives in the light of current needs. These reviews also highlight opportunities to rationalise and simplify the system. Any consequential changes to social welfare legislation arising from such reviews are normally incorporated in the annual Social Welfare Bills which implement the budget improvements in social welfare.
In this year's Social Welfare Bill which has recently completed Committee Stage in the Dáil, I have taken the opportunity to introduce a number of scheme enhancements. Among others, these include the extension of entitlement to increases for qualified children aged between 18 and 22 to recipients of certain short-term social welfare payments. This provision is similar to the arrangements which currently apply to recipients of long-term social welfare payments. The Bill also provides for improvements in the payment after death arrangements where the deceased person was in receipt of a disability or unemployment related payment.
Many of the conditions underlying social welfare schemes are intended to meet specific needs arising out of a contingency such as old age or unemployment, and to target scarce resources at those in greatest need. This may give rise to different treatment of claimants for different schemes. Differences of treatment in this way are not anomalies in the strict sense but they need to be kept under review to ensure that any differences in treatment continue to be justified.
In the context of its ongoing programme of expenditure reviews the Department is currently undertaking a review of the various income maintenance payments for people who are ill and people with disabilities. This review will examine the roles and effectiveness of the range of income maintenance payments provided by the Department and the health boards. I hope to be in a position to address any unintended inconsistencies or anomalies that may arise in the relevant payments examined on completion of the review.
Further developments in relation to pensions will be considered in the context of the phase 2 review of the qualifying conditions for the old age contributory and retirement pensions. The first phase report was published in 2000 and the second phase report is at an advanced stage of preparation and I expect to publish it in the next few months.