Married women on disability benefit
The Minister said 22,000 married women received disability benefit in 1977; their payments were 19% of disability payments, 2.3% of social welfare expenditure and 0.6% of Exchequer budget expenditure. Desmond challenged the Green Paper’s emphasis and suggested it implied tighter eligibility or major savings; Haughey said it drew no such conclusion, while agreeing that abuse should be eliminated.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the average number of married women in receipt of disability benefit in 1977; the total of such payments as a percentage of total payments on disability benefits, and as a percentage of (a) total Social Welfare annual expenditure, and (b) total current budget expenditure.
Comment on this
: The average number of married women in receipt of disability benefit during the year 1977 was 22,000.
In 1977 the estimated total disability benefit paid to married women was 19 per cent of total disability payments; 2.3 per cent of total social welfare annual expenditure, and 0.6 per cent of total budget expenditure of the Exchequer.
Comment on this
: In view of the relativity of data as now supplied by the Minister, does the Minister share the quite extraordinary emphasis within the Green Paper on this particular aspect of disability benefit in the context of social welfare expenditure?
Comment on this
: The Green Paper merely sets out the factual situation in regard to disability benefit generally. It does not draw any conclusions.
Comment on this
: In view of the highlighting of the disability benefit aspect at this stage, does the Minister share the general option outlined in the Green Paper, namely the complete tightening up of eligibility in respect of disability benefit.
Comment on this
: Surely the Minister is aware that the Green Paper very strongly implies that there is need for a major saving and that there is scope for a major saving in expenditure on disability benefit?
Comment on this
: I do not think it does. I think the Green Paper confines itself to setting out the position factually in regard to disability benefits and other situations and indicates, and I think the House generally would agree with this, that if there is in this area anybody drawing a benefit to which he is not entitled, in other words if there is an abuse of these very valuable welfare services, these abuses will have to be eliminated. I think the Deputy will agree with that because the more we can eliminate abuse and the more we can stop people who are not entitled to them drawing benefits the more we will have available for those who genuinely are entitled to them.
29.