asked the Minister for Social Welfare why all recipients of unemployment assistance do not qualify for the non-contributory old age pension when the qualifying age is attained.

Each of the two payments referred to is subject to a means test and, with one exception, the rules for the calculation of means as laid down in the Social Welfare Acts are less stringent for old age pension than for unemployment assistance. Ordinarily, therefore, a recipient of unemployment assistance could expect to qualify for old age pension without any difficulty.

The exception is in the case of farmers in certain specified areas whose land valuation does not exceed £20 and who have their means assessed for unemployment assistance purposes on a notional basis, irrespective of the actual income which they derive from farming. This system of notional assessment does not apply in the case of old age pension.

It is possible, therefore, that a person in receipt of unemployment assistance based on means assessed under the notional system would find that his means, assessed on a factual basis for old age pension purposes, are higher.

I am sure the Minister will agree with me that when a person reaches the qualifying age for an old age pension he or she should be entitled to as much as was received in unemployment assistance. I accept basically what the Minister said but I am sure she must know of many cases where people with a valuation of less than £20 who were receiving unemployment assistance received a negative reply from the Department with regard to their old age pension application, and this after a long delay. Has the Minister any comment on that?

These people obviously fall into the categories I have outlined. Obviously there is an anomaly in this area. The notional system favoured them, but when assessed on a factual basis and on a fairly lenient means test they are assessed to have in excess of the income for an old age pension.

I accept what the Minister has said that there is an anomaly in this area. Will she look into the matter with a view to having this corrected?

I will certainly have the matter looked at again.

7.