Maidin mhaith. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an Ní i dTosach Suí seo a ghlacadh. I raise the cases of a number of people, where the same thing happened to them. There were two over the summer and one previous to that. There was a young woman who ended up hospitalised with quite a serious heart complaint. She was in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, and her payment was ceased because she was in hospital and therefore no longer in a position to seek work or make herself available for work, which is quite understandable. However, she was left without any payment. She still had rent to pay. She still had her electricity bill, and she still had children to feed at home, but she had no money. She is a proud person and did not want to be borrowing money from people. She was also worried because she has basically been told that she has limited time to live. She is worried and already stressed about this and what is going to happen to her family. All she wanted to do was make sure they were okay. She was afraid that if something happened to her within the next few weeks, her family would be left with a lot of bills to pay. Another man had a heart attack and his jobseeker's allowance was just cut off and he had rent accumulating while he was in hospital, and other bills to pay. Another woman, Brigid, fell and broke a bone. She suffered a stroke and ended up in hospital. Again, she was on jobseeker's. Her relative went in, as you are supposed to do, and informed social protection that she was in hospital. They were told that all they had to do was take up a change of circumstances form, which they did. The first week came and there was no money. The second week came and there was no money. The third week came and there was no money. Again, her bills are accumulating. When her relation inquired again she was told that she should apply for illness benefit, but that is not the case. You can only apply for illness benefit if you have been working and have accumulated sufficient contributions. She contacted my office, and my assistant told her she needed to apply for supplementary welfare. All of that takes time.

I cannot understand why someone in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, which is a means-tested payment, and who is hospitalised and not in a position to work cannot just automatically transfer to supplementary welfare until they are out of hospital and well enough to sort out what payment they should be on, whether it should be to go back to jobseeker's or applying for disability. In several of these instances that was the case, but that takes time.

There is a lot of form filling when applying for supplementary welfare. You have to submit bank statements and other documentation. If you are in hospital, you are not able to access that information. You will not be able to get your bank statements and so forth. Another problem arises if a relative is doing it. Due to data issues, a relation cannot do it. As jobseeker's is a means-tested payment, the rates of pay are the same. Why can one not automatically cease the jobseeker's but go onto supplementary until such time as you are well enough to address the issues?

I thank Senator Tully for raising this matter relating to supports for jobseeker’s allowance customers who become ill or are hospitalised. It is a condition of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme that a person must be capable of work, available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work. Where a person cannot meet these scheme conditions due to illness or because they are in hospital, they may be entitled to support under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered by the Department through the local community welfare service, is considered the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants.

Supports provided under the scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as additional needs payments. The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for a payment under other State schemes. A person who is temporarily ill or disabled and does not qualify for a payment under the Department’s illness-related schemes may qualify for basic supplementary welfare allowance, subject to certain criteria. This assistance is subject to the person having the right to reside and satisfying the habitual residence condition. Furthermore, the person must satisfy a means test. "Sick no benefit" operates as a category under the basic supplementary welfare allowance scheme and is generally used for those who are medically unfit for work but do not qualify for any of the Department’s illness-related schemes and have an income need. There are currently 3,085 customers in receipt of basic supplementary welfare allowance under the category of "sick no benefit". Basic supplementary welfare allowance is currently paid at a maximum personal rate of €252 per week. Where a person has an income need and wishes to be considered for a weekly payment under the basic supplementary welfare allowance scheme, they are currently required to make an application specifically for this payment. The claim process involves the receipt of an application, the gathering and verifying of information, the assessment of that information and a decision on the claim. This ensures the applications are fairly decided in accordance with legislation and guidelines specific to the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, while also allowing the community welfare officers to provide a speedy delivery of service to customers.

All customers have the right to apply for supplementary welfare allowance and have their applications processed in an appropriate manner. As the means test for supplementary welfare allowance is different from that which applies to the jobseeker’s allowance scheme, automatic transfer of customers between the two schemes is not possible or appropriate. Our community welfare officers have a great deal of experience in responding to all types of difficult situations and will be flexible in ensuring that a person is not left without the support they need.

I thank the Minister of State. I am saying that the time it takes to make an application for supplementary welfare and submit the information required can be weeks or months. In each of these cases, community welfare officers did not act very quickly. All of these people were left weeks, sometimes going into months, without income and were left borrowing money from family members. Okay, they got it back and were able to pay it back, but it put a lot of stress and worry on the people and left them owing people money all around them.

What is the difference in criteria in the means tests for the two payments? They are both means-tested payments and are similar amounts. I am not sure exactly what the difference is. It is not the Minister of State's portfolio and I do not know if he can tell me or not but I would love to know. It is an issue that affects quite a lot of people. If I am aware of three people in my locality being affected by this within a very short space of time, I am sure there are a lot more. Our hospitals are full of people, many of whom may be on social welfare payments. I understand they have to cease jobseeker's because they are not in a position to work but they should be able to claim the supplementary allowance without any hassle.

I will convey the Senator's concerns directly to the Minister. I have no doubt she will engage with the Minister as well.

It is important to put on record and to assure the Senator that the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is always kept under review to ensure it continues to support those most in need of assistance. Any person who considers that they have an entitlement under the supplementary welfare allowance is encouraged to make contact with their local community welfare service.