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1999
Kildare Money Advice identified a number of policy issues arising
from its work during 1999.
For clients who apply for mortgage interest supplement, we find that
this payment is not equal to the rent supplement that a person in similar
circumstances can receive. This is causing financial difficulties for
clients with mortgages and seems unfair treatment.
There is a lack of awareness of the legitimate role of MABS in intervening
on behalf of its indebted clients. Creditors should be make aware of our
service and asked for their co-operation and understanding when we make
representation on behalf of our clients. This could be achieved through
- advertising/promotion,
- face-to-face local meetings with creditors,
- official contact at national level with the main creditors.
1998
Kildare Money Advice is also vigilant on behalf of the social rights of
its clients. During the year, we brought the credit activities of unlicensed
moneylenders and a local post office to the attention of the regulatory
authorities: the Gardai and the Director of Consumer Affairs. In the case
of the post office, its licence was revoked and transferred to another
agent by An Post.
Kildare Money Advice engaged in the debate about the government Green
Paper on the community and voluntary sector and its relationship with
the state, entitled Supporting Voluntary Activity. The service played
a lead role in organising a consultative seminar and subsequent submission
on the Green Paper, which involved 70 people representing a cross-section
of voluntary and community activity in the county (see next page).
Kildare Money Advice identified the following policy issues arising from
our work in 1998:
- Clients who are claimants of Unemployment Benefit (UB) with children
in full time education lose their child dependent allowance when the
child becomes 18, although child benefit is payable until aged 19 and
other welfare recipients get an allowance until a dependent child is
aged 22. Furthermore, when the child leaves school, they have to wait
for 3 months before claiming Unemployment Assistance in their own name.
This arrangement discriminates again recipients of UB with older children.
- Part of our work is to advise and assist clients to participate in
the household budget scheme operated by An Post on behalf of the Department
of Social, Community and Family Affairs. In 1998, approximately 30 of
our clients signed up for this scheme, but many of these clients contacted
our service because of the delay (6-8 weeks) in implementing the deductions
(up from 3 weeks previously). We feel this delay may cause families
to get further into debt as creditors often stop collections when notified
that clients were going on the household budget scheme.
- A number of our clients are separated married couples. We have found
that they do not qualify for the One Parent Family Payment (OPFP) unless
they have made, and continue to make, reasonable efforts to get maintenance
from their spouse. These circumstances, and the fact that separated
married couples have to wait three months to apply for the OPFP, and
a further three to six months for the claim to be processed, can result
in separated married couples ending up in debt. We feel separated married
couples should be treated in the same way as single parents in relation
to the OPFP.
- During 1998, three-fifths of our clients were on social welfare.
We found that these clients were frequently struggling to survive on
an inadequate income. Some clients, especially lone parents, were also
isolated because of their family situations and therefore had no financial,
mental or physical support. In some cases, clients were suffering from
severe depression. We suggest that welfare payments should be raised
to minimally adequate levels, in line with prevailing wage rates.
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