Health board managers take issue with minister on welfare cuts

A GROUP of health board managers have taken issue with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Coughlan because they were not consulted about proposed 56 million social welfare cuts next year.

The Superintendent Community Welfare Officers in the Eastern Health Authority area are particularly concerned about changes in the rent supplement allowance scheme and phasing out the dietary supplement scheme.

These managers also told the minister they could have identified much less damaging savings particularly in their discretionary welfare schemes if they had been consulted beforehand.

The managers are also concerned about the new rent supplement allowance scheme which will require people to rent accommodation for six months before they can apply for the allowance.

This will have a major impact on people who cannot afford private rented accommodation and who need help from the State to take it up, they said.

Last night, a spokesperson for the minister said she has received various submissions regarding changes to the conditions for receipt of Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

These submissions, including the letter from the Health Board managers in the Eastern Regional Health Authority, will inform the minister in the preparation and finalisation of the regulations that will give effect to changes in the scheme.