Social welfare cuts

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday March 07, 2003 16:23 by Ailin

Social welfare cuts coming into force this week will hit some of the most vulnerable people in Kerry, the Ballylongford branch of Republican Sinn Fein warned today.

RSF North Kerry spokesman John O’Shea said that the party has received many complaints from people on supplementary welfare following their rent or mortgage allowance being cut by the Southern Health Board.

“This is yet another example of a slight of hand trick by this cynical administration,” said Mr. O’Shea.

“People on the rent or mortgage supplementary welfare allowance were granted a rise of six euro in the Budget.

“In recent days people drawing the allowance have been informed that the Minister for Social and Family Affairs has increased the minimum contribution of recipients from 7.62 per week to twelve
euro.

“In effect this means that for people who gained a six euro rise in the Budget, four euro forty has now been taken back by the Health Board.

“This is “three card trickery” at a new level of political hypocrisy and it hits those who are most in need of supplementary social welfare. Yet not one of the Kerry public representatives has raised the matter with the Minister - there has been no public outcry over these latest
social welfare cutbacks -

“We are now calling on those elected by the people of Kerry to state fully where they stand on these cutbacks and to indicate if they agree with the action of the Minister in cutting welfare allowances to those most in need.”

(Ends)