asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cause of delay in payment of unemployment assistance to a claimant (name supplied) in County Offaly who has been signing for 17 weeks, is receiving no money, is unemployed and has made every effort to obtain employment; if he will take steps to ensure that all moneys due from the date of the original application are paid as a matter of urgency; and if he will explain why representations made in this case on several occasions have not been fully replied to.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Offaly Unemployment Assistance Applicant.
13.
As I informed the Deputy by letter on 20th November last, this person had been in receipt of unemployment assistance up to his attainment of age 69 years on 14th September, 1974. Payment of assistance was then discontinued because it appeared that he was not entitled to either contributory or non-contributory old age pension. In this connection the position is that the practice in my Department is to continue payment of benefit or assistance such as unemployment assistance pending determination of title to pension.
The person concerned then requested that his title to old age (non-contributory) pension should be reinvestigated. The reinvestigation has since been completed and a recommendation made to the pension committee that he be awarded a non-contributory old age pension at the full rate of £7.30 from 5th July, 1974. In accordance with practice, a pension book has been issued to him provisionally in advance of the committee's decision. The arrears of pension due, less the transitional unemployment assistance payments, will issue shortly. I understand that both the person concerned and his wife are already in receipt of British retirement pensions.
The Deputy's representations, with the exception of the letter of the 7th December, were fully replied to. At the time of his representations the case had not progressed to the point at which I could send him more conclusive information than was given in my letter of 20th November last.