asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons in receipt of pay-related, unemployment and disability benefits for each of the years 1973, 1974 and 1975; the average weekly payments made; and the average number of dependants of such claimants.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
66.
The particulars requested are as follows:
Pay-related benefit (commenced on 8th April, 1974)
|
Year |
Average number of persons in receipt of weekly payments |
Average amount of each such weekly payments |
Claimants with on dependants |
Claimants with no dependants |
|
|
Claimants |
Average number of dependants |
||||
|
£ |
|||||
|
4 |
10,460 |
6.33 |
— |
— |
— |
|
27,211 |
6.61 |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
Since Pay-related benefit is related only to earnings it does not include an increase for dependants. |
|||||
|
Unemployment Benefit |
|||||
|
1973 |
29,930 |
8.56 |
15,863 |
14,067 |
3.3 |
|
1974 |
32,957 |
10.05 |
17,797 |
15,160 |
3.4 |
|
1975 |
51,847 |
13.00 |
27,997 |
23,850 |
3.4 |
|
Disability Benefit |
|||||
|
1973 |
59,532 |
7.65 |
38,934 |
20,598 |
3.3 |
|
1974 |
66,271 |
9.06 |
43,341 |
22,930 |
3.3 |
|
1975 |
67,221 |
11.85 |
43,962 |
23,259 |
3.3 |
67.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the percentage of the total expenditure of his Department for each of the years 1970 to 1975 incurred in the payment of all pensions; and the estimated percentage for 1976.
Expenditure on the services referred to by the Deputy is not available on a calendar year basis for any year up to 1975. The following table, however, sets out the expenditure on pensions as a percentage of the total expenditure of my Department in each of the years ended 31st March from 1969-70 to 1973-74, the nine-months' period April to December, 1974, and the year 1975, together with the estimated percentage for 1976.
|
Old Age (Contributory) Pension |
Retirement Pension |
Widows' and Orphans' (Contributory) Pension |
Deserted Wives' Benefit |
Invalidity Pension |
Death Benefit (Occupational Injuries) |
Widows' and Orphans' (Non-Contributory) Pension |
Old Age (Non-Contributory) Pension |
Social Assistance Allowances |
|
|
Deserted Wives' Allowance Unmarried Mothers' Allowance Prisoners' Wives' Allowance Single Women's Allowance |
|||||||||
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
1969-70 |
12.2 |
— |
10.2 |
— |
— |
0.0 |
3.2 |
19.1 |
— |
|
1970-71 |
12.2 |
0.3(a) |
10.7 |
— |
0.9 (a) |
0.0 |
3.0 |
17.8 |
0.1 (a) |
|
1971-72 |
12.3 |
1.1 |
11.1 |
— |
3.2 |
0.0 |
3.0 |
17.1 |
0.4 |
|
1972-73 |
12.1 |
2.5 (b) |
11.3 |
— |
2.5 |
0.0 |
2.9 |
16.6 |
0.5 |
|
1973-74 |
10.9 |
4.0 |
10.5 |
0.1 (c) |
1.8 |
0.1 |
2.7 |
16.4 |
0.7 (c) |
|
1974 |
10.3 |
4.2 |
9.7 |
0.2 |
1.8 |
0.1 |
2.4 |
16.7 |
1.1 (d) |
|
(nine-months) |
|||||||||
|
1/4/74 to 31/12/74 |
|||||||||
|
1975 (Provisional) |
10.0 |
4.4 |
8.9 |
0.3 |
1.9 |
0.1 |
1.9 |
16.3 |
1.2 |
|
1976 (Estimated) |
9.9 |
4.7 |
8.9 |
0.3 |
2.0 |
0.1 |
1.8 |
16.5 |
1.4 |
(a) Retirement Pension, Invalidity Pension and Deserted Wives' Allowance introduced as from 1st October, 1970.
(b) The rates of Retirement Pension were increased to the same level as those of Old Age (Contributory) Pension as from 5th October, 1972.
(c) Deserted Wives' Benefit and Unmarried Mothers' Allowance were introduced as from 5th July, 1973.
(d) Prisoners' Wives' Allowance and Single Women's Allowance were introduced as from 4th July, 1974.
68.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in granting an old age non-contributory pension to persons (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
The delay in granting pensions to the persons named was due to the fact that evidence of the stamping of the deed of transfer of a holding was not received in my Department until 14th May, 1976. Pending the decision of the Old Age Pension Committee in the case pensions have now been awarded on a provisional basis at the rate of £4.30 weekly for each person, increased to £4.75 from 2nd April, 1976, and pension order books accordingly have been issued.
69.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that a person (name supplied) in County Galway has been credited with two different insurance numbers in correspondence from his Department (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on this man's entitlement to benefit.
The Deputy in his representations of 26th March, 1976, to my Department gave the age of the person named as 65 years in September, 1975. As no insurance number was quoted a search was made in my Department's records and a person of the same name and locality whose date of birth was 8th September, 1910, was traced. A reply accordingly issued to the Deputy on 14th April, 1976, on the basis of the insurance record disclosed by that number. Subsequently, it was discovered that the particulars of the insurance record furnished to the Deputy did not apply to the person named by the Deputy.
The correct insurance number of the person named is 519951 and in the course of a detailed examination of the record of contributions under that number, it has come to light that a total of only 50 contributions were paid on the person's behalf under the former National Health Insurance Acts since 8th July, 1935, and 32 contributions were paid on his behalf under the Social Welfare Acts since 18th December, 1961. Allowing 3 for 2 in respect of the contributions paid prior to 1953 the total number of contributions paid for pensions purposes is 107. The information supplied to the Deputy in my Department's letter of 17th February last incorrectly included certain credited employment contributions as paid contributions in the period prior to 1953.
One of the statutory contribution conditions for the receipt of retirement pension—payable at age 65 years— and old age (contributory) pension— payable at age 67 years—requires the applicant to have at least 156 reckonable employment contributions paid on his behalf. The person named, therefore, could not satisfy this contribution condition.
As the person concerned had less than 156 contributions paid for disability benefit purposes, he was limited to 52 weeks benefit which he exhausted on 10th October, 1975. In order to qualify for further payment of disability benefit, he would require to obtain an additional 13 contributions in respect of insurable employment.
He is not entitled to become a voluntary contributor having less than 156 contributions paid on his behalf under the Social Welfare Acts, and as employment contributions are payable only in respect of employment which is insurable under those Acts he can not stamp his own card on a voluntary basis for the required number of weeks.