asked the Minister for Social Welfare why pay-related benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
64.
Pay-related benefit has not been paid to the person concerned because he has not yet supplied all the information concerning his previous earnings which is required to enable his entitlement to the benefit to be determined. As soon as the necessary information is received, his entitlement will be determined without delay.
65.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will now arrange to have disability benefit paid to a person in County Cork (details supplied).
The person referred to by the Deputy claimed disability benefit in respect of incapacity which commenced on 18th January, 1977, and payment of benefit has been made to him to 22nd February, 1977, the date of the last medical certificate received in my Department. Payment in respect of this certificate was made on 24th February, 1977.
66.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons in receipt of farmers' unemployment assistance in County Limerick with valuations of (a) under £20 (b) under £10 and (c) over £20; and the amounts of money paid to the recipients under each of the three categories.
It is estimated that there are approximately 530 recipients of unemployment assistance registered at the local offices of my Department in County Limerick who are smallholders and whose means from land are assessed on a notional basis. Of these some 350 have land valuations up to £10, 160 valuations over £10 and up to £20 and 20 have valuations over £20. It is estimated that on average the weekly amounts of unemployment assistance payable to these categories are £14.40, £11.30 and £4.20 respectively.
67.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have unemployment assistance paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Arrangements have been made to pay all arrears of unemployment assistance due to the person concerned on his application of 26th January, 1977. Further payments of unemployment assistance will continue as they fall due.
68.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the outcome of the appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Laois against a refusal to grant her unemployment benefit; if her oral appeal was held on 3rd March, 1977; if so, why Deputy Lalor received a letter on 8th March stating that she would be notified of the date of her appeal in due course; if the deciding officer ruled against her; and, if so, if he will state how the deciding officer could determine on the evidence before him that she was not available for employment.
The claim for unemployment benefit made by the person concerned on 23rd November, 1976, was disallowed by a deciding officer on the ground that the statutory condition for the receipt of unemployment benefit which requires a claimant to be available for employment was not satisfied. She appealed against this decision and, following an oral hearing on 3rd March, 1977, at which the claimant attended and gave evidence the appeals officer upheld the decision of the deciding officer.
The Deputy will appreciate that the determination of claims for unemployment benefit is a matter for statutorily appointed deciding officers and appeals officers. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on how the decision of the deciding officer or the appeals officer was arrived at in this case.
It is regretted that due to a breakdown in internal co-ordination in this particular case the letter to the Deputy of the 8th March, 1977, was issued without knowledge of the fact that arrangements had already been made to have the appeal heard at an earlier date than had been thought possible when the letter was being prepared.
69.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and why a medical examination for this person has been delayed for so long.
The disability benefit claim of the person referred to by the Deputy was disallowed from 22nd February, 1977, as he had failed to attend for an examination by a medical referee. Following receipt of an explanation for his failure to attend, his claim was re-allowed and payment of the benefit due to him was made on 11th March, 1977.
70.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment benefit was stopped on a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
The person concerned was paid unemployment benefit up to 23rd February, 1977, on his claim of 28th August, 1976. Payment was suspended after that date while inquiries were being made as to whether the claimant continued to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of benefit. A deciding officer on the information available to him subsequently disallowed his claim in respect of two days the 15th February, 1977, and the 17th February, 1977, on the ground that the person was not unemployed on those days. Arrangements have been made to have all arrears of unemployment benefit, after deduction of the resultant overpayment, paid to the claimant and further payments will continue as they fall due.
Question No. 71 withdrawn.
72.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why an old age pension has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare.
The old age pension claim of the person concerned was rejected by the decision of the local pension sub-committee on the ground that her means exceeded the statutory limit for entitlement to pension. This decision was confirmed by an appeals officer. The decision of an appeals officer is final save when there are new facts or new evidence such as would warrant its revision.