asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance at present and at the corresponding time last year and the reasons for the change.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
302.
The latest date for which complete figures are available is 30 December 1978. On that date the number of persons in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance was 14,767. The corresponding figure for 31 December 1977 was 14,119. The increase in the number of recipients cannot be attributed to any particular factor.
303.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare in respect of the period commencing with the cessation of postal deliveries, the number of applicants for social welfare benefit who have not yet been notified officially of the grounds on which benefit has been refused; the steps, if any, taken to have each person notified in the proper form so that an appeal can be made; the approximate number of persons who have been deprived of benefit because of delay in complying with the published rules and what steps are being taken to rectify the matter.
It is not possible to state the number of disallowances of claims to social welfare benefit, pension or assistance which have been made during the period commencing with the cessation of postal deliveries but which have not yet been notified.
Generally, the decisions on such claims are made at the head offices of my Department, but due to the postal dispute most of the decisions have been held pending the resumption of normal postal services. Decisions on old age pension claims are, however, made at local level by old age pension committees and no information is available as to the number of disallowances.
In the case of unemployment benefit and assistance practically all disallowances have been conveyed to the persons concerned when they called to the local employment exchanges in connection with their claims.
I can assure the Deputy that no person will be penalised for failure to comply with any of the rules governing benefit claims for any reason which is attributable to the postal dispute. If any person wishes to appeal against a decision disallowing payment, adequate discretion will be given to extend the time within which an appeal may be made.