asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons for the weekly deduction of £3 from payment to a person (details supplied) and if industrial injury benefit is payable in this case.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
84.
The weekly deduction of £3 from the disability benefit payment to the person concerned is being made to recover an excess payment of £217 made for a period during which he was paid an increase of benefit in respect of one of his children who was over 18 years of age. The rate of recovery has now been reduced to £2 a week.
Occupational injury benefit was paid from the commencement of his claim on 23 March 1977 to 6 May 1977, that is, the end of the statutory 26 weeks period after the date of his accident on 6 November 1976. He was then awarded disablement benefit provisionally at the rate appropriate to a degree of disablement assessed at 20 per cent from May 1977 to March 1978. This rate was reduced to 15 per cent for the period from March 1978 to March 1979 when his claim was due for further review. Owing to the postal dispute however this review has not yet taken place but it has been decided to continue the provisional award of 15 per cent pending the review.
The disablement benefit at present payable amount to £79.45 for the six months period from March to September 1979. This payment is in addition to the rate of disability benefit payable.
85.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability benefit will now be paid to a person (details supplied) and the total amount due.
A cheque for £72.10, the total amount of flat-rate disability benefit due to the person concerned, has now been issued and may be collected at the cheque distribution centre at 157-164 Townsend Street, Dublin 2.
Further inquiries are being made regarding her entitlement to pay-related benefit.
86.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have disability benefit paid to a person (details supplied) immediately.
When the person concerned claimed disability benefit in April last she was not qualified for payment on the basis of her contribution record in 1977-78.
Following inquiries made by my Department it was discovered that contributions due in respect of a period of employment in that year had not been paid. The outstanding contributions were treated as paid for benefit purposes, and payment of flat-rate disability benefit has been issued up to and including 28 May 1979, the date of the latest medical certificate received. The cheque may be collected at the distribution centre at 157-164 Townsend Street, Dublin 2.
Further inquiries are being made regarding her entitlement to pay-related benefit.