asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason occupational injury benefit due since November 1977 and disability benefit have not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
193.
The person concerned originally claimed injury benefit under the occupational injuries scheme on 29 May 1978 in respect of an ankle injury on 26 November 1977.
Following investigation of the claim, it was decided on 6 September 1978 that the employment in which the injury occurred was not insurable under the Social Welfare Acts. The claim for injury benefit was disallowed.
Subsequently the claimant appealed against the decision that the employment was not insurable. The appeal was heard on 7 September 1979 when it was decided that the employment was insurable.
In accordance with the revised decision the claim for injury benefit was allowed for the period from 26 November 1977 to 1 May 1978, the date of the last certificate received. Payment of the total amount of injury benefit due has now been made.
A medical examination has been arranged in connection with a claim for disablement benefit, received on 28 November 1979, and a decision will be made immediately after the result of this examination becomes available.
The claimant has accordingly received payment of occupational injury benefit for the full period for which he claimed up to 1 May 1978. As he has not submitted medical evidence of incapacity after that date he did not claim disability benefit from my Department. It is understood however that he resumed work in August 1978.
194.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who applied in May 1979.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 29 March 1979. He is not qualified for payment, however, as he had not the statutory minimum of 26 contributions paid or credited either in 1977, the contribution year which governed the claim from 29 March 1979, or in 1978, the contribution year which governs the claim from 4 June 1979.
195.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a children's allowance applied for in February 1979 will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Despite an exhaustive search no trace of an application for children's allowance prior to December 1979 was found in this case. Accordingly a children's allowance book, payable from January 1980, was issued to claimant on 21 March 1980.
On the assumption that an original claim was made and possibly lost in transit during the postal dispute, arrears due from March 1979 issued on 25 March 1980.
196.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of widows pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned was awarded a widow's contributory pension at the maximum rate appropriate to a widow with no dependent children and a pension order book payable from 24 August 1979 was issued to her. Arrears of pension from 8 June 1979 were withheld pending return of the pension book in payment of invalidity pension which she was receiving up to the date of her husband's death.
She continued to cash the invalidity pension but as invalidity pension and widow's pension are not payable concurrently it was necessary to recall both pension books in October 1979 to recover the amount overpaid to her. The widow's pension book was re-issued payable from 7 December 1979 and an adjusting payment was issued to her at the same time.
The pension number quoted by the Deputy refers to another widow who lives in the same street. A somewhat similar situation arose in her case but the matter has now been resolved. The widow's pension book which had been recalled has been returned to the widow and she has received an adjusting payment after account was taken of the amount of invalidity pension overpaid to her.