asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the grant for death benefit, applied for in January 1980 will be paid in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin.
Written Answers. - Death Benefit Grant.
399.
A cheque in payment of the death grant in respect of the person concerned was issued to his widow on 12 June 1980.
400.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will confirm that his Department received three medical certificates on behalf of a person (details supplied) in Dublin for the weeks ended 19 December 1979 to 5 January 1980; and if he will make copies of these available.
Four medical certificates covering the period from 19 December 1979 to 6 January 1980 were received in my Department on behalf of the person concerned. He was not entitled to payment of disability benefit, however, as he had less than the statutory minimum of 26 contributions paid and credited in 1978, the contribution year governing his claim. A notification to this effect issued from my Department on 14 January 1980.
I have arranged to have copies of the medical certificates forwarded to the Deputy.
401.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of a social welfare allowance to a person (details supplied) in Cork City for the period 23 December 1978 to 13 January 1979 and when payment will issue.
A claim for occupational injury benefit was received from the person concerned on 11 January 1979. Following the completion of inquiries regarding the cause of the incapacity the claim was allowed in respect of the period from 23 December 1978 to 13 January 1979. The claimant was notified accordingly on 15 October 1979.
The delay in payment was due to the fact that the processing of the cheque was inadvertently overlooked. I would like to thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to my attention and I regret the inconvenience caused. A cheque in payment of the amount of injury benefit due has now been issued to the claimant.
402.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will investigate the reason for the reduction in the rate of unemployment assistance allowance payable to a person (detail supplied) in County Kerry.
The person concerned is receiving unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £43.55. He had been receiving unemployment assistance up to April 1980 as a notionally assessed smallholder with no means other than his holding at the weekly rate of £43.70.
He applied for factual assessment during the course of which it emerged that he had capital which had not previously been disclosed and the income from which—30p a week—must be taken into account under the terms of the scheme. His means were assessed factually, including the income from the capital, and his entitlement was re-established at £43.55 a week. As this is more beneficial than his entitlement under the national method of assessment which has now to be reduced to £43.40 by reason of the capital, he was awarded the higher amount of £43.55 a week.
403.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a person (details supplied) in Dublin will qualify for receipt of unemployment benefit payments.
A deciding officer has recently allowed this claim and arrangements have been made to have all unemployment benefit due to the person paid this week.
404.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons for the delay in payment of Social insurance to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; if he will outline the current position, and when payment will issue.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit in respect of five separate periods of incapacity between 2 April 1979 and 28 May 1980. Payment of benefit could not be authorised as her insurance cards for the contribution years 1977-78 and 1978-79, on which entitlement to benefit depended, had not been received in my Department.
Following inquiries it was established that she had been in insurable employment for sufficient weeks in each of these contribution years to qualify for benefit but the stamped cards have not been received from the employer. Special credits have, however, been allowed in respect of the weeks of insurable employment in those years. These credits have the effect of qualifying her for benefit in respect of all five claims. Payment of all disability benefit due was issued on 13 June 1980. The question of her entitlement to pay-related benefit is being investigated and payment, if any due, will be made as soon as possible.
405.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will list the benefits available to people living in the Republic and working in Northern Ireland who pay the maximum employment stamp.
The claims of persons living in the Republic whose only employment is in Northern Ireland are normally the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Ministry. Persons who become wholly unemployed here may, in accordance with EEC Regulations, be entitled to payment of unemployment benefit, including pay-related benefit under the Social Welfare Acts, if their contributions in Northern Ireland included an element for unemployment and if they satisfy the statutory qualifying contribution conditions.
Persons who have paid the full rate of contributions in the Republic and in Northern Ireland may have the contributions paid in both parts of the country aggregated for the purpose of establishing entitlement to old age contributory pension, retirement pension, widow's pension, orphan's contributory allowance and treatment benefit under the Social Welfare Acts. Such persons may in fact qualify for payment of pension in both parts of the country. The special provision in relation to unemployment benefit also applies to persons who have insurance in both parts of the country and who become wholly unemployed in the Republic.
Persons riseding in the Republic who are in receipt of retirement pension from Northern Ireland and who are over 66 years of age may also qualify for free electricity allowance and free television licence.
406.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal, who has been signing as unemployed since 1 May 1980.
The persons concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 12 May 1980. Inquiries had to be completed which established that he did not qualify for benefit from that date because of a deficient insurance contribution record. He did, however, qualify from the introduction of the new benefit year on 2 June 1980.
Arrangements have been made for the payment this week of the arrears of unemployment benefit due together with unemployment assistance from the date of his claim until title to unemployment benefit arose.
407.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a reduced rate of only £3 per week old age pension is being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The means of the person concerned consisting of the weekly value of a holding and capital do not permit payment of pension at a rate higher than £3 weekly from 4 April 1980.
408.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in granting non-contributory old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
An application for a non-contributory old age pension received in May 1980 from the person concerned was investigated on 12 June. The file is in course of referral to the local pension committee for decision. Pension at the rate appropriate to her means has been recommended and will be granted, on a provisional basis, pending the pension committee's decision when the report of the Department's local officer comes to hand.
There has been no undue delay in processing this application.
409.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a reduced rate of non-contributory old age pension has been granted to persons (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The persons concerned were in receipt of old age pensions at the rate of £6.30 weekly and £5.10 weekly respectively when it was learned that the occupational pension of one of them had been increased. As a consequence their old age pensions were reduced to £5 a week and £3.80 a week respectively. Following the implementation of the budget increases their old age pensions were increased as from the 4 April 1980 to £10.50 a week and £9 a week respectively.
410.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of deserted wife's allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin, and when payment will issue.
The person concerned claimed deserted wife's allowance in February 1980 from my Department. Following inquiries which, because of the circumstances of the case were necessarily protracted, she had been awarded an allowance at the maximum rate appropriate to a woman with two qualified children with effect from 21 February 1980. An order book payable from 12 June 1980 has been issued to the designated post office for collection by her.
A payable order in respect of the arrears of deserted wife's allowance due, less the amount of unemployment assistance paid to the claimant from 21 February 1980, is being issued to her.
411.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of sickness benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 26 April 1980 and all disability and pay-related benefit due to 22 May 1980, the date of the latest medical certificate received has been paid. Payment of benefit after that date will be made on receipt of continuing medical evidence of incapacity.
There was an initial delay in the processing of this claim as the second medical certificate, establishing a continuing period of incapacity for work, was not received in my Department until 22 May 1980.
412.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will review the arrangements for making split payments to wives of receipients of unemployment benefit, disability benefit, unemployment assistance or disability assistance, with a view to devising a system which will ensure (a) that an adequate proportion of the total amount to provide for the family's basic needs is directed towards the wife; and (b) that arrangements can be made for split payments of disability benefits in circumstance in which the husband is, by reason of his disability, unable to exercise control over his own affairs.
The arrangements for making split payments to wives of recipients under the various benefit and assistance schemes operated by my Department are governed by regulations. These regulations are specific in that they give power, where the circumstances so warrant to make separate payment of the actual amount of the increases payable in respect of adult and child dependants. I am not aware of any dissatisfaction with the operation of these arrangements.
With regard to the second part of the question, there is already provision in the regulations whereby payment of benefit can be made to the spouse or to another responsible person to administer on behalf of a claimant who because of his incapacity is unable to act on his own behalf.
413.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the excessive delay in the payment of pay-related benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
All pay-related benefit due to the person concerned was paid to him some months ago. The delay in making payments appears to have been mainly due to the loss in transit of a request sent by the local office to headquarters for details of the rate of benefit due.
414.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a non-contributory old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan.
A non-contributory old age pension order book payable from 6 June 1980 was issued to the person concerned on 13 June 1980.
415.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the method used in calculating the means of an applicant for an old age pension and/or widow's and orphan's pension, to determine the income on savings and cash investments; and if allowances are made for the depreciation in the value of such savings and cash investments caused by inflation.
The method used is provided for in the Seventh Schedule to the Social Welfare Act, 1952, as amended. The actual income from the sources mentioned by the Deputy is not taken as the means. Instead a value is put on the capital using the following formula:—
(a) Non-contributory old age pension.
The first £200 of capital is excluded. The yearly value is taken as 5 per cent of the next £375, plus 10 per cent of the balance over £575.
(b) Non-contributory widow's and orphan's pension.
The first £200 of capital is excluded and there is a further exclusion of £100 for each qualified child. The yearly value is taken as 5 per cent of the balance.
The yearly value thus arrived at is divided by 52 to get the weekly value. If the weekly value is £1 or more, the means are taken to be the weekly value plus £1.
There is no depreciation factor allowed for inflation but this is balanced by periodic increases in pension rates provided to compensate for rises in the cost of living.
416.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of an old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
There are four persons of the same name resident in the area here in question and this has caused a difficulty of identification. Inquiries made locally by the social welfare officer now indicate that an application stated to have been made by the person concerned did not, in fact, reach my Department. Arrangements are being made, however, to have her case investigated immediately with a view to ascertaining whether a non-contributory old age pension is payable.
417.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Donegal has not been paid unemployment benefit for the past seven weeks; and when payment will issue.
The delay in making payment in this case was due to the fact that certain inquiries had to be made to ascertain whether the person concerned satisfied the contribution conditions for receipt of unemployment benefit. These inquiries have not yet been fully completed but it has been established on the basis of the information at present available that this person qualifies for a reduced rate of benefit pending the outcome of the inquiries.
Arrangements have been made to have the arrears of benefit at the reduced rate paid without delay.
418.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a non-contributory old age pension, together with arrears retrospective to 1978, will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
It was decided by an appeals officer on 19 December 1978 that the person concerned was not entitled to a non-contributory old age pension as his means exceeded the statutory limit for receipt of the pension. The decision was conveyed to the local pension committee on 25 January 1979, and, since that time, nothing further has been heard from the applicant.
419.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the provision made in respect of social welfare benefits for Army nursing personnel, who apply for such benefits subsequent to finishing their army service.
All members of the Army Nursing Service are employed in a permanent and pensionable capacity and are insured under the Social Welfare Acts at a modified rate of pay-related social insurance contribution. This rate of contribution provides for entitlement to widow's (contributory) pension, deserted wife's benefit and orphan's (contributory) allowance.
Army nursing personnel who have finished their Army service and who are qualified for these benefits retain entitlement to them for as long as the contribution conditions for receipt of the benefits continue to be satisfied.