asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork who is due payment in respect of 13 weeks.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
162.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 6 October 1980 to 24 January 1981 but he was not qualified for payment as, according to the records of my Department, he had no paid or credited contributions for 1979, the contribution year governing his claim. Following prolonged inquiries it was established that he had in fact been employed for sufficient weeks in 1979 to qualify him for payment. All benefit due for the period of the claim, less the amount of supplementary welfare allowance received, issued to him recently. He is not entitled to pay-related benefit as he was self-employed in the relevant tax year.
163.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the percentage increase granted to (i) long-term and (ii) short-term social welfare recipients, in each of the budgets from 1973 to 1981 inclusive.
The details requested by the Deputy are set out in the following statement:
|
Percentage increase |
||
|
Year |
Long term |
Short term |
|
1973 |
18 |
18 |
|
1974 |
18 |
18 |
|
1975 |
23 [Plus 5 in October] |
21 [Plus 5 in October] |
|
1976 |
10 [Plus 5 in October] |
10 |
|
1977 |
9 [Plus 5 in October] |
14 [Plus 5 in October] |
|
1978 |
10 |
10 |
|
1979 |
16 [Plus 6 in October] |
12 [Plus 6 in October] |
|
1980 |
25* |
20 |
|
1981 |
25 |
20 |
*This figure does not include the double weeks' payment for long term recipients in December 1980.
164.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number on the unemployment register at the employment exchange, Cork during the months of November and December, 1980 and January 1981; the amount paid in unemployment benefit during this period; and if he will give similar information for the same periods in each of the years 1975 to 1979, inclusive.
The information requested by the Deputy is given in the following table:
|
Month |
Number on the Unemployment Register |
Amounts paid in unemployment benefit |
|
November 1975 |
4,524 |
£172,503 |
|
December 1975 |
4,759 |
£177,902 |
|
January 1976 |
4,521 |
£219,769 |
|
November 1976 |
4,455 |
£163,443 |
|
December 1976 |
4,663 |
£210,839 |
|
January 1977 |
4,545 |
£173,972 |
|
November 1977 |
4,148 |
£163,041 |
|
December 1977 |
4,334 |
£208,508 |
|
January 1978 |
4,217 |
£179,216 |
|
November 1978 |
4,217 |
£211,997 |
|
December 1978 |
4,304 |
£266,892 |
|
January 1979 |
3,891 |
£165,314 |
|
November 1979 |
3,510 |
£211,672 |
|
December 1979 |
3,632 |
£185,043 |
|
January 1980 |
3,722 |
£201,899 |
|
November 1980 |
5,615 |
£422,665 |
|
December 1980 |
6,053 |
£577,842 |
|
January 1981 |
6,105 |
£531,636 |