asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.
143.
Arrangements have been made to pay all unemployment benefit due to the person concerned this week.
144.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the immediate payment of arrears of benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned claimed injury benefit under the occupational injuries scheme on 2 October 1978 in respect of an accident at work on 30 September 1978. Pending investigation of his claim disability benefit was paid as an interim measure from 5 October 1978 to 30 June 1979 when he was certified fit to resume work. In addition pay-related benefit was also paid from 16 October 1978.
By decision of an appeals officer his claim to injury benefit was allowed on 25 August 1980 and injury benefit was awarded in respect of the period from 2 October 1978 to 30 March 1979. As a result an adjusting payment of £27.48 issued to him on 4 November 1980.
The relevant pay-related benefit regulations provide that, when the amount of flat-rate benefit and pay-related benefit exceeds a claimant's reckonable weekly earnings, the rate payable shall be reduced by the amount of the excess. In the period 5 October to 15 October 1978 he was paid disability benefit at rate of £32 a week and in the period from 16 October 1978 to 30 June 1979 he was paid disability benefit plus pay-related benefit at the rate of £42 a week. As his reckonable weekly earnings in the relevant tax year (1976-77) were £42, he was precluded from receiving more than this amount by way of benefit for those periods. The adjusting payment of £27.48 made to him in November 1980 represents payment of injury benefit for the three waiting days, 2 to 4 October 1978, and the difference between the rate of injury benefit and disability benefit between 5 and 15 October 1979. In the circumstances he is not entitled to any further adjusting payment in respect of the period of his incapacity.