asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability and pay-related benefits to a person (details supplied) in Cork; and when payment will be made.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.
300.
The person concerned claimed benefit from 3 January 1981 and has been paid all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 14 February 1981, date of the latest medical evidence received.
Payment of benefit was delayed as he quoted an incorrect RSI number on the initial medical certificate and claim form forwarded to my Department and his insurance record could not immediately be traced. On receipt of a further medical certificate dated 31 January 1981 which bore the correct number it became possible to trace his insurance record and payment of benefit was authorised.
301.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability and pay-related benefits to a person (details supplied) in Cork City; and when payment will be made.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 14 November 1980 and was paid from 18 November, fourth day of incapacity. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to the 6 February 1981, date of the latest certificate received, has issued.
The delay in the payment of benefit was due mainly to the change-over from insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of the payment of benefit.
302.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in checking the English Social Welfare record of a person (details supplied) in Cork, details of which were received in his Department on 17th December, 1980; and when payment will be made.
Additional inquiries were necessary following receipt of UK contribution details before the contribution record of the person concerned could be established.
The inquiries have now been completed and all arrears of unemployment benefit due are being paid this week.
303.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will indicate in respect of a widow who had been working and paying social insurance contributions up to the time of her husband's death, who continues to work and who pays her social insurance contributions, the effect that those circumstances will have on her future eligibility for disability benefit, unemployment benefit, etc; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
A widow, who is in receipt of a widow's pension from my Department, is not liable for any deductions from her earnings in respect of social insurance and health contributions.
A widow in receipt of a contributory pension at the full rate is paid half the appropriate personal rate of disability or unemployment benefit in the event of illness or unemployment; if she is in receipt of contributory pension at a reduced rate the half-rate of disability or unemployment benefit is increased by the amount of the reduction in the pension. If her pension is non-contributory, the rate of benefit payable depends on the rate of pension and can range from half the appropriate personal rate of disability or unemployment benefit to the full rate, plus appropriate increases in respect of dependent children. Pay-related benefit is payable in full in all such cases.
A widow, who is not in receipt of a widow's pension is, however, liable for the full appropriate social insurance and health deductions from her earnings from employment. In such circumstances, she qualifies for the full rate of disability or unemployment benefit in the event of illness or unemployment. Pay-related benefit is also payable.
304.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department will contribute to the cost of telephone installation and rental for a person (details supplied) in County Dublin in view of the facts of the case.
The person concerned does not come within the categories provided for in the free telephone rental allowance scheme, and the allowance is not, therefore, payable in this case. In any event, the scheme does not provide for payment for installation of a telephone.
It is possible that the Eastern Health Board may be in a position to assist this person under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme and I have asked the board to investigate her case.
305.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 30 December 1980 and was paid from 2 January 1981, fourth day of incapacity. All disability and pay-related benefit due to 16 February 1981, date of the latest certificate received, has issued.
The delay in payment was due to the fact that he delayed the submission of his claim to my Department for some weeks after his illness commenced.
306.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
A deciding officer has held that the person concerned was not entitled to unemployment benefit until 17 February 1981, as he had lost his employment due to his own misconduct which makes his claim subject to a statutory disallowance of up to six weeks.
The person concerned has appealed against the disallowance and his case has been listed for an early hearing by an appeals officer.
Payment of unemployment benefit commenced on 17 February 1981, following the termination of the period of disallowance.
307.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from the 5 May 1980 and was paid from the 8 May, fourth day of incapacity, to 12 July 1980. He was certified fit to resume work on 14 July 1980.
According to the records of my Department all benefit due has been paid and the nine cheques which issued in payment of the claim have been cashed. Details of the dates of issue of these cheques have been sent to him. If he still contends that any one or more of the cheques were not received by him replacement action will be taken immediately.
308.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned has been continuously in receipt of unemployment assistance since the commencement of his claim in September 1980 at the weekly rate of £12.45.
He applied to have his means reassessed in January 1981. Following completion of the necessary inquiries, a deciding officer has assessed him with nil means with effect from 29 January 1981.
Accordingly his rate of unemployment assistance has been increased to £16.45, the maximum rate applicable to a single person in a rural area, and all arrears due issued to him on 19 February 1981.
309.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The person concerned is not entitled to unemployment benefit as he does not satisfy the statutory contribution conditions. Under the relevant EEC regulations, his employment record in the United Kingdom cannot be invoked as he has not taken up insurable employment since his return to this country. He is, however, at present receiving unemployment assistance.
310.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the weekly income allowed to a single woman in order that she may qualify for a blind person's pension; and if changes will be made in regard to income allowed as a result of the 1981 budget.
311.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the weekly income allowed to a widow in order that she may qualify for a non-contributory old age pension; and if changes will be made in this regard as a result of the 1981 budget.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions No. 310 and 311 together.
If the assessable income of the persons specified does not exceed £6 a week each of them would be entitled to pension at the maximum rate. They could have up to £23 a week and qualify for the minimum rate.
As a result of the recent budget the upper means limit will be extended from £23 to £27 from April next.
312.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid for several weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
When the person concerned claimed disability benefit, he had a total of only 13 contributions paid in the contribution year governing his claim and accordingly did not qualify for benefit.
His insurance cards for 1978 and 1979, which were submitted under an incorrect insurance number have now been located. The contributions of these cards entitle him to disability benefit at the maximum appropriate rate.
A cheque covering all disability and pay-related benefits due for the period of his claim issued on 20 February 1981.
313.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid for several weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 19 September 1980 and was paid from 23 September, fourth day of incapacity on receipt of medical evidence. All payments due to 23 February 1981 have been made.
The delay in payment was due mainly to the changeover in January 1981 from the system of insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of payment of benefit.
314.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid for several weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit on 17 January 1981 in respect of an accident at work on 12 January 1981.
Following confirmation by his employers on 20 February 1981, of the occupational accident, injury benefit was allowed from 14 January 1981. Payment of all injury benefit due to 7 February 1981, the date of the latest medical evidence received has now been made.
The question of his entitlement to pay-related benefit is being investigated and payment, if any, due will be made on completion of inquiries.
315.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid for some weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 23 June 1980 and has been paid all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 28 February 1981. Payment issued regularly on receipt of medical evidence to 30 December 1980 at which stage the certificates were received at irregular intervals which resulted in a delay in payment.
His claim has now been reviewed, however, and in view of the nature of the case it has been decided to pay him at weekly intervals in advance of medical certification which, in future, will only be required at monthly intervals.
316.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid for some weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit from 21 November 1980 in respect of an incapacity which arose out of an accident at work in April 1980. As the claim was outside the injury benefit period, which is 26 weeks from the date of the accident, he was not entitled to payment of injury benefit. The claim was then treated as one for disability benefit.
Entitlement to disability benefit in 1980 was, however, governed by the number of contributions in the 1979 contribution year. As, according to the records of my Department, he had only 14 paid contributions in 1979 inquiries were undertaken to ascertain whether he had any further contributions due in respect of insurable employment in that year. On completion of these inquiries his entitlement to disability benefit was established and all disability and pay-related benefit, due to the 6 February, date of the latest certificate received, has issued.
317.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid for some weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned has been claiming disability benefit from 7 October 1980 and all payment due to 9 February 1981, the date of the latest medical certificate received has issued. Further payments will issue on receipt of medical certificates of incapacity for work.
The delay in payment was due mainly to the change-over from insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of payment of benefit.
318.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid for some weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned has been paid disability benefit from 12 December 1979 to 21 February 1981.
All payments to date have been made on receipt of medical evidence of incapacity but in view of the nature of his case it has been decided to pay him weekly in future and to require him only to submit medical evidence of incapacity at monthly intervals.
Any delay which occurred in making payments in this case was due to the fact that some of the medical certificates were received at irregular intervals.
319.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid for some weeks to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
Payment of disability benefit has now been made to the person concerned for the period from 24 September to 20 October 1980.
The delay in payment arose from the fact that the papers in this case were incorrectly filed.
320.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying pay-related benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The reason for the delay in payment of pay-related benefit to the person concerned is that his entitlement could not be established until particulars of his recent earnings were received.
This information only came to hand recently and arrangements have been made to pay all arrears of pay-related benefit due this week.
321.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state as a matter of urgency how speedily, in a case (details supplied), outstanding disability benefit payments will be paid, in view of the severe hardship involved; if he will explain the reasons why regular weekly disability benefit has not been issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned has been paid all disability benefit due to 17 February 1981, the date of the latest certificate received. The delay in payment of benefit was due to the fact that he failed to quote his RSI number on the medical certificates forwarded by him to the Department despite the fact that he was requested to do so on a number of occasions.
He recently notified my Department of the non-receipt of certain cheques, and a list of cheques which issued in January 1981 has been sent to him. He has been asked to indicate which cheques have not been received by him, and on receipt of a reply, replacement action will be taken.