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.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
377.
The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit from 12 January 1981 in respect of an accident at work. Pending the completion of inquiries regarding the accident he has been paid disability benefit as an interim measure. All disability benefit due from 15 January 1981 fourth day of incapacity, to 7 March 1981, has been paid.
The delay in payment was due mainly to the change-over from insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of payment of benefit. He has not quoted his RSI number on the medical certificates submitted in connection with his claim. He will be advised of the decision on his claim for injury benefit when the inquiries have been completed.
378.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of pay-related benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
The entitlement to pay-related benefit of the person concerned could not be determined until particulars of her reckonable earnings during a period of employment in the years 1978 and 1979 were known. The required information which was difficult to obtain as the factory concerned had closed, was only recently received. Entitlement to pay-related benefit was established at the weekly rate of £6.10, and all pay-related benefit due was paid last week.
379.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Waterford is not being paid the maximum rate of unemployment assistance in respect of himself and his wife.
The person concerned had been in receipt of unemployment assistance at the rate appropriate to a single man with means of £9.20 derived from the benefit of board and lodging at his parents' home. He notified his local office that he had got married on 14 February and that he was no longer residing with his parents. His case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation and in the light of his report he has been assessed with nil means.
He is now entitled to the maximum rate of unemployment assistance appropriate to a married man residing in an non-urban area and arrangements have been made to pay all arrears of unemployment assistance due to him this week.
380.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Waterford is not receiving unemployment assistance at the full rate.
The person concerned was assessed with means of £13 weekly based on his estimated yearly earnings from self-employment as a fisherman. He is accordingly entitled to unemployment assistance at the weekly rate of £3.45 which is the rate appropriate to a single man (£16.45) less the value of his means (£13).
The person concerned has appealed against this assessment and his case has been referred to an appeals officer for determination. The appeal application will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible.
381.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a living alone allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
An application for a living alone allowance for the person concerned was received on 8 December 1980 and following the necessary inquiries by the social welfare officer, payment was authorised from 6 June 1980.
An order book for payment from 2 January 1981 was issued on 26 February 1981. A cheque covering the arrears from 6 June 1980 is being issued.
382.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability and pay-related benefits will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 17 January 1981 and was paid from 21 January, fourth day of incapacity. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 7 March 1981 has issued.
383.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the proportion of the insured workforce which claimed disability benefit in each year since 1970.
Statistics as to the number of persons who claim disability benefit but whose claims are disallowed each year are not maintained by my Department.
On the basis of the number of recipients the percentage of the insured workforce who received disability benefit in each year since 1970 (except 1979 for which no statistics were produced owing to the postal dispute) is as follows:
|
Period |
Percentage of Insured workforce who received Disability Benefit |
|
Year ended 31 March 1971 |
22 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 March 1972 |
22 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 March 1973 |
24 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 March 1974 |
23 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 December 1974* |
21 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 December 1975 |
24 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 December 1976 |
32 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 December 1977 |
32 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 December 1978 |
35 per cent |
|
Year ended 31 December 1980 |
35 per cent |
* a nine month period.
384.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry has not been paid disability or sickness benefit for the last seven weeks.
The person concerned was in receipt of disability benefit from 1974 to 17 January 1981. Ordinarily payment should have ceased on 3 January 1981 when she attained pension age but payment was continued as she had not applied for an old age contributory pension. She was notified in August 1980 of the pending cessation of disability benefit and advised that she should claim pension. A notification on similar lines issued to her in January 1981.
At the end of February 1981 it was discovered that she still had not applied for the old age pension and at that stage it was decided, in order to avoid hardship, to make a further payment of disability benefit up to 7 March. This payment issued on 2 March and arrangements have been made to continue payment. The matter will be adjusted when she claims old age contributory pension.
385.
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.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 18 April 1980 and has been paid all disability benefit due from 22 April 1980, fourth day of incapacity, to 9 March 1981. Payment issued regularly on receipt of medical evidence of incapacity up to January 1981. He failed to quote his RSI number on the medical certificates submitted in January and part of February and this resulted in delay in the issue of payment at that time. He has, however, quoted his RSI number on recent medical evidence received and payment is now being issued in the normal way.
386.
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.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 8 December 1980 and was paid from 11 December, fourth day of incapacity, to 21 February 1981. after which date he was certified fit to resume work. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due has been paid. The delay in payment was due mainly to the change-over from the system of insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of payment of disability benefit.
387.
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.
The person concerned who had been in receipt of unemployment benefit up to 14 January 1981 claimed disability benefit from 15 January 1981. He has been paid from that date to 7 March 1981, at the maximum appropriate rate. The delay in payment was due mainly to the change-over from the system of insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of payment of benefit.
388.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of occupational injury benefit to a person (details supplied) in Cork; and when payment will issue.
The person concerned claimed injury benefit in respect of an incapacity which she stated was due to an accident at work in respect of the period 18 December 1980 to 24 January 1981, after which date she was certified fit to resume employment.
In reply to an inquiry the employers stated that the accident had not been reported to them. It was necessary therefore to make further inquiries in order to establish whether the incapacity was in fact due to an accident at work. In the meantime disability benefit was paid on an interim basis pending the outcome of the inquiries regarding her entitlement to injury benefit. When these inquiries are completed she will be notified of the decision on her claim.
389.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in Cork; and when payment will issue.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 12 January 1981 and was paid from 15 January, fourth day of incapacity, to 12 February, after which date he was certified fit to resume work. All disability benefit, and pay-related benefit due has issued. The delay in payment was due mainly to the change-over from the system of insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of payment of benefit.
390.
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 16 August 1980 and was paid from 20 August 1980, fourth day of incapacity. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due has been paid to 6 March 1981. The delay in payment was due mainly to the change-over from the system of insurance numbers to RSI numbers for the purpose of payment of benefit.
391.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare: (i) the number of social welfare appeals against decisions of deciding officers made during the periods January to December 1979 and 1980; (ii) the number of appeals decided in each year; the number withdrawn and allowed; (iii) the number of oral hearings held in respect of these appeals in each year; (iv) the number of appeals in each year at which appellants availed themselves of representation; and (v) the number of appeals in each year at which the appeals officer was assisted by an assessor.
Records are not kept in such a manner as would enable all of the information sought by the Deputy to be given. The figures available are however set out in the statement which follows.
|
1979 |
1980 |
|
|
—— |
—— |
|
|
(i) Number of appeals |
6,236 |
9,527 |
|
(ii) Number of appeals decided |
5,952 |
8,534 |
|
number of appeals withdrawn |
13 |
70 |
|
number of appeals allowed |
2,179 |
3,174 |
(iii) Records are not kept of the total number of oral hearings held during the periods in question. Figures can, however, be provided of the number of oral hearings in appeals relating to claims for disability benefit. They are
1979—354 appeals, 45% of the total heard
1980—728 appeals, 60% of the total heard
(iv) Records are not kept of the number of appeals where the appellant was represented.
(v) Assessors are invited to all appeals relating to claims for unemployment benefit or assistance. Records are not kept of the number of occasions when assessors actually attended.
Non-contributory old age pension appeals are not included in the statement because the primary decisions in these cases are given by old age pension committees and not by deciding officers of the Department.
The reason why the figures given for 1979 are substantially lower than those for 1980 is attributable to the postal strike lasting some 19 weeks which took place in 1979.
392.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that in a case (details supplied) the payee has to wait from the Thursday morning when he receives his unemployment voucher until the following Saturday before Clondalkin post office will cash it; if he is further aware of the hardship this causes and of the consequent inconvenience to the payee; and if he will make arrangements so that the voucher can be cashed immediately on receipt.
In common with most other postal applicants for unemployment benefit or assistance, the person concerned received his payments regularly on the Saturday of each week during the period of his claim. It is understood that he has since resumed employment.
The arrangements for payment in these cases are designed to ensure, in so far as it is possible, that postal applicants receive their payments by the week end of the week in which they certify their unemployment. To achieve this the payment vouchers are posted out to claimants as early as possible each week. The majority are received on Friday although some claimants may receive theirs on Thursday. The weekly vouchers may be cashed on any day during the week commencing on Saturday. In general I feel that these arrangements are satisfactory and do not call for alteration.