asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
447.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit in July 1981 but he was not entitled to payment as according to the records of my Department he had not the necessary minimum 26 contributions paid in respect of insurable employment since his entry into insurance.
Following inquiries it has been established that he had sufficient weeks of insurable employment to qualify him for benefit. Payment has now been made at the maximum appropriate rate from 20 July 1981, fourth day of incapacity, to 12 September 1981, after which date he resumed work. The cheques issued on 23 October 1981. When details of his earnings in the relevant tax year are available, pay-related benefit, if due, will issue.
448.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why pay-related benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in Dublin who has been unemployed for the past 14 weeks.
The person concerned is not entitled to pay-related benefit because entitlement to this benefit is subject to the statutory condition that the sum of weekly unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit may not exceed 85 per cent of a claimants average net weekly earnings.
As the person concerned is presently receiving unemployment benefit at the weekly rate of £60.65 and as this amount exceeds 85 per cent of his earnings, namely, £48.58, pay-related benefit is not payable in his case.
449.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the nonpayment of unemployment benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned did not satisfy the statutory contribution conditions on the basis of contributions which she paid as a married woman. Inquiries were necessary to establish her contribution record under her maiden name. She was recently interviewed in this connection and in the light of information which she furnished her previous contribution record was identified. She qualified for unemployment benefit and, as she is a postal claimant, arrangements have been made to issue an order to her paying all arrears of unemployment benefit due at her local post office this week.
450.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for the immediate payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit in respect of an accident at work on 6 August 1981. Pending the outcome of inquiries regarding the nature and origin of his injury he has been paid disability benefit as an interim measure. All disability benefit due has been paid to 24 October 1981. He will be notified of the result of the investigations into his title to injury benefit when the inquiries have been completed. When details of his earnings in the relevant tax year are available pay-related benefit, if due, will issue.
451.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange to have a non-contributory old age pension paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned originally claimed old age pension in 1980 but his claim was disallowed by an appeals officer on the grounds that his means exceeded the statutory limit. No repeat claim to pension was made by the person despite the fact that, in May 1981, on the occasion of the investigation of his wife's pension claim, he was advised to reapply.
I have arranged, however, to have representations made by the Deputy in this case taken as a repeat claim to old age pension, and provided the claimant cooperates with the social welfare officer and completes the necessary claim form the matter should be quickly settled and pension paid.
452.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange to have the appropriate children's allowance paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
It has been confirmed that the person in question is in receipt of the correct rate of children's allowance in respect of her three qualified children. A payable order for £21 which issued to her on 21 July 1981 in respect of arrears of children's allowance due for the period April to May 1981 was delivered, in error, by the postal authorities to another claimant of the same name living in the same townland. Arrangements have been made for the immediate issue of a replacement payable order to the person concerned.
453.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange to have unemployment benefit paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned is a postal claimant and arrangements have been made to issue him with an order for encashment at his local post office, this week, paying all arrears of unemployment benefit due to him. Inquiries are still in train for the purposes of establishing his reckonable earnings to enable his entitlement to pay-related benefit to be determined. When the investigations are completed his claim to pay-related benefit will be decided.
454.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange to have unemployment benefit paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
All arrears of unemployment benefit due to the person concerned were paid on 17 September 1981 following which he was paid weekly as payments became due. His present rate of unemployment benefit is £24.40 weekly. Inquiries to determine his eligibility to pay-related benefit are still in train. When the necessary investigations are finalised his claim for pay-related benefit will be decided.
455.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange to have two weeks non-contributory old age pension paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.
Arrears of pension amounting to £67.50in lieu of three uncashed orders in a pension book which was mislaid by the person concerned are in course of issue to her following confirmation by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs that no payment of pension was made in the period from 13 to 27 March 1981.
456.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will arrange for the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow for 1975 and 1976, and for the period November 1980 to April 1981.
The person concerned was a postal claimant for unemployment assistance during a number of periods between 1976 and 1979. Following a review of his entitlement it was established that he had been underpaid on a number of occasions during the period. The errors have now been corrected and a paying order in respect of all arrears due issued to him recently for encashment at his local post office.
My Department have no record of receiving any claim for unemployment assistance from the person concerned after November 1979. I am, however, having additional inquiries made in this case and I will write to the Deputy later in the matter.